Before the road that leads to the Capo descends again, there is a turnoff on the right where there is a sign saying you are not allowed to go there. But it is easy to do. The hiking tour leads past the fenced-off area above. You should use Komoot, for example, as a guide. There you will find the hike that leads past the restricted area. The path is well-trodden so you don't have much trouble following it. With the Komoot app, it's no problem at all. After the restricted area, you get close to the cliffs and have magnificent views. The path then continues downhill and ends at the car park that was initially on your right on the road and is already listed as a panorama point. From there, you can either go back up the road, depending on where your car is parked. Or you can continue on the other side of the car park and have another great view of the bay from above. It is absolutely doable, but not a run-of-the-mill route, so not every tourist goes there. If you don't just want to do the classic tourist tour of the grotto, this is the place for you. A certain level of sure-footedness is required. If you are afraid of heights you might get weak knees, but it's worth it (personal experience)!

We went towards the end of the hours of operation (at around 6:15pm). It was far less crowded at that time. By 6:30pm, the line was non existent. Other reviews mentioned that you can traverse the steps without paying a fee. That was not possible when we went. You have to buy the tickets to go down the steps. The caves are beautiful (especially the first part you go to). After that area you can go deeper, although after a while I will admit we were anxious to get out. There is a guide who gives a talk to everyone in various languages (Italian, of course, as well as English). The walk takes you to several other chambers, and then you loop back and exit where you came in. The climb back up the stairs at around 7:30pm when the sun was setting was a little bit of a challenge. You need not be in peak physical shape, but it helps (bring water bottles with you). If you go at the end of the day, there is a road that takes you up to a good area to watch the sun set. If you are looking for some quick photos and have younger children, I would recommend just visiting the first and maybe second chambers and then circle back and exit for the long climb back up. Wear sneakers or shoes with treaded soles. It gets slippery.

We did a four-hour hike here, the view of the lake is just fantastic! However, you have to be sure of your feet, good footwear is also required. The circular hike is classified as moderately difficult on komoot, I would also appreciate it that way.