CAVE DEL BUE MARINO

Among the natural wonders not to be missed if you are in the region, the caves of the Bue Marino bear the name of the monk seal, a gentle marine mammal whose refuge they were until the 1970s. The development of mass tourism and the opening of caves to the public in the 1950s unfortunately caused seals to flee, which are now an endangered species.

The cave is covered by 16 km of galleries and is divided into two main branches:

South Ramo: accessible by boat (from Cala Gonone). After half an hour of crossing, the boat drops you off at the entrance of the cave and we continue on foot along a path that sinks into the cavity. The visit lasts about 45 minutes. This is the most spectacular part of the park, which is nearly 8 km long. The limestone concretions cut and carved by time, here take on white and red reflections (presence of iron) and are wonderfully reflected in the turquoise waters of the cave. At the exit, Neolithic engravings depicting dancing figures show that the place was inhabited 5,000 years ago.

North Ramo: accessible only by foot from Cala Fuili (45 min, junction and signs for directions), this part of the cave will delight speleology lovers. Over nearly 800 m, we discover a network of fossil galleries and two lakes, the Smeraldo lagoon fed by a rise in salt water, and the Abissale lagoon which sinks for 12 m, out of the 40 counted in total over its 9 km.