In its pure state, water is acid-free. Visitors can sit in the lakes amphitheatre and enjoy an exclusive classical music concert interpreted by a quartet made up of two violins, a cello and a harpsichord. Round Spring Cave is found in a kind of rock called dolomite. This hypothesis, more or less nuanced, was the most accepted until the 1960s. How do I put music on my SanDisk Sansa MP3 player? The rock beds formed about 320 360 million years ago. Embark on a Drach Caves day trip outside of Palma de Mallorca where many treasures, insights, and stories are waiting. The Caves of Drach were created by the action of rainwater penetrating the limestone, the predominant rock of the island, and in the case of its connection with the exterior, by the erosion caused by the continuous pounding of the sea waves on the rocks. They extend nearly 2,400 meters (roughly 1.5 miles) and reach a height of 82 feet tall. * During the winter season not all hotels and accommodation in Mallorca are open. Over a long, long period of time, the channels enlarge so that water can flow more freely. The music, paired with the scenery, will be a moment you will cherish for life. Lovely rock formations such as The Flag, a canvas-shaped structure whose attractive colours are the result of distinct mineral filtrations, or The Snow-Capped Mountain, so named because of its white colour, the result of calcium carbonate filtered by rain. In 1896, E.A. Through this new access, the infant Jaime de Borbn, second son of King Alfonso XIII, and General Primo de Rivera visited the Caves. Time of entry to the caves between 11 March and 31 October: 10.00, 11.00, 12.00, 14.00, 15.00, 16.00 and 17.00. The Drach Caves, one of the top tourist attractions in Mallorca. As water is heavy and full of salt, it begins to erode rocks. . How were the caves of Drach formed? Caves of Drach are formed by four great caves connected together - Black Cave, White cave, Cave of Luis Salvador and the Cave of the French. They are around 25m deep and over 4km long and made up of four interconnecting caves. Located in Manacor, near Porto Cristo, the underground tour here is one of Mallorca's biggest attractions. In fact, he described the caves as a sea cavern, but particularly extensive. This is the case with the Drach Caves, the extraordinary caverns that delve 1,200 metres into the islands subsoil and present visitors with the origins and beauty of nature in its essence. Some caves are the result of lava flowing as the lava around it cools. In order to avoid crowds of visitors, the best times to visit are at the beginning or end of the day. Mammoth Cave, If you want to swim, bring a towel and bathing suit as we stop in Porto Cristo for 90 minutes. This acid then dissolves the calcite, the main mineral in limestone, which is then carried away in the underground drainage system. While inside the caves, admire a light show synchronized with the melodies of a small orchestra. How to buy tickets for the Caves of Drach, Classical music concert in the Caves of Drach, Activities and things to do in Portocristo, In this article we provide you with all the information, book from here the tour to the Caves of Drach, visit the Caves of Drach through the tour, Shops where you can buy the famous Majorica pearls, Wide range of shops, bars and restaurants, Enjoy a few hours on the beach in the beautiful, Do you prefer to enjoy the sea in privacy? With such extreme amounts of acidic water, the caves would have been carved out in a short time. These limestone layers were then buried rapidly by other layers of sediment, trapping considerable amounts of water within each limestone layer. Erosion comes in the form of waves and tides, washing and battering at the base of the cliff, nibbling away the soft parts of the rock quicker. Today, active tubes form the underground springs that transport water from the lowest levels of the cave out to the Green River. Inside the Hams caves is a large underground lake popularly known as the sea of Venice. If you're curious, that process is called "littoral erosion". If you choose this option, let us know your experience in the comments! While inside the caves, admire a light show synchronized with the melodies of a small orchestra. Twisty shapes called helictites warp in all directions from the ceiling, walls, and floor. The Drach's Caves are on the eastern coast of Majorca, and more specifically in the town of Porto Cristo, these caves constitute two of the main tourist attractions, and are, without a rain shadow, some of the most outstanding of the island, since they present a horizontal development close to 1,200 meters of compression and a depth, at its . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This image or recording is the work of a U.S. This acidic water squeezes between the small cracks and layers of bedrock, such as limestone, and dissolves out a small channel in the rock for the water to flow. They have an interpretative programme in which audiovisual media play a major role. