Alghero and its treasures

• Alghero
  
  
  
• Capo Caccia
  Following the SP 55 road, about 24 km from Alghero, visitors will come to Capo Caccia, an impressive promontory whose towering headland drops vertically down to the sea below. The promontory offers visitors a splendid view of the magnificent Gulf of Alghero, one of the most striking panoramas in Sardinia. The whole promontory has been declared a natural reserve and is safeguarded by conservation laws, designed to protect the environment. The typical Mediterranean scrub which covers the area is made up of endemic species and many other fascinating plants, such as rare varieties of palm, juniper bushes, broom and Jupiter's beard. The promontory is also home to a number of animal species of interest. In the north-western part, there is an area of reforestation which is also part of a conservation project, designed to encourage the re-population of a number of species, such as fallow deer, weasels, wild boar and the famous ponies from the Giara.
  The peaks of Punta Cristallo, which rise up to a height of 326m., are the perfect nesting ground for colonies of peregrine falcon and griffin.
  
  
  
• Grotta del Nettuno
  Over the millennia the movement of the sea and other natural elements have sculptured the Capo Caccia headland and created a series of caves in the cliff-face, the most well-known being Grotta del Nettuno. The cave can be accessed either by boat or by land, down a steep staircase made up of 656 stone steps in the side of the cliff, known as "escala de cabriol", (the deer path). Inside the cave, visitors can admire the 'La Marmora' lake, which is 120m long. On one side of the lake there is a small beach, where the rare Monk Seal once took refuge and bred. The cave is made up of a number of magnificent chambers with impressive stalagmite and stalactite formations. The names of these chambers reflect the wonderful concretions to be discovered there: Sala delle Rovine (The Chamber of Ruins), la Sala La Reggia (The Palace Chamber), la Sala dell'Organo (The Organ Chamber), la Sala della Cupola (The Dome Chamber) and the Tribuna della Musica (The Music Gallery), where classical music concerts were once organised.