Cuevas de Canelobre - the caves in Busot

- Coves del Canelobre Mount Cabezón de Oro, Busot, views


Situated in Busot (population: 3138)
Other names: Coves del Canelobre
Province: Alicante
Autonomous community: Valencia
Area: 80 000 m³
Year visited: 2016

Cuevas de Canelobre (or Coves del Canelobre) are caves that are situated in the mountains in the village Busot, just 23km from central Alicante and 20km from Benidorm. The entrance is situated on the mountain ridge of the mountain Cabezón de Oro ("large head of gold"), on an altitude on 700m. The cave is 70m high, so it goes quite deep, but it is not long at all. So it reminds of a cathedral in shape, high but not long, and the formations are illuminated in different colours, mostly purple and blue. It is reachable through an open tunnel, that was created during the Spanish civil war, when airplane engines were manufactured inside the caves! You can see many different formations, like stalactites and stalagmites, column, jellyfish, coladas and microgours. In the middle of the room stands a stalagmite called El Canelobre that is more then 100 000 years old! Sometimes concerts are held there. These damp caves are one of the highest in Spain. From the parking lot at the entrance to the caves there are terraces with amazing views of the surrounding mountains, and you can see as far as Alicante and El Campello. Really breathtaking (watch the last pictures).

We visited the caves as a daytrip from Benidorm, that is not far from the caves either (combined with a visit to Elche). To get to the Canelobre Caves, you have to drive on small mountain roads. You can take a guided tour, but we chosed to guide ourselves. Busot is a really small mountain village, it has only 3 138 inhabitants.

Cuevas de Canelobre 01 - the entrance to the caves, located inside the mountains Cuevas de Canelobre - the caves are illuminated in beautiful colours. Cuevas de Canelobre - the caves are illuminated in beautiful colours. Cuevas de Canelobre Cuevas de Canelobre 06 Cuevas de Canelobre 07 Cuevas de Canelobre 08 Cuevas de Canelobre 09 Cuevas de Canelobre 10 - the caves are deep but not long. Cuevas de Canelobre 11 Cuevas de Canelobre 12 Cuevas de Canelobre 13 Cuevas de Canelobre 14 Cuevas de Canelobre 15 Cuevas de Canelobre 16 Cuevas de Canelobre 17 Cuevas de Canelobre 18 - upper half of the caves Cuevas de Canelobre 19 - upper half of the caves Cuevas de Canelobre 20 - entrance Cuevas de Canelobre 02 - our Ford Focus rental car parked outside the caves Busot, the small village where the cave is situated. Population: 3 138. Busot, the small village where the cave is situated. Busot, the small village where the cave is situated. Busot and surrounding mountains 04 Busot and surrounding mountains 05 Busot and surrounding mountains 06 - Cabezón de Oro is the mountain where you find the caves. Busot and surrounding mountains 07 Busot and surrounding mountains 08 Busot and surrounding mountains 09 Busot and surrounding mountains 10 Busot and surrounding mountains 11 Busot and surrounding mountains 12 Busot and surrounding mountains 13 Busot and surrounding mountains 14 Busot and surrounding mountains 15 - view of central Alicante Busot and surrounding mountains 16 Busot and surrounding mountains 17 Busot and surrounding mountains 18 Busot and surrounding mountains 19 Busot and surrounding mountains 20 - view of El Campello outside Alicante Busot and surrounding mountains 21 Busot and surrounding mountains 22 Busot and surrounding mountains 23 Busot and surrounding mountains 24 Busot and surrounding mountains 25