The Peralveche Chasm

Sima de Peralveche

Another place of interest is that it has Peralvecheis its well-known chasm, which, in the absence of knowing its name, we will call the Sima de Peralveche.

It is located in the vicinity of the new ETAP (drinking water treatment plant) that has recently been built in the municipality of this beautiful village.

For the time being, we will not give any more information about its exact location, as it is not a place that is at all suitable for visits, quite the contrary, as its exploration should only be carried out by people experienced in this type of terrain and underground sports.

Although over the years, there have been many neighbours who, with or without an idea, have ventured into the chasm in search of new adventures.

Access is very easy, no equipment is required, just a bit of agility to descend two large stones as steps. The mouth is delimited by a small wall masonry at the foot of a large holm oak.

From the outside, the appearance is moist and greenishThe cave has a multitude of ferns and mosses clinging to the small mouth where the few rays of sunlight that penetrate just enough to illuminate the entrance pass through. Once inside, the landscape changes completely and becomes typical of these underground cavities formed in calcareous soils.

It has multiple galleries of which there is not much information about their length or direction, and the occasional fairly large room. Most of its limestone ceilings and walls are covered with a large number of speleothems, stalactites or lava flows formed by the passage of running water laden with calcium carbonate, since when abundant rainfall falls these cavities become the passage of an underground river which disappears through a small sinkhole.

In the same mouth of the sump a curiosity can be observed, since there are numerous piles of bone remainsThe remains of animals that, seeking refuge, have been trapped by accident or illness and have not been able to get out again. These remains are washed away by the water, but they get stuck and gradually become part of the cave landscape as they are covered with layers and layers of dissolved limestone rock.

There is also a small permanent spring with freshly filtered water from underground, which is usually active and which has formed a sort of dammed spring, very similar to the one found deep inside the Sima de Alcorón.

Finally, the shapes and colours, the modelling work of the water here is impressive; whimsical silhouettes, lava flows, flags...; colours ranging from reddish and orange, to the darkest and totally black colours such as ebony, passing through the pure white of the limestone rock. In short, yet another marvel of nature, this time, under the municipal district of Peralveche.