Pertosa Caves

The Grotte dell'Angelo at Pertosa are cut by the Negro, an underground river, and the first stretch of the visit is made on a flat-bottomed boat pulled along a rope through the entrance passage, the only cave system in Italy entered this way. Beyond, the route continues on foot past chambers of stalactites and flowstone with a waterfall inside. At the entrance archaeologists found the remains of a Bronze Age pile dwelling built on wooden posts, unusual for a cave site and dated to around the second millennium BC. Longer speleological routes go into undeveloped passages with equipment.

Highlights

• The boat entry - a rope-hauled crossing on the underground river.
• The Bronze Age piles - a prehistoric pile dwelling at the cave mouth.
• The interior waterfall - a fall inside the cave chambers.
• The formations - stalactites and flowstone along the walking route.

When to go

Year-round; the caves hold a constant sixteen degrees, so a layer is needed in summer. Tours run at set times and are shortened in high water.

Practical notes

High water after rain can shorten or cancel the boat section. Entry is guided only on fixed routes. It is damp throughout with steps.

Nearby

The Certosa di Padula lies south; the Vallo di Diano runs between.

Key facts