The Green Cave

About this activity

The island of Capri attracts visitors from all over the world with its natural beauty. Famous are the island's beaches and coves where you can spend wonderful days by the sea and fascinating caves. Along the south coast, in the municipality of Anacapri, stands the picturesque Green Cave. Known in ancient times as Grotta dei Turchi, in this natural cavity the sea is tinged with an incredible emerald green. Colors and shades that vary throughout the day thanks to special plays of light that provide unforgettable spectacles.

Why visit the Green Cave

Green Cave is a natural cavity excavated over the years in a ridge of ancient sedimentary rock, dolomite. The formation of this rock dates back about 130 and 190 million years as a result of the slow and steady accumulation of minerals such as calcium carbonate and magnesium. Once the rocky ridge was formed, then the waves of the sea crept through the smallest irregularities in the rock eroding the surface, eventually carving out this magnificent cave.

The cavity has two entrances, called thresholds: one is underwater, located on the western side and is submerged four meters below sea level. The other threshold, however, constitutes the main entrance. Exposed on the eastern part of the cave, the entrance widens by as much as seven meters.

Light enters from both the main and underwater openings refracting on the inner walls. These, with their irregularity and layering reflect the light immersing the cave in a bright emerald green. With respect to the time of day and the varying amount of light penetrating the cave, the color takes on lighter or darker hues, leaving viewers speechless.

The most important things to know about Green Cave

Grotta di Verde can only be accessed from the sea, going to the site by private boats or through tours and boat rides offered in the port of Marina Grande. The cave lies precisely on the southern part of the island of Capri, not far from Punta Ventroso.

Diving and snorkeling enthusiasts visit the cave by swimming.

A pirate story at the Green Cave

Known since the 16th century, the cave was a veritable pirate's den. During the 16th century, in fact, the island of Capri was repeatedly attacked and plundered by fleets of privateers. Fearsome pirates such as the Ottoman Dragut or the infamous Barbarossa led their fleets here, which hid right among the island's many caves waiting for the best moment when they would lay siege to the territory, catching the people by surprise, helpless to their terrible attack.

These events were the cause of the cave's original name, known in fact as the Cave of the Turks. During the 19th century, however, with the development of different and new types of tourism, the cave became one of the island's attractions to be visited during wonderful boat tours, organized for the island's tourists. This was perhaps the time when the cave, which captivated its visitors with its emerald colors, took on its current name.