Balma de Sant Antoni

Hermit cave in Alcover, known as the cave of the Tres Cocos, visited in May 2018 by the EC Barcelonès.

Alcover • Alt Camp 7m

EspeleoWorld

Hermit cave in Alcover, known as the cave of the Tres Cocos, visited in May 2018 by the EC Barcelonès.

Alcover · Alt Camp

Length: 7 m

Updated record

https://espeleoworld.com/en/c/balma-de-sant-antoni

Information can change. Always verify coordinates, access, weather, and cave conditions before setting out.

Topographic map of the main entrance — Main entrance · ICGC topographic map

Hermit cave in Alcover, known as the cave of the Tres Cocos, visited in May 2018 by the EC Barcelonès.

Characteristics

Type: Cave
Municipality: Alcover
Region: Alt Camp
Unit: Muntanyes de Prades
Length: 7 meters
Depth: 0 meters
Major Unit: Serralada Prelitoral
Lithology: Sandstone
Updated on EspeleoÍndex: January 31, 2019

Location

From Alcover, follow the duly signposted track leading to the hermitage of Remei, which is about 3 km from the village and is the starting point for several walking routes through the valley of the Glorieta river.

From the top of the steps beside the building, follow the path, marked with very faint blue marks, which climbs through the middle of the forest. Stay alert and take the first fork to the left, which will lead you to the cavity. In total it takes 10 to 15 minutes from the hermitage.

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

Sant Antoni, Balma de
Elevation: 389 m
41.270319, 1.142240
UTM 31T (ETRS89) 344396 4570430
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Topographic

Balma de Sant Antoni - Topography, Alcover, Alt Camp

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Espeleoindex · CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ · Image © its author.

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Photos

Balma de Sant Antoni - Photo, Alcover, Alt Camp

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Espeleoindex · CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ · Image © its author.

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Description

Morphology

Cavity with a floor plan of about 9 by 7 metres, slightly ascending. It has a height of 4.5 metres, which quickly reduces to 1 metre.

History

Known since time immemorial. Visited in May 2018 by members of the EC Barcelonès who carried out the cataloguing work.

Tradition says that in this small cavity the Marian image was found - the current one is a copy of the one destroyed in 1936 - and moreover it seems that it was used by anchorites who were the origin of the hermitage dedicated to the holy patriarch hermit.

A popular belief explains that visitors who go there for the first time must give three knocks with their head on the concavity where the divine image is believed to have been: in this way "whoever gives three knocks with their head on the rock will have neither migraine nor headache for a year". For this reason the cave is mentioned and is popularly known as the cave of the Tres Cocos.

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Bibliography

Aymamí, G. (2014).- Itineraris per les esglésies i els ermitoris rupestres de Catalunya. Rafael Dalmau Editor. Barcelona pp. 18-19

Totes les dades, topografia i fotografies han estat extretes del blog: cavitatsdecatalunya.blogspot (de Jordi de Valles). Apunt del 30-10-2018. Text: Genar Aymamí.