One of the largest karst systems in the south
In the heart of the Cilento National Park, at the foot of the Alburni mountains, the Grotte di Castelcivita form one of the largest karst systems in southern Italy, with about 5 kilometres of explored galleries. They were created over millions of years by water flowing through the limestone, and they were first explored in the late nineteenth century; legend says the brigand Giuseppe Tardio and his men hid here.
The tourist route, about 1,200 metres long, leads through a succession of halls and corridors filled with an extraordinary variety of concretions: stalactites and stalagmites, columns, rock "draperies", cave pearls and crystalline formations in warm shades. The most spectacular rooms include the Sala del Caos and the Grande Sala. The caves have yielded traces of human presence going back about 40,000 years, from the time of Neanderthal man. Further sections, accessible only to speleologists, include an underground lake and river.
Tip: the visit lasts about an hour and a half with a guide; the temperature is about 16 degrees and the humidity high. The Alburni plateau above is good for hiking.
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