What a Matera cave hotel is
In Matera, cave hotels are hotels built into the rock of the Sassi, with modern fittings inside old rooms. The label does not mean every room is a fully excavated cave. One operator in Sasso Caveoso states that some of its rooms are built of masonry and have a wooden roof. Before you book, look at the room category, not only the hotel name.
This is an independent guide. It is not connected to any hotel, and it lists no room rates, because those depend on the date. Check the hotel's own page for current prices and availability.
Two real examples compared
Facts the hotels publish themselves. They are not ratings.
| Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & SPA | Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita | |
|---|---|---|
| District | Sasso Caveoso | Sasso Barisano, Via Civita 28 |
| Size | 35 rooms and suites | – |
| Category | Listed by the hotel as five-star | – |
| Rooms | Rooms integrated into the rock; some are masonry with a wooden roof | – |
| Arriving by car | – | Direct access by car is not allowed, and the hotel points to a partner garage |
| Parking | – | Garage Nicoletti, Via Vincenzo Cappelluti 1: €40 a night with arrival and departure transfer, €10 for an extra transfer |
| Garage hours | – | Daily 07:00–23:00; the departure transfer must be reserved |
The parking deal is the hotel's offer for its guests. It is not a Matera parking rate. Other hotels may arrange arrival differently.
Our pick: a cave house on foot
Before you choose a room in the rock, this walk shows a typically furnished cave house and a frescoed rock church.
Hand-picked tours, booked through Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Matera tours for hotel guests
Guided walks through the Sassi, day trips and food experiences, with live prices and availability.
Questions to ask before you book
The label does not answer these.
Stairs
How many steps lead from the nearest drop-off to reception and to your room? An older access sketch for one Sasso Barisano hotel shows a staircase at reception, and no step-free route from parking to room has been published for either hotel above. Ask about this directly if you use a wheelchair, a walker or have a lot of luggage.
Daylight and ventilation
Ask whether your room category has a window, how it is heated and cooled, and what the bathroom is like. These details differ by room, and a cave room can be darker than a standard room.
Arrival and luggage
Traffic in the Sassi is restricted, and a booking is not a permit to drive in. Ask how arrival works, whether luggage is carried or moved by transfer, and where the car should wait. Rules for the streets near D'Addozio and Buozzi are on the Matera page.
Parking
Ask whether parking is arranged, who pays and how far it is. Do not assume there is a lot near the front door.
Tourist tax in Matera
A listing, not an official table.
Listings of the Matera tourist tax show €2 per person and night for 1- to 3-star hotels and most other lodging, and €4 for 4- and 5-star hotels, for up to three consecutive nights. No special rate for cave hotels is listed. Confirm the current amount and any exemptions with your hotel, and expect to pay it on top of the room rate.
Which district
Caveoso, Barisano or the Civita.
Caveoso and Barisano are the two historic Sassi districts, and the Civita with the cathedral lies between them. Read the Sassi page to compare them and to see what each has nearby. For a view of the region beyond the cave hotels, see where to stay in Basilicata, and for the neighboring region, where to stay in Calabria. For the train, bus and car options from Bari, see getting there.
Where to stay
Matera, Maratea, the villages and the park compared.
The Sassi di Matera
Districts, rock churches and ticket prices.
Matera
Tickets, hours, stairs and traffic.
If you extend your trip on the Calabrian coast, Tropea has its own guide.
Matera cave hotels: frequently asked questions
Is a cave hotel a real cave?
Not always. The hotels use rooms cut into or built against the rock, and one operator says some rooms are built of masonry with a wooden roof. The name alone does not promise a fully excavated cave room.
Can I drive to a cave hotel?
Not necessarily. One Sasso Barisano hotel says guests cannot drive up to it and points to a partner garage. Traffic in the Sassi is restricted from 10:00 to 24:00 between 1 July and 15 September and from 10:00 to 20:30 the rest of the year. Ask your hotel how arrival works.
Is a cave hotel accessible for wheelchairs?
Be careful. The Sassi are steep, and step-free routes are not published for the two hotels above. One older access sketch shows stairs at reception. Contact the hotel with the exact room category you want.
How much is the tourist tax?
Listings show €2 per person and night for 1- to 3-star hotels and most other lodging and €4 for 4- and 5-star hotels, for up to three consecutive nights. Confirm the current rate with your hotel.
Do the hotels include parking?
It depends on the hotel. One lists a partner garage at €40 a night including arrival and departure transfers, which is that hotel's offer only. Ask your hotel what it arranges.
Is Caveoso or Barisano the better district for a cave hotel?
Both are historic Sassi districts, and this guide does not rank them. The details of the individual hotel matter more: the stairs from the drop-off point, whether you can arrive by car, the room category and how far it is to the sights you want. Compare those points for each property you consider.
What do the rooms cost?
Room rates change with the date and the room category, so none are listed here. Open the hotel's own page for the dates you want, and add the tourist tax to the total.
Are the hotels run by this site?
No. This is an independent guide without a connection to any hotel.