Grotta di Nereo (Nereo Cave)

Set in the open Mediterranean at the base of the Capo Caccia headland, the cave's entrances face WSW into the open sea and take the full sweep of the western swell: Libeccio out of the SW-WSW and the westerlies through W and WNW all arrive with little attenuation over the long western-Sardinian fetch. The little island of Foradada off the headland's tip shadows the pure NW Mistral, softening the northwest, while the towering limestone cliff and the Sardinian landmass block the landward east and southeast sectors almost entirely; the S-SSW window stays partly open, wrapping obliquely around the point. Because it is a headland cave, even moderate west swell amplifies into surge inside the tunnels and can make the entrances hazardous, so trips run only in settled, light-wind conditions.