Palace Cave, Natural cave formation in Flores Department, Uruguay
Palace Cave is a sandstone formation in Flores Department whose roof is a ferruginous sandstone crust supported by dozens of columnar structures about two metres high. Its labyrinthine front runs for several metres, but only 40 metres are easily accessible to visitors. The sand was deposited in the Late Cretaceous and hardened by ferrugination during the early Tertiary.
Scientific exploration of the cave began in 1877 and continued with systematic studies in the early 1900s. These investigations established the foundation for understanding its geological structure.
The cave holds such importance to the regional identity that it appears on the official coat of arms of Flores Department. This recognition shows how deeply the formation is connected to local pride and heritage.
The cave lies 46 km north of Trinidad on the old Ruta Nacional N.º 3, near the village of Marincho. Only about 40 metres of the labyrinthine front are easy for visitors to enter. The site is part of the Grutas del Palacio Geopark, which also contains the Ecoparque Talice.
The cave is not a hollow in limestone but a shell of iron-cemented sandstone held up by dozens of columnar structures about two metres tall. The sand was deposited in the Late Cretaceous, while the hardening by ferrification came in the early Tertiary. Only 40 metres of its labyrinthine front are easy to enter.
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