A little-known secret: Valencia has incredible caves that are magical, beautiful, and accessible!
There are five caves in the Valencian Community that will leave you speechless. Two of them located on the Mediterranean coast, two in the interior and the last in the province of Castellón. One thing’s for sure- in all of them you will discover the rich geological heritage that Valencia has to offer. So, let’s get to caving!
Don Juan Cave (Jalance, Valencia)
The Cave of Don Juan is located in Jalance, 12 km from the center. It is located in a beautiful natural environment next to the Júcar canyons. On the way to the cave you can find two viewpoints: From the first of them lie ample views of the Barranco del Agua and the municipality of Jalance, and from the second viewpoint, the canyons of the Júcar river. Once at the entrance of the Cave of Don Juan, you will find a visitor center with a cafeteria, a shop, a ticket sales point and a waiting room. The cave has been conditioned to facilitate your visit. The journey through the interior is about five hundred meters and lasts about forty minutes.
The entire visit of the Cave of Don Juan is accompanied by tour guides. What makes it even more interesting? The cave has magnificent formations and has two very different sections, the first and closest to the entrance is the dry and fossilized section, and in the inner part is the wet and growing section.
Visiting hours:
The schedule is always from 10:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The last visit comes at 1:45 p.m. Check visiting shifts on the cave website.
From March 3 to June 30: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
From July 1 to October 14: every day.
From October 20 to December 16: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
For groups of more than 20 people, visiting is possible any day and time by booking in advance- just email [email protected].
Price of admission:
Adults: € 7.
Children between 5 and 15 years: € 5.
For groups of more than 20 people: € 5.
For groups between 15 and 19 people: € 6.
With the Jove Card: € 5.60.
Children from 0 to 4 years: Free entry.
Cave of the Rull (La Vall d’Ebo, Alicante)
La Cueva del Rull is a true jewel of nature for its richness in stalactites and stalagmites.It’s located in the municipality of La Vall d’Ebo, in the province of Alicante. The cave was discovered in 1919 by José Vicente Mengual (Uncle Rull) when he went hunting with his dog and began following a rabbit. He entered a hole and got trapped overnight. The next day he tried to remove some stones from the hole and found the cave that bears his nickname. In the sixties, due to the tourism boom, “Uncle Rull” decided to open it to the public by making the cave more user friendly. Currently, the Cueva del Rull is owned by the City Council, and has been equipped and open to the public since September 16, 1995.
All visits are made with the accompaniment of a specialized guide. The approximate duration of each tour is 30 minutes. The lighting in the cave is electric and is done by incandescent bulbs. The route through the Cave of the Rull has a length of 220 m. and a drop of 19 m. You will be guided through all of the cave, and will admire, from different perspectives, the beauty of these underground formations.
Visiting hours:
From April to September: 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
From November to January 14: 11am to 5pm.
From February 16 to March and October: 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
On January 1 and December 25 of each year it will be closed to the public. Closed to the public from January 15 to February 15. More information by consulting the TEL: 965 571 413 – 966 400 525
Price of admission:
Adults: € 4 (individual) and € 3.30 (group)
Children: € 2.70 (individual) and € 2.50 (group)
Cave of Moraig (Benitatxell, Alicante)
The Cova del Moraig is located near the town of Benitatxell, in the region of the Marina Alta. It takes a little to get there, but the trip to this cave in Valencia is worth it. Cova del Moraig has two parts and opens to the sea hidden between the steep cliffs:
In the first part, the cave goes down 6 meters through a well and goes directly to the sea with a maximum depth of 13 meters. That’s tour that can be approached by beginners- unlike the second part, which is much deeper and accessible only for technical divers with certification in caves.
Shrimp and octopus are often found in Cova del Moraig. Next to the cave is the beach of Portixol and Cala del Moraig, a very special spot where in summer the occupancy is high.
Cova Carved (Jávea, Alicante)
Discover the beauty and mystery of Cova Carved. To the north of Javea, under the cliff of the Marine Reserve of the Cabo de San Antonio is this spectacular cave. A mouth open to the sea and with 400 meters of area.
The route along the Cova Tallada will leave you feeling adventurous. It has many large passages, (without any lighting, so flashlights are essential), which is where the rough rock or sandstone used by the rule of the Muslim occupation in the construction of their castles. There are also pools that accumulated filtered water from the mountain.
On its outer face, the sea enters inside forming small rafts of cold water, since it does not receive the sun’s rays. In front of one of the entrances of the Cova Carved an artificial islet of rock was created from the cave to facilitate the transport of the material- a kind of little port. So. there are a lot of places where you can take a refreshing bath in the warm days of summer here.
Caves of Sant Josep (La Vall d’Uixó, Castellón)
Les Coves de Sant Josep de La Vall d’Uixó, are located on the Costa de Azahar, in the heart of the Mediterranean and at the door of the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park.
Les Coves de Sant Josep is the longest navigable underground river in Europe. Here, the visitor will be reunited with nature and feelings of peace and harmony that only these places can give.
The cave is visited on a quiet boat ride, accompanied by a Guide who navigates the underground river. More than three kilometers long, you’ll travel 800 meters by boat and 255 meters on foot. More than two kilometers of the cave are inaccessible to visitors. The visit lasts approximately 45 minutes, with a constant temperature of 20º Celsius throughout the year. For more information, call 964 69 05 76 or email [email protected].
Visiting hours:
Throughout the year, the visiting hours are generally from 10 am to 1 pm and from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm. The visits last approximately 45 minutes.
From November 2 to February 28: from 10am to 2pm every hour.
SUMMER: From July 15 to September 15, the visits will be from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. every 30 minutes. (The time of the last visit is subject to daily modifications and may vary depending on capacity).
December Bridge: 6-7-8-9-10 visits every 30 minutes from 10am to 2:30 pm
On December 24 and 31, the last visit is at 1:00 p.m.
On December 25, January 1 and 6, the facilities will remain closed to the public.
On January 5, there will only be a visit at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
CLOSINGS MAY OCCUR: For January, check the dates on website.
In High Season the ticket office will remain open continuously, from opening to closing.
Rates:
Adult (individual): € 10
Children up to 13 years old (individual): € 5
Senior citizen and large family: € 7
Disability: € 7
Adult group: € 7
