Grotto of Meraviglie in Marina di Maratea

The Smallest tourist cave in Italy

The Grotto of Wonders, the only tourist cave in Basilicata, opens in the municipal territory of Maratea, along State Route 18 in the fraction Marina di Maratea - from which also the name Grotte di Marina di Maratea - in the locality of San Giuseppe on the slopes of Mount La Serra near the Vallone della Mantenia.

Discoveries by chance

Its entrance is at 76 meters above sea level.

It was discovered in 1929 during construction work on the S.S. 18 of Calabria; because the entrance is positioned alongside the S.S. 18 road, it is extremely easy to reach by car, with parking available.

Marina di Maratea Cave

Marina Caves

How to get

From the Historic Center of Maratea, follow the road that leads to the sea until you reach the intersection with state route 18, which you should take in the direction of Praia a Mare. After about 5 km, you will reach the entrance to the Grotto, which is well signposted.

Coming from Calabria, the Grotto is about 6 kilometers from Castrocucco and 1 kilometer from Marina di Maratea, in the direction of Historic Maratea.

Coming from Campania, the Grotto is located about 24 kilometers from Sapri, still following the state route 18 in the direction of Reggio Calabria.

Technical specifications

The cave is based on Lower Cretaceous carbonate lithotypes belonging to the Giagola and Gada mountain complex and features carbonate concretions of stalactite and stalagmite types.

The cave was formed along a fracture in the rock, with water, due to physical and chemical actions, eroding the rock and continually widening the fissure.

A formed cavity has initiated an inverse process where water, instead of eroding, slowly builds up: as calcium carbonate filters down, it settles in the form of tiny particles on the ceiling and floor of the cave, over time creating stalactites and stalagmites.

There is a high rate of karstification in the area of the Cave of Wonders, which is well understood from the presence of other small caves.

But let's go to visit Marina di Maratea's cave.

The numbers of the Caves:

LATITUDE:
39°58'09"

LONGITUDE:
03°16'35"

QUOTA s.l.m.:
76 mt.

EXTENSION:
78 mt.

REAL DEVELOPMENT :
86 mt.

PLANIMETRIC DEVELOPMENT:
72 mt.

GEOLOGICAL SITE:
Carbonatic Series Monti Giagola Gada

AGE:
Early Cretaceous

CARSO AREA:
South Maratea Coast Port

HYDROLOGY:
Dry cave, with dripping water only

DIFFICULTY :
None

REPORT BY:
Marotta C. - Orofino F. of 23.08.1980

Italy's last travel frontier