Skip to main content
Cova de la Jaia

Cova de la Jaia

A shelter known beside the road to the Margalef reservoir (Montsant), with a dry-stone and rammed-earth wall and a tunnel-like shape.

Margalef • Priorat 5m

A shelter known beside the road to the Margalef reservoir (Montsant), with a dry-stone and rammed-earth wall and a tunnel-like shape.

Characteristics

Location

From Margalef we take the T-713 towards Ulldemolins. At km 8.2 the paved road that leads to the Margalef reservoir branches off. After travelling 750 m we pass the old Vilar mill, and after 450 m we see the Cova de la Jaia, which forces the road to make a slight detour. This is the first cave we come across; it stands about 3 m above the road.

Map

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

  1. Cova de la Jaia

    Elevation: 410 m

    41.297611, 0.776598
    UTM 31T (ETRS89) 313846 4574180
Download all entrances as GPX

Photos

Cova de la Jaia - Photo, Margalef, PrioratView image
Click to enlarge

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

Image 1 of 3

Description

Morphology

It is a shelter about 30 m long by about 5 m wide, closed by a wall about 60 cm thick, built of dry stone in the lower part, on top of which rests well over 1 m of rammed-earth wall, finished at the very top by a few courses of stonework.

Since part of the wall that closed it on the W side has fallen, it can be entered from both sides, and because it has two openings it takes on a characteristic tunnel shape.

History

Known since time immemorial. Archaeological finds have been made with a chronology spanning from the end of the Upper Palaeolithic to the Neolithic.

User Comments (0)

No comments yet.

Be the first to share your experience!

Registered Explorations (0)

No explorations registered yet.

Register your visit to this cave!

Bibliography

  1. Aymamí i Domingo, Gener. (2006).-Coves Fortificades de Catalunya pp:1-35. UEC
  2. Aymamí, G; Valles, J de; Ferreres, J. (2020).- "Coves de la Jaia, del Mas de n'Arques i la Covassa (Margalef)" La Portadora, Revista d'Estudis Socials i Humanístics del Priorat núm. (4):159-166.
  3. Borràs, J.; Miñarro, JM.; Talavera, F. - (1984).- Catàleg espeleològic de Catalunya. Vol. 7: 283 pp. Ed. Políglota. Barcelona.
  • Totes les dades, topografia i fotografies han estat extretes del blog: cavitatsdecatalunya.blogspot (de Jordi de Valles). Apunt del 22-5-2021. Dades: G. Aymamí, J. Ferreres i J. de Valles (Espeleo Club Muntanyenc Barcelonès).

Source: Espeleoindex (espeleoindex.com), modified. CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/