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Cova de les Encantades de Martís

Cova de les Encantades de Martís

Cave with two entrances and 76 metres of passage at Martís (Esponellà).

Esponellà • Pla de l'Estany 76m 21m

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Cova de les Encantades de Martís

Cave with two entrances and 76 metres of passage at Martís (Esponellà).

Esponellà · Pla de l'Estany

Length: 76 m · Depth: 21 m

Updated record

https://espeleoworld.com/en/c/cova-de-les-encantades-de-martis

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

Main entrance reference 42.182695, 2.779989 UTM 31 · 481924 4670289
Topographic map of the main entrance
Main entrance · ICGC topographic map

Cave with two entrances and 76 metres of passage at Martís (Esponellà).

Characteristics

Location

Going along the GIP-5121 road from Banyoles to Esponellà, 100 metres before the village of Martís de Dalt, we will turn left and continue straight on towards the Martís power station. Near the power station there are several buildings; on the right we will find the administration house, or the engineers' house, or the reservoir house. From this house we will continue in a SE direction along a path that runs parallel to the cliff that exists at this point in the course of the river Fluvià, until reaching, after about a hundred metres, an old small quarry which we will have to go around to the left to descend to the flat ground where the vertical entrance that gives access to the cavity opens. Going down a small drop in the direction of the river, on the right we will find the second entrance that allows access to the cavity on foot.

Map

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

  1. Cova de les Encantades de Martís

    Elevation: 182 m

    42.182695, 2.779989
    UTM 31T (ED 50) 481924 4670289
    Open in map Open in Google Maps
Download all entrances as GPX

Photos

Cova de les Encantades de Martís - Photo, Esponellà, Pla de l'EstanyView image
Click to enlarge

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

Image 1 of 6

Description

Morphology

The upper entrance opens in the form of a vertical fissure with a drop of about 9 metres; this leads into a kind of chamber. Through the lower entrance access is gained via a gallery 8 metres high by 1 metre wide and sloping until reaching the aforementioned chamber, from which some short galleries branch off. We also find the access to a shaft of about 4.5 metres, followed by another of 7.5 metres which allow us to reach some small lower galleries, located at -21.4 metres of depth with respect to the upper entrance.

Progression

The cavity has two entrances and 76 metres of passage. The upper entrance is a vertical fissure with a drop of about 9 metres that leads into a kind of chamber. Through the lower entrance access is gained via a gallery 8 metres high by 1 metre wide and sloping until reaching the aforementioned chamber. From the chamber some short galleries branch off, as well as the access to a shaft of about 4.5 metres, followed by another of 7.5 metres which allow access to some small lower galleries, located at -21.4 metres of depth with respect to the upper entrance.

History

This interesting sepulchral cave had been known in the area for a very long time; Dr. Corominas carried out archaeological work there between 1953 and 1957.

In 1974, Albert Martínez of the ERE of the CEC made a very complete survey of the cavity, although this has remained unpublished until the present day.

Around 1974 Xavier Marín of the GEIS of the CE Empordanès made a survey of the cavity, documenting it erroneously as cova dels Encantats. This error gave rise to this survey being attributed in the Catàleg Espeleològic de Catalunya (vol. 6) of 1981 to the cova dels Encantats of Serinyà, when in reality it was that of the de les Encantades de Martís at Esponellà. This error is likewise reproduced again in the Catàleg Espeleològic de Catalunya (vol. 4) published in 2010.

In 1981, Joan Borràs (GES-CMB), makes a new survey of the cavity which appears published in volume 6 of the Catàleg Espeleològic de Catalunya, although in this survey the second shaft and the lower galleries of the cavity do not appear.

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Bibliography

  1. Borràs, J;Miñarro, JM; Talavera, F.(1982).-”el Baix Empordà, el Gironès, la Selva,l'Osona, el Vallès oriental i el Maresme.” Catàleg Espeleològic de Catalunya (vol.6):84-85. Ed Políglota. Barcelona.
  2. Canal i Roquet, Josep; Soler i Masferrer, Narcís.(1976).-El Paleolític a les Comarques Gironines.
  3. Tarrús Galter, J. (1979).- La Cova Mariver. Estudi dels seus materials epicardials, montboló i bronze. Monografies del Centre d'Estudis Comarcals de Banyoles: 59 pp. Banyoles.
  4. Tarrús i Galter, Josep. (1982).-”L'Alta i la Baixa Garrotxa, del Neolític al Calcolític” Ausa (X/102-104):131-151. Patronat d'Estudis Ausonencs.
  • Topografia inèdita, arxiu ERE del CEC.

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