Grottos of San José

The San José caves are located inside the Espadán Natural Park, where the largest subterranean river in Europe runs, the San José river.

The tourist boat visit travels some 535 meters, including visits to subterranean chambers plus a dry chamber 225 meters long, that you do on foot. In total, the tour lasts 40 minutes, although there’s a 2 km-long area inaccessible to the public.

Although the entrance to the grotto is pretty deteriorated, it’s possible to imagine cave paintings there, as found in similar caves from 15,000 years ago.

It’s definitely a recommended visit for anyone who loves caves. The tour is impressive, especially the last part, when you see a grotto called “La Catedral” (the cathedral), who’s vault is more than 10 meters high.

In the city of La Vall d'Uxó (in Castellón), there’s a frequently visited place called “Las grutas de San José” (the San Jose grottos). It has a big parking lot, restaurants, outdoor bars, picnic areas, hiking trails, a chapel, and an extraordinary grotto. The grotto is natural and a river flows by it, continuously shaping it. The visit there features a boat trip (the longest part) and a walking part (to get to the boat), all lead by an expert.

Once you arrive at the parking lot, you’ll leave the car behind and hike up to the grotto (200 m.). Then, you have to buy the tickets and select which time you want to enter.