The Cuevas del Marqués (Marquis Caves) in Caravaca de la Cruz (Murcia)

The Cuevas del Marqués (Marquis Caves) are in Caravaca de la Cruz, at 77 km from Murcia.
They are located in the Fuentes del Marqués Park (Marquis Springs) in Caravaca de la Cruz, a few minutes walk from the town center.

The caves consist of a straight tunnel through which the main path leads and various side galleries with chimneys that reach the surface. Although I remember that the straight tunnel seems partially carved by the hand of man, everything else shows a clear karst origin. Its galleries pierce the small calcareous mound that houses them, with numerous nooks and chimneys that give the place a special charm. The cave chimneys are usually protected with grids, to avoid possible falls from above. Although the cave is small, the side part is quite cozy, especially the area around the room with the stone staircase. These caves undoubtedly have a relict relationship with the various springs that arise in the park, which total flow of 320 liters per second indicates the outlet of an important aquifer. Below I give a description of the visit, accompanied by a series of photos.

The straight tunnel seen from above.

The gallery on the right is the other side of the straight tunnel. The gallery on the left is the most interesting part of the cave.

The entrance of the side gallery.

The side gallery, with several nooks and chimneys, leads us to the room with the stone staircase.

The side gallery, seen from the chamber. On the right is an opening protected by a grate.

The chamber with the stone staircase, here the cave has another entrance.

The exit with the stone staircase.

From the chamber the gallery continues.

In some places the light seems to come from above ...

..... entering through two skylights.

The top of the mound. These two grids indicate the skylights of the previous photo, although there are several more.

Some of the cave entrances and its surroundings.

One of the rivers that wells in the Fuentes del Marqués Park.

One of the park's springs.

Another of the many springs, with a pleasant environment.

The Torre de las Fuentes (Tower of the Springs), popularly known as the Torre de los Templarios (Tower of the templars).