Riserva naturale regionale Grotte di Luppa, Regional nature reserve and cave system in Sante Marie, Italy.
Riserva naturale regionale Grotte di Luppa is a protected nature reserve featuring an extensive cave system in the Abruzzen region with woodlands of chestnut and beech trees. Underground streams and limestone formations shape both the subterranean landscape and the forest above.
Local explorers Giovanni Voltan and Carlo Ignazio Gavini discovered the cave entrance in the late 1800s. Systematic investigations began in the 1920s and gradually revealed more about the underground network.
The name may derive from Italian dialect words for hoopoe bird or wolf, or from the Latin word for stone. This linguistic connection reflects how the place is rooted in the region's natural and cultural history.
A main trail links both cave entrances along a five kilometer route following the Tiburtina Valeria way. You can access the site from either Sante Marie or Castelvecchio, where basic facilities and parking are available.
A flowing underground stream runs through the cave system, creating a unique water environment rarely seen in such settings. This elevation and remote location in the Luppa forest north of Monte Guardia d'Orlando add to its isolated character.
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