An aragonite cathedral opening at water level between Cala Sisine and Cala Mariolu: the Fico Cave was the monk seal's last Sardinian home, and today you step into it straight from the boat.
Inside the mountain, above the sea
You step onto a walkway and enter a parallel world: calcite columns, green pools, aragonite draperies set rippling by the sea's reflections. Guides tell the cave's story with passion, from geology to the fishermen who sheltered here from storms.
The "sea ox"'s home
Until the 1970s the monk seal — su boe marinu — rested on the cave's inner beaches. Its traces remain in stories and names: visiting the Fico is also a way to grasp how intact this coast has stayed, and why it must be protected.
Planning
Most cove tours include an optional cave stop (separate ticket): choose morning departures, when the sea is calmer and the light rakes in through the entrance.