Grotta del Bue Marino

Location

Cala Gonone
Italy
40° 14' 48.6204" N, 9° 37' 23.0844" E
IT
General info: 

The Bue Marino Grottos are considered some of the most beautiful grottos in all of Italy, with kilometers of galleries, rivers and subterranean lakes, stalactites and stalagmites, fossils and Neolithic graffiti.
The caves are among the biggest in Sardinia with total length of about 5km. On a guided tour only about 900m meters is visited however. The visitors follow the way the sea penetrates into the mountain creating a salt lake of more than 1squarekilometer of surface. The place is very rich of stalactites and stalagmites. Only underwater speleologists may go further from here.
The name of the cave comes from the presence of Monaca seal, the extremely rare Mediterranean seal (that local people call private://sea oxprivate://, Bue Marino), which till to the '80ies came to grow its puppies in this cave.

Getting there: 

In the harbour of Cala Gonone, there are several companies offering boat trips to the destinations along the coastline, including Grotta del Bue Marino (Bue Marine Cave).

Costs: 

There are many companies but here one price example: Bue Marino: round-trip from Cala Gonone €17, ages 6-12 €10. Bue Marino and Cala Luna: €24, ages 6-12 €16. Ferry fees include guided tour.

Interesting places nearby

Chur, the oldest city of Switzerland, possesses an own winter sports area on the local mountain. The high plateau (1600 metres above sea level) is achievable by ropeway, directly from the city.

In the ski- region Lenzerheide the wintersport fans can expect the sedate but challenging ski-area Churwalden. Here you can find not only interesting ski-areas but furthermore the, with 31 bends, longest rail based chute in Europe.

An attractive small resort located at one end of the Fassa Valley, with it's own ski area on Sella Brunech and easy access to the Sella Ronda via the nearby lift access at Canazei.

The Cimone, 2165 meters high, 70 kilometres south of Modena, is not only the highest mountain in the northern Apennines, but the most popular ski resort in the Apennines of Tuscany and Emilia, one of the most fully equipped in Italy, as

Italy's oldest resort has a border post at one end of the village and is a ten minute walk from Montgènevre, France. The resort is very relaxed, with friendly and hospitable residents and some lovely hotel bars.

BASE: 3786ft
SUMMIT: 4921ft
VERTICAL DROP: 1312ft

NO. OF. LIFTS: 4
Gondolas: 0
Chairs: 1
Surface: 3