Grotte di La Riba

The municipality of La Riba, in the comarca of Alt Camp, in the Muntanyes de Prades, has 12 catalogued cavities: 10 pits and 2 caves. The total recorded length is 763 m and the maximum depth reached is 56 m. All the cavities develop in Limestone.

Among the longest cavities are the Avenc del Puig de Marc, at 310 m, followed by the Avenc Gers, at 120 m, and the Esquerda del Puig de Marc, at 90 m. The Cova de la Riba, at 70 m, presents a single rectilinear gallery with a NW-SE orientation, excavated in limestones and gypsum. The Fou de Balet, at 59 m, is a large fissure about 30 metres long by 8 metres wide, with access via a vertical drop of -11.3 metres.

As for depth, the Esquerda del Puig de Marc reaches 56 m, while the Avenc del Puig de Marc and the Avenc Gers reach 48 m. Other more modest cavities are the Avenc del Porc Senglar, at 19 m, and the Avenc Muntanya, at 17 m. Several of these cavities were discovered and explored by the GERS – AE Muntanya (Barcelona) around the year 1975.