OPENING HOURS
Currently closed for improvement work.
LOCATION
Paraje de la Maturra. From Baena, take the A-3125, Km 26.3, about 270 m from the junction with CO-284..
Geological Features
The cave was formed in a 60-metre-thick layer of gypsum, which slopes at a 45-degree angle towards the southeast and faces northeast. This gypsum layer is between two layers of impermeable marl—one below to the northwest and one above to the southeast—which prevents a hydrological connection with other nearby gypsum formations. Both the gypsum and marl were deposited during the Miocene as part of an olistostrome deposit, which also contains large blocks of much older rock.
Cave Passages
The cave has two levels: an upper and a lower one. The upper level features four main galleries and two smaller sections that may serve as connections between them. The lower level consists of both wide and narrow passages, with the wider ones located in the northeast and southwest sections, while the narrower ones are in the middle section.
- Entrance
- “S” Passage
- Crack Passage
- Chorizo Gallery
- Laminator Chamber
- Meander Gallery
- Slide Gallery
- GAEA Gallery
- Agundo Gallery
History
Although records of caving in the southern part of the province date back to the 2nd century AD, verifiable accounts of this cave only appear in the 20th century. Originally called “The Mine” due to its circular shape, it was once believed to be linked to Moorish construction and the local Arab towers. The first written reference comes from 1945 when Antonio Carbonell Trillo-Figueroa named it the “Cave of the Pigeons.” Exploration began in 1965 by a group of friends. In 2003, Baena’s Town Council started the process to declare it a Natural Monument, and in 2009, the council unanimously agreed to purchase the land.