Grotta Verde


Useful Information

Location: Strada Provinciale 55, 07041 Alghero SS.
From Alghero SS127bis to Maristella, SP55 to Piscina Salida, continue on SP55 to the end, parking lot. Walk back along the road 150 m to a staircase which leads down to the cave.
(40.564898, 8.164972)
Open: closed.
[2023]
Fee: closed.
[2023]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave TopicBlue Grottos
Light: bring torch
Dimension:  
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility: no
Bibliography: Nicholas Flemming, Fabrizio Antonioli (2016): The Archaeology of Underwater Caves In book: The Archaeology of Underwater CavesChapter: Prehistoric archaeology, palaeontology, and climate change indicators from caves submerged by change of sea levelPublisher: University PressEditors: Peter Campbell researchgate
Address: Grotta Verde, Strada Provinciale 55, 07041 Alghero SS, Tel: +39-079-979054.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
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History


Description

The Grotta Verde (Green Grotto) is located o the same peninsula as the show cave Grotta di Nettuno. This is a karst cave in 200 Ma old limestone with speleothems like stalactites and stalagmites. Blue and green grottoes are typically caves with an underwater connection to the sea, and sunlight filtering through the seawater into the cave. This small cave also has a salt water lake at the bottom, as it is located only a few meters from the coast. The cave is famous archaeological site, so if you visit be careful not to destroy any sediments. It was frequented from the Early Neolithic period (6th millennium BC) to the Christian era as a place of worship and a burial site.

The site is located at the road to the popular Grotta di Nettuno and is easily reached after a 150 m walk and walk down a long staircase. This stair was built to the cave entrance and made it easily accessible. Unfortunately this is a great danger for the cave, its speleothems and the archaeological remains. To avoid vandalism the entrance was also massively gated. In other words, the cave is not accessible, except on guided tours. Unfortunately the cave is rather well known, so there are numerous websites about the cave, but it seems there is no warden. In other words, at the moment there is no possibility to visit this cave. We have created this page for two reasons, to add the missing info that the cave is closed to the info on numerous pages. The other is, that we actually hope the cave will be opened as a show cave, it has the best prerequisites and is already developed.