Caves and potholes in the Alta Muga - L'Albera geological unit
Spans: Alt Empordà
Part of the Pirineu Axial major unit, dominated by schist (56 %). Its caves are spread across Alt Empordà.
Alta Muga - L'Albera unit, in the Pirineu Axial, with 9 cavities: 3 pits and 6 caves. Total length of 199 m and maximum depth of 30 m. Schistose terrain with cavities linked to fracturing.
There are 9 catalogued cavities in the Alta Muga - L'Albera geological unit, including 3 potholes and 6 caves. The longest is Pou del Fau (54m).
Length adds each cave once (a system counts once), and depth is that of the deepest cave, canyons excluded.
Read more
Alta Muga - L'Albera is a unit of the Pirineu Axial formed by 9 cavities: 3 pits and 6 caves. Together they total 199 m of passage and reach a maximum depth of 30 m. The geology of the Serra de l'Albera, at the eastern end of the Pyrenees, consists of schistose terrain with cavities linked to fracturing.
Among the cavities, the Pou del Fau stands out, a pit 30 m deep in the Serra de Bac Grillera (Maçanet de Cabrenys), and the Avenc del Balló, with 23 m of vertical drop in Maçanet de Cabrenys. Other notable cavities are the Cova d'en Xamuixa, in Portbou, and the Cova d'en Xocolata, on the coast of Colera, both around 20 m of passage.
Map
The 20 longest
- 1Pou del FauMaçanet de Cabrenys, Girona54 m
- 2Avenc del BallóMaçanet de Cabrenys, Girona45 m
- 3Cova d'en XamuixaPortbou, Girona20 m
- 4Cova d'en XocolataColera, Girona20 m
- 5Cova ForadadaPortbou, Girona20 m
- 6Avenc Petit d'en PataMaçanet de Cabrenys, Girona10 m
- 7Cova del Bou MaríPortbou, Girona10 m
- 8Cova de les RatesPortbou, Girona10 m
- 9Cova del PirataPortbou, Girona10 m
The 20 deepest
- 1Pou del FauMaçanet de Cabrenys, Girona30 m
- 2Avenc del BallóMaçanet de Cabrenys, Girona23 m
- 3Avenc Petit d'en PataMaçanet de Cabrenys, Girona8 m
Name↕ | Length↓ | Depth↕ | Municipality↕ | Region↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pou del Fau | 54 meters | 30 meters | Maçanet de Cabrenys | Alt Empordà |
| Avenc del Balló | 45 meters | 23 meters | Maçanet de Cabrenys | Alt Empordà |
| Cova Foradada | 20 meters | 0 meters | Portbou | Alt Empordà |
| Cova d'en Xocolata | 20 meters | 0 meters | Colera | Alt Empordà |
| Cova d'en Xamuixa | 20 meters | 0 meters | Portbou | Alt Empordà |
| Cova del Pirata | 10 meters | 0 meters | Portbou | Alt Empordà |
| Cova de les Rates | 10 meters | 0 meters | Portbou | Alt Empordà |
| Cova del Bou Marí | 10 meters | 0 meters | Portbou | Alt Empordà |
| Avenc Petit d'en Pata | 10 meters | 8 meters | Maçanet de Cabrenys | Alt Empordà |
9 of 9
Source: Espeleoindex (espeleoindex.com), modified. CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/