Palinuro, the pearl of Cilento, is known by many as the "coast of myth", perhaps because in its sea steeped in history and the birthplace of the philosopher Parmenides, the legend of Aeneas' helmsman who fell into the trap of the God of Sleep lives on. Having fallen into the water while asleep, he landed on land after three days at the mercy of the waves to be killed by the barbarian Lucanians. The verses of the Aeneid narrate that a stone tomb, a cenotaph, was erected in his honor under the cliff of Capo Palinuro which bears his name so that he can be remembered forever.
Thanks to its crystal clear sea, a Blue Flag for many years, Palinuro is a popular destination for many tourists who choose it for multiple factors. The beauty of the landscape of its rocks is unique, thanks to the yellow of the Primula palinuri, a flower that only grows here.
The faunal treasures offered to diving lovers amaze with the variety of crabs and lobsters, snappers and amberjacks or with the red coral and gorgonians of various colours.
There are many excursions that can be organized along the coast, independently by renting a boat or kayak or by relying on local tour operators who offer boat or dinghy trips. The favored destinations remain: the caves.
To guard the mysteries of myth or the memories of our civilization, there are over sixty caves cataloged and located along the coast. There are about ten of the best known and each differs in a characteristic that makes it unique. It would be enough to read the names given to it to realize this. Let's start with the most visited: the Blue Grotto and the Silver Grotto, which owe their name to the play of light and refraction of the rocks on the sea which give back their two colours.
There is the Grotta dei Monci, whose name is linked to the particular appearance that some stalagmitic formations take on: groups of praying monks; there is Cala Fetente, so called due to the characteristic smell of rotten egg, due to a sulphurous spring inside which is why it is also known as Grotta Sulfurea.
We have the Prehistoric or Bone Cave, so named for the discovery of animal bones from the primitive period and Trombetta Cave which takes its name from the resemblance to the instrument. Worth mentioning are the Hall of the Snow, one of the largest, with the sulphurous spring that covers the walls with a thick film creating the snowfall effect or the Grotta del Sangue, whose name is due to the red color reflected on the water by the walls. Others, such as the Scaletta Cave, are recommended only for expert divers.
There is something for every level of speleonaut ability, explorer of underwater marine cavities but the fact remains that the cave has a unique charm, linked to the ancestral meanings it represents, with the reference to the Myth of Plato's Cave. The findings inside it make it a repository of man's memory over time, when it constituted the first example of refuge from danger.
In past times the caves were surrounded by a different landscape than today. Homo Erectus and even Neolithic Homo lived there, as revealed by bone tools, shells and ornamental plants found in them. They were also inhabited by animals, such as deer, bears and cave lions.
From Palinuro to Marina di Camerota, Natura it returns these places intact to us and it will be possible to visit them and enjoy them with an enjoyment that will involve all the senses.
During their exploration, beyond the history of the past, whether real or linked to myth, we will probably discover something more about ourselves, our present and maybe even our future.
