Caves to visit on the Costa Blanca
Caves to visit on the Costa Blanca - This area has something for everyone including some wonderful caves to visit, the perfect places to visit anytime of year, whether escaping the cold or the summer heat.
The Cuevas de las Calaveras, Benidoleig (Note: These Caves are suitable for Wheelchair Users)
A journey into the past on the shores of the Mediterranean.....
The Cuevas de las Calaveras are located along the road between Pedreguer and Benidoleig and are a great place to visit. The caves got their rather sinister name form the many skulls that were found in them when they were discovered in 1768. There is an interesting historical display which outlines the formation of the cave system and details some of its subsequent uses. During WWII soldiers used the cave to store food and even to repair aircraft engines!
Used by man since prehistoric times, it is associated with ancient Moorish and Christian legends.
This cave is formed in limestone from the early Cretaceous period, deposited approximately 135 million years ago. Known since antiquity, in 1768 the naturalist Cavanilles described archaeological discoveries made when drilling for water. In 1913, the pre-historian, H. Breuil, called attention to their high scientific interest.
The cave has great geological and archaeological value, with Palaeolithic and Neolithic remains having been found, as well as paleontological vestiges of hyenas, horses, bears, bulls, hippopotami and rhinoceroses, now housed in Alcoy Museum. The entrance is 70 metres above sea level and the cave extends for 440 metres, the visitors’ path being over 300 m in length. In it, you can see stalactites, stalagmites and large domes, more than 50 metres high.
Outside the caves is a small gift shop with a bar, children´s play area and ample free parking. Access is right off the main road.
Opening Hours
Winter from 9.00 am to 6.00pm
Summer from 9.00 am to 8.00 pm
Prices - Adults 3.90€ Children 2.90€
How to get there
Book the Coast and Caves trip with Round Town Travel
ALSA operates a bus from Benidorm to Pedregura twice daily. Tickets cost 6€ - 9€ and the journey takes 2 h 5 min. then taxi to Benidoleig 8 minsAlicante Metro Tram operates a train from Benidorm to La Xara. Tickets cost 3€ - 6€ and the journey takes 1 h 28 min then taxi to Benidoleig (13mins).
The cheapest way to get from Benidorm to Benidoleig is to drive 52km and takes 36 min.
Caves to visit on the Costa Blanca
Caves of Canelobre - Busot
The magnificent Caves of Canelobre are just 24 kilometres inland from Alicante near Busot and are said to be Spain’s largest and deepest cave system. The caves were not opened to the public until the middle of the 20th century.
During the Civil War, they were used as a repair shop for aircraft by the Republican army, and it was at that time that the current tunnel of access to the cavity was drilled, as well as several platforms inside.
The caves were formed many millions of years ago, but they are still slowly changing at a rate of just 1cm every 100 years! The stalactites and stalagmites are continuously growing and aided by the clever lighting take on the shapes and forms of all sorts of animals as well as giving the caves a cathedral like feel. The main attraction is the candelabra formation, from which the caves have taken their name. The caves contain one of the highest vaults in all of Spain, with a height of 70 meters. Within the caves there is a space of more than 80,000 m2 which can be accessed through a 45-meter tunnel, where water and rock have given rise to impressive shapes such as stalactites, stalagmites, columns and jellyfish, among many others.
The caves are open all year and can only be visited as part of a guided tour – remember to take warm clothes as it is cold inside! They do not close for siesta so make an ideal midday activity. The views from the entrance are simply stunning, and there is a small picnic area so that you can admire the amazing views whilst waiting for the next tour to begin.
Opening hours and Prices
Winter Hours
From September 1st to June 30th Closed Monday. From Tuesday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. At 4:50 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays of 10: 30h. At 5:50 p.m.
Summer Hours
From 1st July to 31st August and Holy Week (Easter) Every day of the week from 10:30 a.m. At 7:30 p.m. At Easter, the closing will be at 18:30 hours. Saturday and Sunday after Easter open until 15.00. Closed the days of San Vicente (Monday after Easter Monday), December 25 and January
Entry Fees - Adults (from 14 years old): 8 euros. Organized groups (minimum 20 people), retired, : 5.00 euros. Children from 5 to 14 years old (in groups or individually): 4.00 euros. Children under 5 years free.
Busot can be accessed by road through the N-332 / A-70 and the county roads CV-800, CV-773 and CV-774. To access by public transport, bus line C-52 connects Busot with the neighboring town of El Campello, which can be reached from Alicante with line L1 del Tram. It will also be possible to access from Mutxamel with the bus line C-51 . To get to Mutxamel from Alicante, you can take bus line C-23 .
Caves to visit on the Costa Blanca
Cova de L'Or Archaeological Site Situated 104km from Benidorm.
The Cova de l'Or is an archaeological site tucked away in the municipality of Beniarrés, north of the Costa Blanca. It is a Neolithic enclave dating from the sixth millennium BC (around 5600 BC), where a large amount of materials have been extracted from it, most of which are found in the Prehistory Museum of Valencia and the Camil Visedo Archaeological Museum in Alcoy.
The cave is formed by an elongated room, 24 meters deep by 8 meters wide, where you can see impressive rocks and stalagmites.
The site is open to visitors every Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 2pm, by appointment only and accompanied by a team of specialist guides. Your guided visit includes an interpretive tour of the path that runs to the Cova de L'Or highlighting its environmental and landscape values (30 minutes on foot along a mountain path), and an exciting journey through history inside the cave. You will then visit the Interpretation Center which offers a special display of the most outstanding pieces found at the site with complete audiovisual explainations.
