SANTO ANTONIO CAVES ALVADOS CAVES
SANTO ANTÓNIO CAVES
These caves were discovered by chance in 1955 by two men who worked in the region. According to legend, when trying to catch a bird, they ended up entering a crack in a rock, where the bird had fled.
This cave occupies approximately 6 thousand square meters. With a natural chimney that ventilates the cave, its temperature is constant, always oscillating between 16 and 18 degrees.
When it was opened to the public, there was an investment in access and lighting to enhance the natural beauty of the rooms, stalagmites and stalactites.
The Santo António Caves are supported by nearby buildings. The visit begins with an artificial tunnel that descends to a first room, where you can see a large natural lake. The unique beauty and size of these caves make them, in the opinion of the public and experts, the most beautiful and rich in all of Europe.
ALVADOS CAVES
Smaller in size when compared to the Grutas de Mira D’Aire, the Grutas de Alvados have a more harmonious and natural presentation, with beautiful lakes and rich galleries.
These caves are considered very typical of the Iberian Peninsula due to their corridor-shaped path and their caves (wells or natural abysses).
With a length of 350 meters that can be visited, the cave has natural ventilation that keeps it at the same temperature of 17 degrees all year round.
The History of the Alvados Caves tells us that they are made up of two parts, the old cave and the new cave. The “old cave”, known to man for 400 years, was where the local shepherds took shelter from the storms. The “new caves” were discovered in 1964 by chance, by workers from the quarries in Serra dos Candeeiros.
The Alvados caves are made up of several rooms that follow each other with stalagmites and stalactites, columns and lakes. All rooms are linked together.