Toirano Caves, Toirano

Grotte di Toirano is a complex of caves in Italy, located a few kilometers from the village of the same name, the province of Savona. It is recognized as a unique natural and archeological monument of the region. The most interesting facts about the grotto:

• Signs of an ancient humans were found in the cave – fossilized traces of the feet and knees of the first settlers. Their age is about 12 000 years.
• The burial of cave bears is situated in one of the halls of the complex. The bones of the first bears were found here. Most likely, they used a grotto for hibernation in the period of 50,000 and 24,000 years ago.

History of the Toirano Caves

First tourists visited the Toirano Caves complex in 1953, just a few years after the discovery of the Bàsura Cave (in May 1950). For 10 years, the visit route was limited to a tour of the Bàsura Cave. Only in 1960 the Santa Lucia Inferiore Cave was discovered. The connection of the two grottos with an artificial tunnel allowed to increase the tourist route to 1300 m and to organize a one-way route – with an entrance to Bàsura Cave on the north side of the complex and exit from Santa Lucia Inferiore in the south-western part.

During the Second World War, the Toirano Grotto served as a bomb shelter for the inhabitants of the region.

At present, the experimental laboratory of the archaeological association of Italy is situated in the Toirano Caves complex. In summer, various concerts are held here. In addition, since June 2013, with the permission of the Archaeological Survey of Liguria and the municipality of Toirano, the Toirano Caves complex serves as a storage place for sparkling wines.

In 2014, the Museo Etnografico Della Val Varatella was opened here. The archaeological finds from Toirano Caves were collected, and the reconstruction of the cave bear skeleton was beautifully recreated here.

Toirano Caves

• Bàsura Cave

Bàsura Cave is known from the middle of the 20th century thanks to the research of Don Nicolò Morelli Canonico, a scientist from Pietra Ligure. It is recognized as the most spectacular cave of the complex. In the 1950s a group of scientists discovered a number of amphitheaters in the cave, each 450 m in diameter.

Bears used this cave for hibernation for several thousand years. Paw prints, traces on the walls, a large number of remains – all this amazes tourists today.

The traces of the prehistoric man in the cave deserve special attention. In addition to the imprint of the feet, hands and knees in the "mysterious amphitheater," there are many small balls of clay that were thrown and stuck to the walls, most likely as a ritual. These traces date back to the Paleolithic period. People were hunter-gatherers, and the cave was used not for living, but only for rituals.

• Grotta del Colombo

Grotta del Colombo (Dove’s Cave) is located several dozens of meters above the Bàsura Cave and Santa Lucia Inferiore – a wide tunnel, about 50 m long with a side amphitheater. This cave has a special historical interest. It was excavated in several stages in the 1800s. Studies have shown that in the history of the cave there are several stages of human settlement, the first of which was here 300 thousand years ago.

The ancient inhabitants of this cave made their tools out of stone, collected presumably along the river bed of Varatella. Given the uniqueness of its historical facts, the cave is usually closed to visitors.

• Cave of Santa Lucia (lower)

Santa Lucia Inferiore is famous for the bizarre forms of stalactites and stalagmites. Thin crystalline formations adorn the walls of the cave. It is included in the tourist route through the Toirano Caves.

• Cave of Santa Lucia (upper)

Santa Lucia Superiore is located a few meters away from the bottom. Since the Middle Ages there was a sanctuary (15-16 century) here. In the cave there is an altar.

Stone tools, made by Neanderthals in the last glacial period, 80,000 and 40,000 years ago, were discovered around the altar during the archaeological excavations in 1960.

Recent studies suggest that the deepest layers can be over 200,000-25,000 years old.

Visit route

In the complex of the Toirano Caves, a tourist route has been developed. Its length is about 1300 m and it includes 12 stops in the most interesting and iconic places of the complex.

• You can have the excursion in the group (from 15 people).
• Duration of the route is about 70 minutes, excursions start every 30 minutes.
• Temperature in the cave is 16 degrees, this should be taken into account when choosing clothes and shoes to visit.

How to get there

You can reach the Toirano Caves in several ways:

• By car: Take the Dei Fiori motorway (A10) to the entrance to Borghetto Santo Spirito from two directions (Genova or Ventimiglia), then drive along the country road towards Toirano (3 km). From Via Aurelia, take Borghetto S. Spirito aside, direction Toirano (4 km).
• By train: get to Loano. Then you can walk to one of the bus stops along the nearby Via Aurelia and wait until the public bus leaves for Grotte di Toirano (see below). At the Loano railway stations, taxis are also available.
• By bus: depart daily from Pietra Ligure, Loano and Borghetto. They arrive at Piazzale delle Grotte at 9:15 / 11:55 / 14:30 – departure half an hour before the declared arrival. The last bus from Piazzale delle Grotte is at 17:15. For reference, here is the schedule of public transport: tpllinea.it – ​​green line.

Opening hours: from 09:30 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 17:00.