Xerri's Grotto

A discovery beneath the house

In 1923, Anthony Xerri from the village of Xaghra was digging a well under his house. A few metres down, he struck a void. It turned out that beneath his home lay a beautiful cave filled with speleothem formations. Xerri's Grotto, as it became known, has been a tourist attraction run by the Xerri family ever since.

Stalactites and stalagmites

You descend via a spiral staircase roughly 10 metres long, built into the original well shaft. At the bottom, a circular route of about 30 metres unfolds. Formations ranging from 25 cm to a metre in height take fanciful shapes that local guides liken to a tortoise, a vulture, giraffes, or elephant's ears. Some stalactites are semi-translucent.

Two caves of Xaghra

Xerri's Grotto is not the only cave beneath Xaghra's houses. Just a few streets away lies Ninu's Cave, discovered in 1888 in identical fashion, also while digging a well. Both caves can be visited in a single walk through Xaghra.

Practical tip: Both caves are small family-run attractions. Entry is about EUR 5 each. A visit takes about 15 minutes, so you can easily combine both in one walk through Xaghra, adding the Ggantija temples nearby.