The Secret Beach Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Are you ready for an adventure?
IMPORTANT UPDATE! This cache is still available, but the entrance to the tunnel has been closed! I expect the tunnel to be open again in summer. In the meantime the cache can only be accessed via a steep T4 trail. (See waypoints).
Guvano Beach: hinted at in some guidebooks, not talked about by the locals and rarely mentioned on the Internet. But yet it exists, it's accessible, and it's free to visit by anyone with a sense of adventure!
You will need:
- A flashlight (LED light on a mobile phone is fine, but make sure there's enough battery left).
- Good walking shoes - it is about 4km from Corniglia Station to GZ and back. (allow at least 1hr - more if you plan to go for a swim).
The secret part:
To find this beach, you will need to find an old abandoned train tunnel. Built in 1863 and abandoned somewhere between 1950 and 1970, this tunnel is almost 1km long.
To find it: Walk from Corniglia station towards the town. As you come to the steps that lead up the hill, keep left, across the railway line and walk down the concrete slope on the other side. Follow this road around to the right and then take the first right between the houses. You should soon find the tunnel entrance!
Exact coordinates for the entrance is under "waypoints".
The adventure starts here!
The lights in the tunnel don't work any more and it is pitch black inside. So a reliable torch is a MUST. Keep to the left of the tunnel but be careful of rusty metal bits on the wall.
Inside the 1863 Tunnel!
After 940 metres you will finally exit the tunnel and find yourself in an old olive grove. Keep following the road.
There are actually two beaches at Guvano. The trailhead to the first one is marked under "waypoints" and leads to a rusty ladder descending to the beach. It's a rather small beach and during rough seas, most of the beach will be inaccessible.
The First Beach
To find the cache and the bigger 2nd beach, keep following the road. It will become a path and eventually you will reach another tunnel entrance. Go inside and after only a few metres you will find the tunnel is blocked. To your left is another smaller tunnel. Follow that tunnel.
Once you get outside again, you have reached the GZ!!
From here you can follow a path down to the Secret Beach at Guvano!
The Second Beach
Warnings:
- A flashlight is very important. Walking into rusty metal inside the tunnel can be dangerous.
- Do not go down to the beach during rough seas or heavy rain.
- There are obviously no lifeguards here, so swimming is completely at your own risk.
- If you come here alone, it is highly recommended to tell someone where you are going.
- In summer you can expect some nude sun bathers on both beaches. For this reason, the cache is not recommended for kids.
- There is another "hidden tunnel". It is below the entrance to the second abandoned train tunnel and you have to climb down a 3m drop to get to it. It has a steel metal gate. DO NOT enter this tunnel - it is a ventilation tunnel for the new, active train tunnels and will lead directly to train tracks: AVOID AT ALL COST!
- Bring enough drinking water and sunscreen!
Notes:
- The tunnel, roads and footpaths are all clearly indicated on OSM classic. None of it is indicated on Google Maps.
- Conditions in the tunnel are very safe. There is a level, paved walkway on the left side. It is generally dry. The old tunnel shares a section with the new train tunnel. They are well seperated and it is not possible to get anywhere near the train tracks. You might hear and see a train passing nearby though while in this section.
- The entire trail from Corniglia Station to the GZ is flat and actually pretty easy to hike. The terrain rating is T3 because of the dangers of a dark tunnel as well as for the relatively steep descent down to the 2 beaches.
- There is an alternative route to this cache. It is a very steep path running down the mountain from the "blue trail" (see added waypoint). The terrain rating is at least T4. If you choose this route, do so at your own risk and never during or after rain!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fgbar jnyy. Whfg yrsg bs gur nepu.
Frr fcbvyre cubgb!