What to do · Cangas de Onís and Covadonga
Caving in a cave in eastern Asturias
Information
- From
- €35 per person
- Duration
- 4 h
- Season
- All year
- Who it's for
- From age 12, no claustrophobia
Half a day underground with a specialist guide from Cangas Aventura, in natural caves in the Picos de Europa without any tourist adaptation: no walkways and no lighting, only what you carry on your helmet. It is the other face of eastern Asturias, and a good plan for a rainy day, because inside you cannot tell.
What you do
The caves are in Carboniferous limestone and are explored along their galleries: you climb, crawl and duck through the narrowest passages. On the way you see geological formations, stalactites and stalagmites that have formed over thousands of years from the minerals in the water slowly seeping through the ceiling. The guide explains how caves form and their most unusual features. Inside you lose your sense of time and space, but you are never alone.
On leaving, the team takes you back to their premises, where you can have a picnic lunch in the picnic area and talk over the experience. The information sheet does not say which specific cave is visited; ask when you book.
Price, schedule and ages
- Price: €35 per person.
- Schedule: half a day, leaving at 9:30 or 15:30.
- Minimum age: 12. If you are over 16 but a minor, you must bring an authorisation signed by your legal guardian, which can be downloaded from their website.
- Includes: overalls, helmet and individual lighting system, with public liability and accident insurance.
Wear footwear with a strong sole, such as hiking boots, and clothes you do not mind getting dirty under the overalls. If you are claustrophobic, this is not your activity: there are passages where you crawl.
Booking and getting there
For caving, availability and bookings are requested by phone, on 985 849 261, or by email at [email protected]. The Cangas Aventura base is at the La Dehesa estate, on the banks of the Sella in Arriondas, about ten minutes from Cangas de Onís, with free parking, changing rooms and toilets.
If you are left wanting water, the same company runs canyoning in the rivers of the east and the Sella descent. For a relaxed meal, El Corral del Indianu is in Arriondas.
Frequently asked questions
From what age?
From 12. The website asks for a guardian-signed authorisation for over-16s who are still minors; if you are 12 to 15, ask about the conditions when you book.
Are you alone inside the cave?
No, the specialist guide accompanies you throughout the route.
What do I need to bring?
Hiking boots or footwear with a strong sole; the company provides the rest.
With teenagersWith friends
Who runs it
- Cangas AventuraCaving with a specialist guide Visit their website