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Description. After the original rock layers were deposited during the Flood event, hot waters rising from deeper inside the earth quickly enlarged cracks and conduits through the sedimentary layers, leaving behind vast passages and chambers. These calcareous formations were formed between 11 and 5.3 million years ago, during the Miocene era. And since the effect of acidic water on limestone has been observed to be a slow process, geologists reason that large caves and caverns required millions of years to form. The famous Cave of Drach (dragon) features its famous Martel underground lake. The most complete hypothesis about how the Caves of Drach were formed involves several steps First, small cavities would be formed by the dissolution of calcareous rocks in the phreatic levels, mainly where fresh waters and brackish waters from the sea mix. The route to follow is perfectly signposted. These passages are usually taller than they are wide, and resemble canyons you might explore above ground, except that they have a cave ceiling over top! When the water table drops, the older, higher placed tubes empty out and become dry, allowing new passages to form in lower levels of the cave. It is then removed with the help of underground streams. The rock slowly dissolves, leading to irregular tunnels and caverns. After millions of years of burial under sediment, uplift, and erosion, both the Carlsbad Caverns and Mammoth Caves began to form, taking many millions of years for water to erode in the limestone. What are the opening hours of the Caves of Drach? King Felipe VI & Queen Letizia of Spain are often seen spending their summer holidays in Mallorca. According to the authors, more or less importance was given to the erosion suffered by the intrusion of seawater, by leaks from higher levels, or by the presence of phreatic conduits. With its pretty main square lined with cafes, stunning architecture and charming Port, Soller is a great place to relax and enjoy the sun. The Drach Caves are among the most visited in Europe and many consider them the 8th Wonder of the World. During high season, the hours that tend to have fewer visitors are 10.00, 16.00 and 17.00. It is likely that the tectonic activity of the earth also released hydrogen sulfide, combining with ground water to create sulfuric acid that could have swiftly eaten away tremendous amounts of limestone. From this second exploration he qualified his first conclusions about the genesis of the caves. It is elongated in shape. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. The price is 15 and 8 for children between 3 and 12 years old. Lake Martel. The caves were formed 5.3 to 11 million years ago and were certainly known about in the Middle Ages. What is piand why is there an entire day devoted to it? The exceptionality of the explicit permission and the requirement for a later report would indicate that it was a raid into a large cave, not small caverns that were already routinely explored for treasure. The coasts of Mallorca are covered with a multitude of geological formations resulting from the erosive effect of water and wind. Internet Explorer is no longer supported. A new entrance to the caves was opened opposite Cala Murta, which has since been turned into the official tour entrance. In 1889 he published Trip to the Balearic Islands, in which he describes his visit to the Drach Caves in detail. The water flowing beneath the earths surface would have been tainted with acid from the great amounts of decaying organic matter above after it seeped through the first few layers of soil. There are two main aspects one might take into account, During the nineties, Guinness World Records added a new record-breaking, Agero is a small town in the province of Huesca, Spain is a country full of surprising landscapes with contrasts, Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Contact, We want to know your opinion (survey) If you decide to reach the Drach Caves with your own vehicle or with a hired car, if you are coming from Palma or the southern area, the best way to get there is to take the Ma-15 towards Manacor. They are considered to be an asset of cultural interest in Manacor, and in the Balearic Islands in general, and are one of the main tourist attractions not to be missed in Mallorca. This lake was named Lake Martel in honour of its discoverer. The opportunity does exist to take a short boat ride on the lake at the end of the concert. Do you fancy visiting the Caves of Drach or any of the other caves in Mallorca? The origin of the name Coves of Drach remains uncertain and could be related to the legend of a dragon that guarded a fabulous treasure inside the cave. Although many caves possess unique features, all caves are classified based on how they are formed. He ruled out leaks from the Llebrons torrent, a little further north and which flows into the current marina, due to the absence of evidence of leaks from the surface. The rock slowly dissolves, leading to irregular tunnels and caverns. A live classical music concert at Lake Martel. A team spanning 15 countries is raising endangered sharks from aquariums and reintroducing them to the wild, starting in Indonesia. A year prior to the explorations made by this Frenchman, fellow countryman Jules Verne had already mentioned the caves in his novel Clovis Dardentor. It is really four caves linked together: the cave of the French, that of Luis Salvador, the White cave and the Black cave. They were already known during the middle ages and were explored in 1880 by M. F. Will and in 1896 by E.A. Learn more 5 hours (approx.) Spelunkers rappel 300 feet (90 meters) into the Greenland ice sheet. Your email address will not be published. Fish and Wildlife Service employee, taken or made as part of that persons official duties. During this visit, the first concert was offered from a boat on the lake. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. The Caves of Drach are four great caves that are located on the island of Majorca, extending to a depth of 25 m and reaching approximately 4 km in length. They are two of the most attractive underground systems in the Balearic Islands. 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