Grotta Azzurra

Grotta Azzurra is the famous cave in the municipality of Anacapri on the island of Capri. It has an opening partially submerged in the sea and can be visited by small boats, depending on the tides and the climate.
The cave was a sumptuous nymphaeum, richly decorated with a marine procession following Poseidon. At the bottom of the cave, in the exposed part, there are few remains of Roman cement work; in the submerged part there are niches containing sculptures and artefacts still visible on the seabed. Some of the statues are now on display at the Casa Rossa in Anacapri.
Above the grotto are the remains of one of the twelve Roman villas on Capri, which historical tradition attributes to the Emperor Tiberius.
The typical bright blue colour of the water and walls inside the grotto, which varies according to the time of day and weather conditions, is due to the reflection of sunlight filtered through the opening in the sandy bottom of the grotto.