Toirano Cave

The Toirano caves complex is one of the major tourist attractions in Liguria and is made up of the natural caves of Basura and S. Lucia Inferiore. The Basura Cave – Witch Cave –, discovered in 1950, is characterized by the presence of important archaeological findings. In the “Bear Cemetery”, the bones of Ursus Spelaeus are still visible. These bears were frequenters of the cave during the winter hibernation and typical of the Pleistocene fauna, about 30,000 years ago. There is also evidence of Homo Sapiens, dating back to about 12,000 years ago and consisting of handprints, signs of knees, and footprints. In the Hall of Mysteries, recently reopened to the public, there are also manifestations to which a ritual significance has been attributed. The rooms of the cave are characterized by the variety of the typical stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and sizes and by the particular “mammellonari” concretions. Particularly striking is the final section, once submerged, in which you can admire very unique rounded concretions entirely covered by a uniform layer of light yellow color consisting of minute calcite crystals.

In S. Lucia Inferiore Cave, discovered in 1960, the limestone formations and the walls of the large rooms are covered with calcite flowers and very fine aragonite crystals. The two caves, connected by an artificial tunnel, are about 1300 meters long and can be visited in 70 minutes.

Guided excursions are limited and are organized every day, from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 a.m and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., depending on the turnout. It is therefore advisable to prefer the times close to the opening of the ticket office, especially on summer days with adverse weather conditions.
Reservation by phone is recommended for groups of at least 20 participants to agree on the date and time of the visit.
The cave ticket allows the free entrance, without expiry, to the ethnographic museum of Toirano.
In the summer period – July and August – at the end of the tourist route, you can visit for free the Cave of Santa Lucia Superiore, accessible through the homonymous Rupestrian Sanctuary.
The caves observe a period of closure before Christmas and after the Epiphany, with a variable annual duration.