Coves de Sant Josep

The Coves de Sant Josep were formed by an underground river cutting through limestone, and about 2,750 metres of galleries have been surveyed, of which around 800 metres are navigated by boat with a further stretch walked, which the operators describe as the longest navigable underground river in Europe. Visitors sit in small flat boats poled and pulled by guides who use the walls and a fixed line to move them along, passing through chambers with formations and sections where the roof drops low enough that passengers must duck. The water temperature stays around twenty degrees and the air a little cooler. Prehistoric paintings at the entrance indicate the cave was known and used from the Palaeolithic.

What you actually see

• The boat passage - about 800 metres poled along the underground river.
• The low sections - stretches where the roof forces passengers to duck.
• The formations - stalactites and flowstone in the lit chambers.
• The entrance paintings - prehistoric art at the cave mouth.

When to go

Year-round; the cave keeps a constant temperature and works in any weather. Entry is by timed boat and books out at weekends, holidays and in summer, so reserving ahead is sensible.

Honest expectations

The visit is short, around forty minutes, and the boats take small groups on a fixed schedule. Low ceilings mean passengers must duck repeatedly. Water levels after heavy rain can shorten or suspend the route.

Nearby

La Vall d'Uixo is alongside; Sagunto and its Roman theatre lie south.