Written on : 03 September 2020 By : Melchior Burin des Roziers
To the north of Ibiza, in the bay of the port of Sant Miquel, there is a fantastic cave called "Cova de Can Marçà". Once used by smugglers to shelter innumerable booty, this magical 100,000-year-old place is now open to everyone. Discover the beautiful cavities of the cave and admire their atypical shapes and dazzling colours, in this place where the environmental temperature is constantly at 20°C.
The most important cave on the island is 100,000 years old. Many bones and fossils of extinct species have been found there. The cave was formed by telluric faults that today make it a practically fossilized place and whose humidity is maintained thanks to an artificial canalization. Water drops from the deepest galleries continue to form stalactites.
A century ago, groups of smugglers discovered the place and had the idea of using it to hide their goods. Tobacco, coffee and alcohol were hoisted from boats through a 40-centimetre wide opening through the rocks, 10 meters above sea level. The bags were then stored inside and red and black paint marks, still visible today, allowed the bandits to follow the path in and out of the cave in the darkness.
After a few decades of scheming, the smugglers deserted the place for good and the place was returned to its rightful owner. In the 1970s, the Belgian speleologist Jean Pierre Van der Abeelle went there for the first time, guided by local residents, and found his way back to the entrance. In the years that followed, the family who owned the cave restored the waterfalls and streams to create an exceptional spectacle of light, water and sound. It was not until the early 1980s that the Can Marçà cave was fully equipped for visits.
A spectacular visit for young and old
Today, the cave has become one of the most famous tourist sites in Ibiza. Open all year round, it can be visited in 40 minutes after taking a path along the cliffs to reach it. Accompanied by a guide, you will be able to wander between the stalactites and stalagmites (which grow 1cm every 100 years but will all disappear in 1000 years due to humidity). During your journey, you will be able to marvel at the Buddha Temple, the Hall of the Waterfall, the Dry Galleries or the "Lago de los Deseos". (Lac des Désirs), a formation of small lakes called "gurs" that glow fluorescent green since fluorine was added.
This enchanting cave also offers superb views of the Mediterranean Sea and the islets of Murada and Ferradura. Close to the facilities, you will find a terrace bar near a belvedere from which you can observe the port, S'Illa des Bosc, S'Illa Murada and the Torre de Balansat, which was once part of the island's defensive system since 1763.
A visit takes place every 30 minutes (explanations in several languages, including French), every day (except December 25 and January 1). From November to April, the cave is open from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. From May to October you can visit it from 10:30 am to 8 pm. Count 10€ per adult and 6€ for children from 4 to 12 years old. To find the cave, you have to go between the Port of Sant Miquel and Benirrás.
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