The Grotta of Smeraldo known as well with the name of "Emerald Cave" was named after the characteristic green light inside the cave. It is caused by natural sunlight from outside which enters the cave through an underground passage, which connects the salt water lake in the huge chamber with the sea outside. The water filters the sunlight and only green wave lengths reach the cave. It's really weird that the light is green while mostly the water becomes blue as for the nearby Grotta Azzura (Blue Grotto) on Capri. We suppose it is the orientation of the cave, the cave is located at the southern coast of the peninsula Amalfi coast.

emerald cave

In order to reach the grotto there is a small parking along the coast road, a wide staircase going down to the sea and furthermore there is also an elevator. After paying the ticket of 5€, visitors enter the cave through an artificial tunnel. Inside there is a jetty with numerous wooden boats. The boat ride is the actual tour, so after a short look around you may enter the next boat and enjoy the calm gliding of the motorless boat.

The cave consists only of a single huge chamber. The lake inside is 45m by 32m big and the chamber is 24m high, above the sea level. There are some speleothems, as this is actually a karst cave. The cave was formed above the sea level, at a time when the sea was much deeper. Later the sea rose and flooded the entrance, or better the land went down, which is caused by the volcanic activities in the area. Some stalagmites on the floor were flooded.

The tour is not very expensive but the cave is very small and the whole visit takes only half an hour including stairs, cave, and boat ride. It is also essential to visit it at the right time. August is generally bad, because of the huge number of visitors, and we guess it's annoying to wait a long time for a rather abbreviated tour.

Conca dei Marini (Salerno)
Ticket price: 5€
Tips

Ideal:
  • Go around 13:00 because the sunlight will be optimal and most people are having lunch at this time.
Not the best place for:
  • Those who do not want to wait
Opening Hours
Monday9:00 - 16:00
Tuesday9:00 - 16:00
Wednesday9:00 - 16:00
Thursday9:00 - 16:00
Friday9:00 - 16:00
Saturday9:00 - 16:00
Sunday9:00 - 16:00
NOTE: From the middle of October to early April the working hours are from 9:00 to 15:00. Closed under adverse weather conditions

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