Gruta da Pena


Gruta da Pena
Gruta da Pena
Gruta da Pena
Gruta da Pena
Gruta da Pena
Gruta da Pena
Gruta da Pena
Gruta da Pena
Gruta da Pena
Gruta da Pena
Location
Mira de Aire
Dive Type
Cave, TEK
Dive Site
Cave (fresh water)
What you will see
Cave galleries, Hard restrictions, Rock Formations
Water Temperature: 13ºC-19ºC
Buy
Located in the heart of Portugal, near the city of Torres Novas, Gruta da Pena is just one of a hand full of springs and caves that can be visited by certified divers in the country.
The entrance is closed and one needs a special permit from the local authorities to be able to dive there. Only during rainy winters, it is possible to jump in the artificial well that gives access to the cave.
The well goes down to a depth of around 16mts where it meets the natural rock. Descending a couple more meters in a rocky slope, one enters a big room with a muddy floor. In here one has to be caureful because, if disturbed, the sediment can limit the visibility to a few centimeters.
The room is quite beautiful with sparkling walls and some stalactites hid in a chimney-like cavity. A few meters ahead there is a majestic column that is a perfect place to tie the line.
The cave then progresses in a single tunnel morphology, approximately 3mts wide with no major restrictions.
The water can be crystal clear for most of the winter and the temperature is around 15º degrees Celsius.
The depth of the first 100mts varies between 18mts and 6mts, and in some places the height of cave can reach 10mts.
At the end of this section, there is a pressurized air chamber where one can take the head out of the water. The cave is still being explored and goes beyond 800mts of penetration.
-- Spot description by Pedro Lage
-- Photos by Jeff Lindsay
Back