The province of Burgos boasts of being one of the territories with the most personality and beauty on the peninsula. Its landscape and climatic heterogeneity make it the ideal place to practice leisure and adventure activities in nature. And, among the many possible options, exploring the subsoil can become the best of experiences.
The extensive presence of limestone materials in the Burgos territory has allowed water to shape the landscape over millions of years, giving rise to extensive karst complexes with a large presence of caves. For lovers of exploring the cavities that lie beneath our feet, the province of Burgos becomes the most suitable destination. And there are multiple options for speleological visits, always with the help of expert guides, which you can do in caves in the province.
It is one of the greatest speleological treasures in the province of Burgos. What's more, it is considered the fifth cave of its kind in the world, due to the geological rarity of its calcareous conglomerates, deposited about 35 million years ago, and also because of its more than 4 km length.
The formations (stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, columns, eccentrics and gours) left by lithogenesis on its floors, ceilings and walls give the Fuentemolinos Cave exceptional beauty and immeasurable value. In the exploration of this cavity, which officially began in 1957, a total of 4,086 meters have been surveyed, with a clear horizontal development.
The cavity is located in the town of Puras de Villafranca, 7 km from Belorado, and its route follows a current of underground water – the same one that supplies the population – that has chiseled its three known levels in its path. The lower one is a canyon through which the underground river runs, which then emerges outside, which follows a meandering path and which, in some points, reaches more than 25 meters in height. The two upper floors, which in some places overlook the lower gallery, are in a fossil state and evolve parallel to the course of the river. It is in these elevated levels where the most beautiful and unique elements and phenomena inside the cave are concentrated.
No special physical condition is required to make the visit. You can choose one of these two modalities: Forest Gallery, with low difficulty and 4 and a half hours long; and Galería Integral, with medium difficulty and 6 hours long.
The visit to the cave includes complete equipment (divers, wellies, helmets, lights, gloves, harnesses and anchor bags) and instructors; preparation and briefing; entry and activity permits and authorizations; insurance R.C. and R. A. and, within the visit to the Integral Gallery, a snack. Hire your experience with Beloaventura.
The Ojo Guareña karst complex is the largest in Spain and one of the largest in Europe, with a network of more than 100 km of galleries distributed at different levels. Located in the Merindad de Sotoscueva, it is declared a Natural Monument and Asset of Cultural Interest. It is an important archaeological site where prehistoric sanctuaries have been found that attest to the human presence in these lands since ancient times.
Inside, the Palomera Cave is presented as a cavity of great relevance. Its geomorphological formations, in addition to being spectacular, are in slow but constant growth, since it is a living cavity. In addition to housing different karst formations, it is full of surprises of all kinds, such as its cave fauna.
On the tour, we will enjoy different rooms, galleries and all types of geological formations that will come our way. Of special mention is the limestone-dolomitic complex from the Upper Cretaceous that it has. Some of the spaces that can be seen are the Edelweiss Room, the Main Gallery, the Sima Dolencias, the Cacique Room and the Wax Museum Room. The journey will end in Alto Concha or Alto de San Bernabé.
The cave can be visited in small groups, with prior reservation. Of course, it is not conditioned and acceptable physical conditions are required. Children under 12 years of age are not allowed entry and children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. There are two possible routes: 1.5 km and 2 and a half hours long with a visit that ends in the Sima Dolencias; and 2.5 km and 4 hours duration with a visit that includes the Sima Dolencias, the Cacique Room and the Wax Museum Room. Choose your plan in Cueva Ojo Guareña.
Also known as Cueva de los Moros, in this cavity the Hurón River disappears to appear again, after about four kilometers of underground travel, originating the waters of the Rudrón River.
The Cueva del Agua is located in Basconcillos del Tozo and, both the cavity and its entire surroundings, are populated with mysterious and fantastic legends, which, among other stories, relate the famous Burgos character, El Cid Campeador, with a huge and ferocious snake. to defeat.
Its entrance is located at the bottom of a valley, surrounded by a rocky canyon that the passage of water has gradually eroded, and the hole through which the river disappears forms its large entrance gate and gives access to a large room. underground. Inside, its dimensions of 10,290 m² make it the second largest in the entire province of Burgos.
The Sala de las Dunas connects with the Hoya de los Caracoles, a huge sinkhole in which the two springs open through which the river flows again and where the exit of the cave is located. It is an active sinkhole that, with the river flooding, can cause the water level to rise inside the cave, up to several meters above the usual height. All this makes the Basconcillos cave an attractive meeting point for groups of cavers from all over Spain.
The difficulty of the internal route is low and the approximate duration is 3 hours. The visit includes individual material (helmet, headlamp, gloves, harness and diver or neoprene), accident and civil liability insurance, and a certified guide or technician. Book your visit with Guides of the Merindades or Pedrete Guiados.
Just finding it is an exciting adventure. The cavity is located in the municipality of Vallejimeno, in the southern part of the Sierra de la Demanda. To get to it, from the town, there is a simple path of about 2 km that takes us to an area of moors where we will have to look for an opening at ground level, 1.5 meters in diameter, through which the guide will show us. how to access.
The Santa Eugenia Cave is excavated in Jurassic Dogger limestone. Inside and for almost 1 kilometer (its total length), you can see different lithogenic formations, ramps and corridors to walk through, large detached blocks and completely filled gours.
Most of the cave is made up of a series of network-shaped labyrinth galleries, most of which are inaccessible due to their narrowness, although there are others that can be explored and lead to spaces that, due to their spaciousness and the beauty of their shapes, , they remind us of authentic chapels. This is the case of the Virgin Room, the largest in the cave and through which a flow runs that jumps a slope and into which, in the rainy season, streams of water enter, turning it into an active phreatic zone.
With a low difficulty, it takes approximately 2 hours. The visit to the cave includes a helmet, headlamp and gloves, Accident and Civil Liability insurance, and a technical sports guide in caving. You can hire your experience with Pedrete Guiados.
