Caves and potholes in the Serralada Litoral major geological unit
Spans: Baix Llobregat, Garraf, Alt Penedès, Baix Empordà, Selva, Maresme, Baix Penedès, Vallès Occidental, Vallès Oriental
Groups 9 geological units across Baix Llobregat, Garraf, Alt Penedès, dominated by limestone.
The Serralada Litoral is a coastal mountain range from Garraf to l'Empordà, with 864 catalogued cavities: 517 pits and 347 caves, 30,288 m of total passage and 291 m of maximum depth. It combines karstified limestone massifs and granitic sectors of block caves.
Catalonia has 864 catalogued cavities in the Serralada Litoral major geological unit, including 517 potholes and 347 caves. The longest is Avenc de l'Esquerrà (2,050m).
Length adds each cave once (a system counts once), and depth is that of the deepest cave, canyons excluded.
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The Serralada Litoral is a mountain range that borders the Mediterranean coast, from Garraf to l'Empordà. It combines intensely karstified limestone massifs, such as Garraf, with granitic sectors of block caves. The catalogue records 864 cavities: 517 pits and 347 caves, with a total passage of 30,288 m and a maximum depth of 291 m.
Among the most notable cavities are the Avenc de l'Esquerrà, with 2,050 m of passage and 291.4 m of depth, and the Avenc de la Ferla, of 704 m and 172 m of depth, with an entrance shaft of 92 m. Other notable cavities are the Avenc dels Guerrillers-guerrilla (635 m, 97 m, explored in 1971), la Falconera (600 m, known since 1899) and the Forat de la Ruda (450 m, 193 m).
As for lithologies, Limestone predominates (583), followed by Dolomite (141) and Granite (114); there are also Travertine (4), Conglomerate (15), Sandstone (5), Marl (1) and Gypsum (1).
Map
Geological units
The figures of these places do not add up to the total: a cave can be in more than one place, or in none when its location has no lower level.
The 20 longest
- 1Avenc de l'EsquerràOlesa de Bonesvalls, Barcelona2,050 m
- 2Avenc de la FerlaBegues, Barcelona704 m
- 3Avenc dels Guerrillers-guerrillaGavà, Barcelona635 m
- 4la FalconeraSitges, Barcelona600 m
- 5Forat de la RudaSitges, Barcelona450 m
- 6Rec Ses GrallesBegur, Girona446 m
- 7Avenc dels EsquirolsVallirana, Barcelona430 m
- 8Avenc Pompeu FabraVallirana, Barcelona360 m
- 9Avenc del BrucBegues, Barcelona313 m
- 10Avenc Carles SelickeBegues, Barcelona300 m
- 11Escletxes de PapiolEl Papiol, Barcelona300 m
- 12Avenc de Sant MarçalOlesa de Bonesvalls, Barcelona260 m
- 13Avenc de les AlzinesBegues, Barcelona258 m
- 14Avenc del BoixBegues, Barcelona253 m
- 15Avenc Benjamí-digónSitges, Barcelona240 m
- 16Avenc de les GarsesBegues, Barcelona225 m
- 17Cova Des BergantíTossa de Mar, Girona224 m
- 18Esquerda Nº3 del Mas de les FontsVallirana, Barcelona220 m
- 19Avenc del VallaricSitges, Barcelona215 m
- 20Sistema dels GuixosCorbera de Llobregat, Barcelona214 m
The 20 deepest
- 1Avenc de l'EsquerràOlesa de Bonesvalls, Barcelona291 m
- 2Forat de la RudaSitges, Barcelona193 m
- 3Avenc dels EsquirolsVallirana, Barcelona184 m
- 4Avenc de la FerlaBegues, Barcelona172 m
- 5Avenc de les GarsesBegues, Barcelona146 m
- 6Avenc Carles SelickeBegues, Barcelona135 m
- 7Avenc de la SivinotaGavà, Barcelona132 m
- 8Avenc de Sant MarçalOlesa de Bonesvalls, Barcelona121 m
- 9Avenc del BrucBegues, Barcelona117 m
- 10Avenc Nou de les AlzinesBegues, Barcelona113 m
- 11Avenc dels TresBegues, Barcelona111 m
- 12Avenc LeiaSitges, Barcelona110 m
- 13Avenc Font I SaguéOlesa de Bonesvalls, Barcelona104 m
- 14Avenc Pompeu FabraVallirana, Barcelona104 m
- 15Avenc del VallaricSitges, Barcelona103 m
- 16Avenc dels Guerrillers-guerrillaGavà, Barcelona97 m
- 17Avenc Benjamí-digónSitges, Barcelona95 m
- 18Avenc d'en PereBegues, Barcelona93 m
- 19Avenc dels ArítjolsSitges, Barcelona92 m
- 20Avenc dels LlambricsBegues, Barcelona85 m
Source: Espeleoindex (espeleoindex.com), modified. CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/