Guided tours · Vall d'Uixó · Spain
The Coves de Sant Josep at Vall d'Uixó
by boat along the longest navigable underground river in Europe, at a steady twenty degrees
The Coves de Sant Josep open at the foot of the Sierra de Espadán, at the far edge of the town of Vall d'Uixó, and a navigable underground river runs through them. You board a flat-bottomed boat pushed along by a boatman who pulls on the roof, you pass under stretches low enough to make you duck, then you step ashore and finish on foot through a dry gallery. It is twenty degrees inside all year round, which in summer changes the shape of the day. The visit takes a little under an hour, but with the drive the stop fills half a day.
Getting there
- You come into Vall d'Uixó and cross the town: the road ends in the forecourt of the caves, with no narrow stretches
- Beside the entrance there are 8 motorhome pitches and a large mixed car park, asphalted, level and lit at night
- The general car park is free and takes medium sized vehicles
- From the car park to the entrance is a few minutes on foot, and there are steps at the cave mouth
Practical information
Duration the guided visit lasts 45 to 50 minutes, 800 metres by boat and 250 on foot; with the drive the stop fills half a day
Price 18 euros, 12 euros from 3 to 12 years old
When to go April to May and September to October
Suitable for any age in good health, with the caveat that under the age of 3 the transfer from the boat to the walking section is awkward and that the operator advises against the visit for anyone suffering from claustrophobia, agoraphobia or severe lung disease; not fully wheelchair accessible, since the walking section has steps and varying headroom, while the boat section is accessible with assisted transfer: anyone with reduced mobility is better off calling ahead
Booking worth booking online on the official site or by telephone, above all in summer; tickets are also sold at the desk, but the daily places are limited; arrive 10 minutes before your time, 30 minutes for the kayak outings
Contacts
Where it is
Vall d'Uixó · Comunità Valenciana
You set off from
Notes
- Passeig de les Grutes s/n, 12600 La Vall d'Uixó, Castellón
- Open all year: the desk is staffed from 9:20 to 17:00 and the first visit is at 9:45; departure times change with the season and are best checked on the official number
- On the official site the adult ticket costs 18 euros, 12 euros from 3 to 12 years old, free up to the age of 2; reduced to 14 euros for the over 65s, students, Carnet Jove holders and people with a disability
- Large and single parent families: 14 euros for adults, 10 euros for children from 3 to 12. The 10 to 15 euro fares still doing the rounds no longer apply
- Caving by kayak costs 60 euros a head, minimum six participants, from the age of 8, around two hours; the Origen outing costs 100 euros, six to twelve participants, from the age of 12, around three hours. You go in a wetsuit, you need to be able to swim and to be in reasonable shape; not recommended over 110 kg; bring shoes that can get wet, a swimming costume, a change of clothes and a towel
- Sturdy shoes and a light jacket: it is twenty degrees inside, with a few steps and surfaces that are uneven and at times slippery
- Cameras and mobile phones are used only when the staff say so: no photographs during the boat trip
- Guides in Spanish and English: the availability of an English speaking guide is worth checking when you book
- In summer the cave hosts the "Singin' in the Cave" concerts, booked separately
- The area beside the entrance has 8 motorhome pitches, free water at the filling tap, toilets open on weekdays and with limited availability at night, and night patrols
- Maximum stay 48 to 72 hours, to be confirmed with the staff on arrival
- Two hundred metres from the area there is a shopping centre; Vall d'Uixó is a town of a little over thirty thousand people and has every shop you need
- First documented exploration on 3 September 1897, commissioned by the town council; work from 1956, the navigable section opened to the public on 17 July 1960, with the first 380 metres