DATES: Every Saturday & Sunday from 9am-2pm
MEETING POINT: Calle Rosa Escrig, 12 03850 Beniarrés (next to the Town Hall)
RESERVATIONS: Tickets priced at 5€ can be booked either by calling the MARQ museum on 965 14 90 00, by email
La Cueva or Cova del Rull, Rull Caves, Valle d`ebo
This is an underground grotto located in the municipality of Vall d'Ebo, in the north of the province of Alicante just over an hours drive from Benidorm
They were discovered in 1919 by José Vicente Mengual, who´s nickname was Uncle Rull who found them whilst out hunting with his dog when he saw a rabbit enter through a small hole, he sent a ferret and the dog down after the rabbit but neither returned, the following day Uncle Rull widen the entrance and discovered the caves.
In the late 1960s, Uncle Rull decided to open the caves to the public by conditioning the corridors, Vall d'Ebo Town Hall acquired the caves and refurbished them, finally opening them to the public on September 16th, 1995.
There are various groups of mineral formations of different origins and shapes. There are stalactites, stalagmites, columns and banderols.
The circular tour is 220 metres long and enables visitors to observe the beautiful underground landscape from different angles. The guided tour lasts 45 minutes and is suitable for everyone.
La Cueva del Rull are located near the CV-712, a short distance from the village of Vall de Ebo and approximately 73km from Benidorm. Tel.:+34 965571413
Opening Hours
April - September 10.30 - 20.30, October from 11.00 - 18.30, From November to January 14th: from 11:00 to 17:00, From 15 January to 15 February: closed to the public, February 16 to March: 11:00 to 18:30. Closed 1st January and 25th December
Entrance Prices - The price for individual visitors is 4 euros for adults and 2.70 for children, for large groups, the price for adults is 3.30 euros and 2.50 for children.
Caves to visit on the Costa Blanca
Les Coves de Sant Josep - North of Valencia
Although not exactly local, as they are just over 2 hours away from Benidorm, if you are ever visiting Valencia these are worth a 45 minute detour.
Located on the Costa de Azahar, in the heart of the Mediterranean and at the gateway to the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park, Les Coves de La Vall d’Uixó is the longest navigable underground river in Europe.
Embark on an adventure to the centre of the earth! A unique natural space where visitors discover new sensations, impressive silence, mystery of the origin and a feeling of travelling through time.
Experience life in the cave where its inhabitants lived more than 15,000 years ago.
The cavity is visited on a quiet boat trip, accompanied by a Guide-Barquero, sailing the underground river, more than three kilometers long explored at the moment, traveling 800 meters by boat (blue zone) and 255 by foot (brown zone ). There are more than two kilometers, at least, inaccessible to visitors at the moment (red zone and beyond).
The visit lasts approximately 40 minutes, with a constant temperature of 20º throughout the year.
Additional services on site include free parking, hiking trails, children’s entertainment (high season only), summer pool, picnic areas, children’s play area, gift shop.
Caves near Benidorm
History
In the 19th century, the neighbours used to visit “La Font de Sant Josep” (Sant Josep’s spring water) in order to celebrate “La Festa de les Flors” (The Festivity of the Flowers), where courageous people would go deep into the cave. However, the first exploration did not take place until 1902, when they reached “La Boca del Forn” (a narrow path which was the end of the accessible area).
In the next years, the interest in the cave grew and in 1915 Carlos Sarthou Carreres, an historian, carried out a partial exploration. In 1926 a group of neighbours reached “El Lago Diana” (Diana’s Lake), and found “La Galería de los Sifones” (The Gallery of the Siphons). In 1929 Herminio Arroyas Martínez, a resident of la Vall d’Uixó, died while he was trying to go through this gallery. The works to prepare the cave for tourist visits took place between 1936 and 1950, when walkways and a dam were installed. Blast holes were used in order to make some parts of the cave bigger and let the boats in, and “La Boca del Forn” was not the end of the accessible area anymore.
In 1954 a group of speleologists (Centro Excursionista de Valencia) carried out an exploration and in 1958 they drew the first topographical plan of the cave. In 1960 Joaquín Saludes (Centro de Investigaciones y Actividades Subacuáticas de Valencia) went through the Gallery of the Siphons. Then, dynamited was used in 1961, when the “Blue Lake” and the rest of galleries which can be visited today were discovered, including the “Dry Gallery”.
Between 1971 and 1975, speleologists from Castellón and Barcelona discovered new galleries and siphons and reached what is still known as the current end of the cave (2.348 metres), although its real end and the source of water are still unknown.
Caves near Benidorm
Getting There
Train: RENFE provides short and long distance trains which will take visitors to nearby towns from La Vall d’Uixó.
Bus: There is a bus service connecting the most important cities in the region.
Car: Getting here is really easy. La Vall d’Uixó is connected to the Mediterranean coastline (A-7 highway) and to the centre of the country (A-3).
Price Adults: € 10. Retirees, pensioners, adults with a large family and people with disabilities: € 7 (individual accreditation and ID required) Children (from 1.01m tall up to and including 13 years old): € 5
Opening Times - From November 02 to February 28: visits at 10am, 11am, 12am and 1pm. From March 1 to November 1: visits from 10am to 1:30 pm and from 3:30 pm to 6pm (last morning visit at 1:30 p.m. and last visit at 6 p.m.)
Limited capacity : Prior ticket purchase is recommended to guarantee your visit.
Tickets can be purchased online HERE
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