Cova des Pas de Vallgornera, cave in Llucmajor, Balearic Islands, Spain
Cova des Pas de Vallgornera is a cave in Llucmajor on Mallorca and the longest in the Balearic Islands with over 74,000 meters of surveyed passages. Inside there are two levels of tunnels, one 7 to 11 meters above sea level and one at the water table, with both dry sections and underwater areas connecting them.
The cave was discovered by chance in 1968 when workers dug a hole for a hotel construction project. A breakthrough expedition in 2004 revealed the true extent of the system, showing decades later through surveys that it was more than 50 times larger than initially thought.
The name refers to the paths that once crossed this area. Visitors can experience today the simple relationship between the land and the cave entrance, where nature remains in its raw state.
The site is a protected zone accessible only with trained guides, as the cave is strictly regulated. Visitors should plan ahead and ask at nearby villages for directions, since the entrance is marked by a simple sign and reached via rural roads.
Researchers found the skeleton of a Myotragus, an extinct animal that lived two million years ago, showing the cave is a key place for understanding Mallorca's animal history. These bone discoveries help scientists track how life evolved on the island.
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