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Grotta dell'Acquario (Aquarium Cave)

Grotta dell'Acquario (Aquarium Cave)

Caves
Period
Quaternary
The place

Sea cave with particularly clear, transparent water, whose colour and visibility recall a natural aquarium; it is part of the evocative group of coastal caves of the Circeo that can be visited by boat or canoe, appreciated for the crystal-clear waters protected within the National Park.

Past the so-called Lighthouse Cave, completely emptied by the sea, is the Aquarium Cave. It lies just above sea level and contains, beneath a stalagmitic layer, many remains of fossil fauna, charcoal and stone tools. The vault shows holes bored by date mussels.

Curiosities

Did you know?

A little gem to share with your travel companions.

Date mussels are bivalve molluscs very similar in shape and colour to dates, hence their name “sea dates”. They live inside limestone rocks, boring into them chemically to create small niches, to which they anchor themselves with a fibre called byssus. Date mussels give off a faint glow. Fishing for them is banned throughout the European Union, as harvesting them seriously harms the environment: the rock has to be broken with a hammer, destroying it.

Practical information

Visiting

The cave can be reached only by sea.