What can be more hidden than to hide all our guests in a cave? As we dropped anchor off Capo Caccia under the highest positioned light house in the Mediterranean, a large local tender boat pulled up along side to transport all the guests and staff on an excursion to the Neptune Caves, a huge limestone cave system accessible either by boat or by 650 steps down the cliff. The Mediterranean was glassy calm this morning, which also gave us the opportunity to circumnavigate Isola Foradada, a rocky islet just off the entrance to the cave that was literally covered by several species of gulls and cormorants.
We entered this magnificent cavern and started our tour by climbing along a narrow path and steps that took us 200 meters back into cave. The stalagmites below, and the stalactites above, were lit by floodlights. The roof of the cave was covered with spidery calcite threads forming intricate and eccentric shapes that can be experienced and interpreted differently by each of our imaginations.
Prior to our arrival in Sardinia the island had been deluged by two weeks of horrendous rains but today the countryside sparkled in almost blinding sunshine. These ideal conditions prompted many to grab their swimsuits as the staff arranged swimming, snorkeling and kayaking for the remainder of the morning. Diving is said to be very dramatic in this area and Dennis Cornejo, our underwater specialist, went out to capture some film footage to show us during our scheduled day at sea later in the week. Sardinia is well known for its red coral, but as this species is usually located below 90 feet, it was too deep for the snorkelers to see first hand.
During lunch the ship repositioned closer to fortified medieval town of Alghero and we explored the countryside by bus and later the old town center by foot with our local guides. The lowlands of Sardinia were barely inhabited until after 1945 because of the huge malaria-infested marshes. After World War II this area was drained and turned into agricultural properties producing excellent wine and olive oil.
Alghero was captured from the Genoese by the Catalan Argonese in 1354 and as the Spanish controlled this area for the next 500 years, many of the buildings and fortifications have parallels in Barcelona reflecting these strong Spanish links. Twenty-foot-high limestone walls punctuated by round towers surround the old town. Traffic within the walls is limited as these medieval towns were not designed for the 20th century automobile. Those living within the old city have managed to turn Alghero into a modern resort town by incorporating a jewelry or souvenir shop into each ground-level shop.
