Inside the Cueva de las Güixas
Delving into the bowels of the Earth always brings us surprises. The hollows that have been forged over the centuries house formations that leave us amazed.
many have its origin in the thaw that occurred after the glaciations, because large masses of water began to circulate on the face of the Earth, which, when meeting with rock formations, molded and dissolved some of its components. Subsequently, time has been sculpting, drop by drop , what we see in them today.
Caves that were refuge of ancestors in Prehistory, of bandits, of pilgrims, of soldiers in battles and even of witches and bears. Witches and bears? Yes, witches and bears.
Crystal Caves, in Molinos
Today are valuable tourist resources that house their own fauna and flora, accustomed to the lack of light. Thus, they are inhabited by bats and marmots, by reptiles, arachnids and blind minnows. The constant humidity, which is usually around 80%, it also means that, despite the lack of light, some mosses and lichens live.
inside the caves there are no seasons, They usually have a constant temperature throughout the year (about 12 degrees) and are pleasant in the cold winter and refreshing in the summer.
Conditioned with minimal intervention to make them passable (stairs and walkways) and equipped with lighting that highlights their volumes and dimensions, when visiting them they unfold before us a spectacle of stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites growing from the ground. Many of them baptized according to how they resemble a chandelier or a fountain, depending on how they are shaped like a church organ or a fluttering theater curtain.
In the following lines we collect a list of cavities to go from end to end of the Aragonese geography, visiting its best caves. A plan for the whole family.
1. CRYSTAL CAVES (Molinos, Teruel)
Discovered about 60 years ago, they are located a few kilometers from the beautiful town of mills , in Teruel Maestrazgo. Access to the cave is almost 1,000 meters above sea level, from which a drop of about 24 meters is saved.
There is evidence of the existence of numerous galleries within the same limestone mountain, but they are not yet ready for tourist visits.
Currently it is possible to access two rooms: the Crystal Room and the Sea Room , both are really impressive due to the wealth of formations that can be seen in them.
Guixas Cave
two. CAVE OF THE GÜIXAS (Villanúa, Huesca)
It is located in the Collarada massif , very close to one of the main passes of the Pyrenees, the Somport. Due to its location, this grotto was very popular with the pilgrims who came from Europe doing the Camino de Santiago. In the Civil War it was used as a prison, and today there are numerous Herradura bats that inhabit it.
But perhaps its best-known inhabitants were the witches , the name given to women who knew the use of herbs and roots and who they gathered there to celebrate their covens in one of the main rooms. It is not difficult to imagine the scene, as this room has a large opening in the roof, perfect for viewing the full moon.
Another of the peculiarities of this cave in Villanúa (Huesca) is that inside it runs an underground river, which is normally dry, but becomes torrential when the area receives strong storms.
3.**BEAR CAVE (Tella, Huesca)**
this cave takes its name from a cave bear bone deposit, an extinct species in the Pyrenees more than 9,000 years ago that exceeded the current brown bear in size.
The discovery of bones belonging to more than thirty of these animals at the bottom of the cave, where they hibernated, turned it into a very interesting place for paleontologists.
As in the rest of the caves mentioned, you can also see stalactite and stalagmite formations.
The cave of the Bear is located at 1,600 meters altitude, in the municipality of Tella-Sin (Huesca), one of the entrance doors of the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park.
bear cave
4.**CAVE OF THE RECUENCO (Ejulve, Teruel)**
This cavity opened to the public a couple of years ago, previously only cavers could access it. It is listed as LIC (Place of Community Interest) and also as a Point of Geological Interest.
The entrance is its most complicated point, because it is necessary to make a rappel of little height. After saving the start, more than 800 meters of route await us, in a visit that lasts a couple of hours through the entrails of the Maestrazgo region.
It is necessary to book to take the guided tour, calling 978 75 26 14 or sending an email to [email protected]
5. GROTTO OF WONDERS (Ibdes, Zaragoza)
Very near the Stone Monastery is this visitable cavity, which has two galleries dotted with beautiful rock formations sculpted by water and time.
Though it is not possible to make the complete route, this cave communicates with another, the so-called Grotto of Solitude, which acquires great prominence at Easter in this Zaragoza town because it is one of the stations of the Via Crucis.
Grotto of Wonders