Having Maria as a guide made all the difference!
We spent a morning exploring the area caves with our guide, Maria Grottola. Maria was very knowledgeable about the history of the region and its plants as well as about the caves. We had never hired a guide before and were hesitant, but we definitely had a better experience with Maria. She doesn’t have a standard patter with one-liners thrown in. Instead she gives you as much information about the caves and their art as you can absorb. She has studied the history of the area as well as the art and the knowledge she shared informed the rest of out trip as well. We were a group of three, with Italian skills varying from miniascule to beginner. Maria’s English was excellent but she was also patient with our attempts at speaking Italian. If you want to learn more about what you’re seeing, hire Maria.