Are you a nature lover? A history lover? A sea lover? A photographer? A simple curious tourist? The Neptune’s Caves are definitely one of the places to visit during a holiday in Alghero for anyone who loves adventure and natural beauty.
Organizing a visit to Neptune’s Caves from Alghero is not difficult but there is still information to know and precautions to follow to make the experience more fun and smooth. We traveled with our one-year-old son so we preferred to reach the caves by boat, but if you are a sports enthusiast and a beautiful staircase does not scare you, you can easily reach them by land.
Take advantage of this complete guide to enjoy a perfect day trip from Alghero to the caves of the god of the sea.
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What are the Neptune’s Caves?
With the name Neptune’s Grottoes, we call a fascinating and large cave, or series of caves, set in the rock and dug by the action of the sea.
The caves extend for about 2.5 km between galleries and tunnels, a forest of stalactites and stalagmites, and a lake. The guided tour consists of a few hundred meters of a path where tourists can admire the rooms, some slightly higher areas, the lake, and, obviously, the beautiful karst and rock formations dug by the sea over millions of years.
Unlike the Grotta Verde, also in the Alghero area, the Grotte di Nettuno has never been inhabited or used by man for any type of activity. This makes them a place of naturalistic and geological interest rather than archaeological. Neptune’s Caves were mainly the habitat of the monk seal, even if there are no more of them now.
Upon entering, one of the first rooms you visit is the lake room, so called because it houses Lake La Marmora where the clear blue waters reflect the long stalactites. Following are various chambers such as the one “of the ruins” or the one “of the palace” from where you have a great view of the internal lake, the monumental columns, and fine natural decorations.
One of the most famous rooms is known as the Smith Room, named after the English captain who was among the first visitors to the cave in the 19th century. In the center of this room, visitors are enchanted by what has been called the “Great Organ,” the largest column in the entire cave featuring formations that resemble the pipes of an organ.
Among the other wonders that can be admired is a stalagmite formation with perfectly smooth walls that joins the ceiling with a large column forming a kind of dome. In one of the last rooms, the “lace and crochet” room, it seems like you are seeing sophisticated jewelry work, so fine and elaborate the decorations are.
Where are the Grotte di Nettuno?
The Grotte di Nettuno site is nestled between the cliffs of the Capo Caccia promontory overlooking the sea. Whether you are traveling by sea or by land, it will take you around 40 minutes to get to Neptune’s Grottoes from Alghero.
Capo Caccia is the part of the Porto Conte Park that overlooks the sea. Capo Caccia – Isola Piana is a protected area located in the territory of Alghero that includes the bay of Porto Conte and the stretch between Punta Giglio and Capo Caccia.
Within the park, you can have the most diverse experiences including trekking and speleology trails, and archaeological visits such as the Grotta Verde, where human traces from about 7000 years ago were found, the interesting Nuragic complexes of Palmavera and Sant’Imbenia and the Roman villa of Sant’Imbenia.
Remains of the Roman villa can be found at the Archaeological Museum of Alghero, while to visit the site itself, I suggest checking out their website or contacting the local tourism office because it’s usually open only on weekends.
How to get to Neptune’s Grottoes?
You can access Neptune’s Caves by land or by sea. The entrance starts right from the sea and extends for more than 2 km inside the rock in a slightly circular path. The exit, in fact, is at the same point as the entrance.
By sea, you need to take the boat from the port of Alghero, Banchina Dogana. All the companies leave from the same pier so you will just have to look for the boat with the name they gave you when you booked.
If you prefer to arrive by land, you will have to drive for about half an hour/40 minutes from Alghero and then go down the 654 steps of the famous panoramic staircase built in 1954 known as Escala del Cabirol, “roe deer staircase”.
Practical information: opening hours, prices and booking
- Opening hours: Every day from 10 am to 3 pm.
- Tickets: Entrance to the Neptune’s Caves costs €14. The reduced ticket price of €10 is available to over 65, children aged 7 to 14, residents of Alghero, and groups of at least 25 people who book. School groups of at least 15 students pay €8 per person. Disabled visitors including a companion, children under 7, teachers accompanying school groups, tour guides accompanying large groups, and scholars and researchers enter for free.
- How long. The actual guided tour lasts about 30-40 minutes from the entrance to the end of the journey through the various rooms and environments. In addition to this, you have to add the time to get there, so about 40 minutes by sea from the port of Alghero (and 40 on the way back), or half an hour by car from Alghero and then almost 660 steps down (and then up).
- How to book the Neptune’s Caves. The way to book the visit to Neptune’s Grotto depends on how you decide to reach them. If you decide to reach by land and visit through the Escala del Cabirol, you need to reserve your entrance. Your reservation doesn’t include the ticket, which needs to be purchased separately either online or on-site. Here are all the info. If you go by sea, the owner of the boat will ask you how many people you are booking the ride for and they will communicate your arrival to the local organization.
- Boat companies. There are two companies that organize the boat to the Neptune’s Caves: Piccinnu and Navisarda. We traveled with Piccinnu: call 368 3536824 or 331 7229999 and let them know how many of you are boarding. In low season, Piccinnu runs two trips a day, one for the 10 am entrance and one for the 3 pm entrance. We went in the afternoon and left Alghero at 1:45 pm. If you go in the morning, ask what time you have to show up at the port. Navisarda only provides summer service. To book with them, call 079 950603 or 320 7412400. With both companies, boarding is from Banchina Dogana in the historic center.
- Cost of the boat to the Grotte di Nettuno. With Piccinnu the ticket costs €15 for adults, €7 for children. Infants do not pay. With Navisarda, the ticket costs €16 for adults, €8 for children from 3 to 12 years old. Groups and school groups have discounted prices, so ask for more information when booking. This is a return ticket.
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