Boat visit Coves de Sant Josep

The Coves de Sant Josep are home to one of the longest navigable underground rivers in Europe. In the heart of the Mediterranean and at the gateway to the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park, this cave offers visitors the experience of discovering, room by room, a unique landscape that water has shaped over thousands of years.

Furthermore, the area where the cave is located, the Sant Josep area, has served as a settlement for numerous cultures and human groups, therefore The exact date of the discovery of the underground river is unknown. However, there is evidence that the cave was inhabited more than 17,000 years ago, during the Upper Paleolithic, as demonstrated by the cave paintings and prehistoric remains found inside Coves de Sant Josep. The proximity of the archaeological site Poblat de Sant Josep also indicates that the cave was known and explored by various cultures during the time of the Iberians, as well as during the long Roman and Andalusian domination of the Iberian Peninsula.

Boat visit to the Coves de Sant Josep

This underground landscape can be visited through a pleasant boat ride along 800 meters and a 250-meter walk, always accompanied by a guide/boatman. The visit lasts approximately 40 minutes and, given the constant temperature of 20°C throughout the year, this unique natural enclave can be visited at any time of year. Furthermore, the small boat is manually operated with a wooden pole, without any motor disturbing the journey, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the serenity and magical silence of the cave.

History of Coves de Sant Josep

With more than 17,000 years of history behind them, the Caves of Saint Joseph have gone from being a prehistoric refuge to becoming one of the most fascinating natural treasures of the Valencian Community. Their story blends the survival of ancient civilizations with the audacity of 20th-century engineers, who managed to tame an underground river full of siphons that seemed impossible to cross. Today, visitors not only enjoy a boat ride under the iconic lighting of Carlos Buigas, but also delve into a living ecosystem that continues to reveal secrets, as demonstrated by the discovery of new galleries as recently as 2023.