Lake of Bauxite della Cava
If you’re going to be in the area, this is worth a stop. The kaleidoscope of colors surrounding the intense waters makes for quite the sight. If it seems too colorful to be real, it is… kind of. It’s a combo of Mother Nature and Man working together.
Once the quarry was emptied, the Italians decided to fill it with water and bam; tourist attraction. Be forewarned that the beautiful red clay you’ll see surrounding the lake will also surround your shoes. Also, be prepared to pay 3 euros to park your car for this short visit. So, grab the shoes you care about the least or those that can be put into a washing machine and head out on the 5-minute walk to the lake.
Sant’Andrea
This was my favorite stop of the day! When you leave the parking lot and walk towards the water it doesn’t look like much. The phrase, “this is it…” may have been uttered. But as you continue on and get closer to the inlet, it appears in front of you and you stop. Part of exploring this spot is simply appreciating the beauty that is before you. It’s incredible! The coastline of this area has been sculpted by waves in a way that makes a series of outcrops. Each one has its own shape and all of them together are stunning.
The crystal blue water calls you to jump in, swim, or snorkel. You could spend hours here enjoying all of the possibilities. I highly recommend bringing a towel, snorkel, and flippers, and of course, your camera. If you plan on making a day out of this you should stop and grab an afternoon snack along the way.
The Cave of Poetry
This was the one disappointment of my day. The Cave of Poetry has become so famous as a cool place to go to that it’s no longer a cool place to go to.
We left the gorgeous Grotta del Pepe, excited to see the more well-known Cave of Poetry, paid to park, and made the hot trek over to the swimming hole. When we arrived, we noticed a difference in the number of people, but Google had warned us that its visiting numbers were high, and we continued on. I’m a big believer that if you prepare yourself for something then you won’t be disappointed. I was wrong.
It was overcrowded to the extreme. There were so many people surrounding the water and in the water that not only was it not a fun experience, but it didn’t feel safe. How could you possibly jump into the cave without landing on someone? How do you get back out without stepping on someone, and how clean is the shaved-ice guy’s ice? All of these questions made us decide as a group to leave without going in. There was a full consensus that we should have stayed longer at the Grotta del Pepe along with the questioning thoughts of, “Why aren’t these people at the Grotta del Pepe?” Followed by, “Don’t they know it’s 10 minutes down the street and WAY better?”
I think the sad answer is that sometimes a place gets Instagrammed so much and there’s such a hype about it, that people want to see it, no matter what.
Follow the Robert Frost-inspired, Elisa Explores Italy mantra… take the road less traveled. Walk away from the super crowded touristy place and find amazingness right down the street