Castellana Caves

Castellana Caves

Unique caves known all over the world

In the stunning Land of Bari, about 1,5 km from the city center of Castellana Grotte, there are the Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana /, a natural spectacle of karst origin.

Those 3348 meters of caves became famous worldwide because they were the most important speleological complex in Italy and Europe.

Indeed those wonderful cavities can be visited each day of the year supported by several multilingual guides.

Do you want to go deep into those caves? Scroll down and enjoy the ride!

Legends of Castellana Caves

“La Grave”, the entrance of the Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana /, was a place that always frightened everyone that passed nearby.

It could happen to see, emerging from the depths, bats, insects of all kinds: there is the belief that the souls of suicides, found dead in the Grave, tried in vain to climb to the sky in the form of vapors.

a wide view of the caves of Castellana Grotte from the inside

The uniqueness of the Castellana Caves

The first explorations of the Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana / are dated back to 1938: the Provincial Tourist Board of Bari asked the Italian Institute of Speleology of Postumia for the intervention of an expert speleologist to survey those caves, already known for their tourist use.

Over the years, through various speleological expeditions, carried out in particular by Franco Anelli and Vito Matarrese, were discovered 3 km of quarry with spectacular stalactites and stalagmites multiform and multicolored.

The temperature inside the caves is around 16.5 ºC, because of the depth of the surroundings that can reach up to 122 meters.

The Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana / are rich in fauna: there are crustaceans, scorpions, beetles, grasshoppers and five different species of bats.

  • water drop crush a stalagmite in the caves of Castellana Grotte
  • the caves of Castellana Grotte

Hell in the Caves

As already mentioned, the Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana / have aroused fear and have been covered with an evocative atmosphere.

So, what better way to exorcise it than to use it to realize a sensational show?

From this brilliant idea comes the show Hell in the Caves, with 115 artists that perform in different shows, more or less 100 days each year.

The numbers reached are shocking: in those days restaurants and hotels welcomed more than 1 million visitors with a turnover linked to entertainment activities of millions of euros.

statue of franco anelli in the caves of castellana grotte

Tips:

Hell in the Caves is a huge event but did you know that in the Castellana Caves /ita: Grotte di Castellana / are organized many other events (including collaborations with other local authorities, for example the MARTA of Taranto)?

Check this link to find out more!

Thanks to a dedicated team, special visits and some tools such as the Grotte di Castellana app available on Apple Store and Play Store who also has LIS language, it is possible for everyone to live the emotions that the hypogeum guarantees: there are no barriers of any kind!

In Puglia there are a lot of amazing caves.. click here to discover the stunning Zinzulusa Caves!

Isn’t it great?

You just have to equip yourself with everything you need and….

See you in Puglia!

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Castellana Caves / Castellana Grotte / Puglia

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The tale of the Two Sisters


Traveling on the Apulian Adriatic coastline, in a few km from Lecce city, you’ll reach the marine area of Torre dell’Orso and the most famous Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle.

  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia

Are you curious to know something about that singular name?

Well, there is a nice and a bit sad tale behind the Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle. This gives the location a huge air of mystery.

This marine area is very fascinating. Reachable walking through a little Mediterranean Maquis forest, under the cliffs there’s a sandy beach 800 meters long.

Slight white sand, clear turquoise seawater, warm enchanting sun, everything in the same stunning place.

But probably you’re still thinking about the tale, so, I’m going to tell the story.

The tale of the Sisters

« The tale says that once upon a time, two young sisters were living in the Salento area. They were very hard workers, and they had never seen the magnificence of the sea.

One day, to counteract the hot summer, they went toward the seaside for the first time. Well, they were so much fascinated by the amazing view they got there that the younger one dived from the cliff into the water. At that point, the eldest sister tried to save her, but it was too late.

They couldn’t get back to the shore. The Gods, looking at them: alone, desperate, and cute, decided to turn them into two beautiful rocky stacks in the middle of the sea.

A fisherman, while walking nearby, just saw two rocks rise from the sea. Since that day, the beach is known as Two Sisters Beach. »

The tale is very magical but a bit sad, and once there, it’s really hard to don’t get emotional.

Then, the clear seawater just completes the landscape.

Two Sisters Beach and Torre Dell’Orso

The Two Sisters Beach| ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | is located in the marine area of MelendugnoTorre dell’Orso. For the sake of completeness, we have to say that also this name has got a charming little story.

In this case, the name Torre dell’Orso, which literally means Bear Tower, derives from the sighting tower by the sea.

Then, on the cliff under the tower, there’s a rock shaped like a bear by the erosion.

  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia

One day trip

If you want to get a fantastic and cool experience traveling on the Adriatic coastline, start your trip having a good breakfast in Lecce.

We advise you to ask for a pasticiotto and a caffè leccese: you’ll love them from here to the moon and back!

Then, drive from Lecce to Roca Vecchia village, where the amazing Poetry Cave | ita: Grotta della Poesia | awaits you for a nice dive.

After that, run towards the Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | to get a relaxing swim into one of the most beautiful seas of Puglia.

In the end, reach Torre Sant’Andrea to admire the stunning view of The Sea Stacks of Sant’Andrea | ita: I Faraglioni di Sant’Andrea .

But if you have still time, don’t miss the weird landscape of the Bauxite Cave | ita: Cava di Bauxite | quite close to Otranto.

You can easily do this little itinerary on a one day trip. From the morning to the night on the southern Adriatic coastline of Puglia.

We did it and you find an article about our Road Trip in Salento on the blog!

Would you like to start your trip? Enjoy your One day trip to Salento!

Click on the map below to directly get the direction.

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Big news for you!

We’ve opened the first Puglia Poster Store!

We deliver posters in Italy for now, or you can catch them in Bari.

Starting from September 27th

Let us know if you live in the US or a European country and want to make an order.

We’ll set it up!