Ams caves and pearl factory. Caves of Mallorca History of discovery Сoves dels Hams
Ams Caves (Mallorca, Spain) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.
- Last minute tours to Spain
- Tours for the New Year Worldwide
Previous photo Next photo
Mallorca, despite its relatively small size, is literally crammed with attractions: man-made and natural. Speaking about the latter, it is impossible not to mention the famous caves, or “cuevas”. One of the most visited is Ams, near Porto Cristo. The mysterious underground world of stalactites attracts tens of thousands of tourists here. And a unique light installation adds a pinch of magic - the main feature of Ams.
The Cuevas del Jams cave system was discovered in 1905 by speleologist Pedro Caldentey, who was looking for onyx in the local mountains. A giant piece of rock broke off from the rock, revealing the entrance to caves that no one had heard of before. Caldentey saw the potential of this place and brought electricity here: a homemade generator illuminated the vaults of the caves, transporting their visitors as if to another world. This tradition continues to this day.
Sea erosion and soil with a high lime content created ideal conditions for the formation of cave systems - there are more than 4,000 of them in Mallorca. Previously, they were used for housing and storage of contraband.
By the way, the name Ams translated from the local dialect means “fish hook”. And this is not without reason - in the caves there are many intricately curved stalactites, similar to fishermen’s equipment. You can also see them in the main Ams cave - Blue. This name is no coincidence: with the help of the latest LED technology, its arches are illuminated with magical blue illumination. Here, in an auditorium created by nature itself, visitors can watch the documentary “Exploring the Past” and learn a lot about the history of Mallorca, the life of its first inhabitants, the formation of caves and their discovery. One of the rocks acts as a screen.
Practical information
Address: Porto Cristo, 11.5 km of the Manacor-Porto Cristo highway. GPS coordinates: 9.5457950, 3.3204600. Web site .
Opening hours: from 10:00 to 16:00-17:00 (depending on the time of year), seven days a week.
To get to the Ams Caves, you need to leave Porto Cristo on the MA-4020 road towards the city of Manacor. After 11.5 km, a corresponding road sign will appear to indicate the path. You can only get to the caves by car. However, many travel companies offer 6-hour tours from any city in Mallorca for 35-65 EUR per person. Prices on the page are as of September 2018.
(Be careful, there are a lot of photos under the cut)
Both of these caves are located in Porto Cristo, very close to each other.
First about Dragon Caves, or in Spanish Coves del Drach
Photo from the official website.
Address: Ctra. de las cuevas, Porto Cristo, Manacor
Parking is free, free wi-fi, and there is a picnic area.
Ticket price adult 15€ children from 3 to 12 years old 8€. Flash photography and tripod photography are prohibited.
Open from 10 to 17, entry every hour. There are a lot of people recruited into the group. The excursion lasts an hour, no one tells you anything, go and see for yourself, at the end a boat floats out onto a large underwater lake, and on it a small orchestra performs a 10-minute concert. And then everyone takes a boat ride.
The air temperature inside is 21 degrees.
The first written mention of this cave dates back to 1338, and in 1895 Jules Verne wrote about it. Excursions began to be held in 1935. In 1896, the French speleologist Mrtel discovered a lake in this cave, one of the largest underground lakes in the world - 117 m long, 30 m wide and up to 12 m deep. The water temperature in the lake is about 18 degrees. The lake bears the name of its discoverer.
If it weren't for the number of people, I would have liked this cave much more. There is something to see there - huge columns standing in small lakes create the impression of bottomless space; columns shaped like trees; "flags" formed by the flow of groundwater in the form of a film...
In the photo below the “flag” is highlighted in orange. 
It’s a little scary to walk under these “needles.” By the way, they grow only 1 cm in 100 years.
.
Now about Ams caves(or caves of Hooks) -Coves dels Hams.
Coordinates for the navigator 39.5457950, 3.3204600
Address Cuevas Dels Hams, Ctra. Ma-4020 Manacor-Porto Cristo, Km. 11, 07680 Porto Cristo
Ticket price adults 21€, children 10.50€
Surprisingly, these caves were discovered quite recently - in 1905. And in 1910, electricity was already installed there and excursions began to be organized.
They are named so for the characteristic appearance of the formations.
photo from the official website (on mine nothing was visible at all).
Here, too, a large group of excursionists gathers, then they are taken to watch a film about Jules Verne (I was bored), then they walked around the caves (without the guide’s story), admired the lighting (watch your step! in some places there are steep steps and narrow passages), then On one of the walls of the cave they projected a fragment of Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” with sound accompaniment, of course. And then a lonely boat sailed onto the lake called the Venetian Sea and gave just one of the group a ride.
If you want to add something to your day after visiting the cave, you can take a trip on a glass-bottom boat that departs from the Porto Cristo pier. The routes and duration of the walk vary.
The name of the Ams caves translates as “fish hook”. In the “Angel's Dream” grotto you will see stalactites of rare shapes, similar to branches of frost-covered trees or...fishing hooks. The Ams Caves are decorated with magnificent lighting and sound that will help you navigate through the underground labyrinths to the “Venetian Lake” with its dark, motionless surface. The stalactites and stalagmites of the Ams caves resemble animals in their shapes...
Show full description
We invite you to explore the east coast of the island.
Mallorca is known for its unique underground caves, real underground palaces, which every guest of the island strives to visit.
The name of the Ams caves translates as “fish hook”. In the “Angel's Dream” grotto you will see stalactites of rare shapes, similar to branches of frost-covered trees or...fishing hooks. The Ams Caves are decorated with magnificent lighting and sound that will help you navigate through the underground labyrinths to the “Venetian Lake” with its dark, motionless surface. The shapes of the stalactites and stalagmites of the Ams caves resemble animals, statues, palaces, bizarre plants and other planets. An unforgettable adventure for adults and children!
Next we drive along a picturesque road to the town of Porto Cristo, a few kilometers from which there is a Safari Park, a private zoo whose funny inhabitants will not leave you indifferent. Safari Park is a spacious area, in most of which the wild inhabitants of the savannah live in conditions close to natural. Funny monkeys, zebras, buffalos, antelopes, flamingos, hippos and the cute giraffe Mariano... You will travel part of the route in a mini-train, and then take a walk through the zoo, where you can watch exotic animals with interest.
A calm and educational excursion for families with children.
Literally crammed with various attractions of both man-made and natural origin. Speaking about the latter, one cannot fail to mention the famous Ams caves. This is one of the most visited places, located near Porto Cristo, attracting tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world every year. The unique, mysterious, underground world of stalactites is complemented by a unique light installation that creates a truly magical atmosphere.
Sea erosion, as well as soil with a high lime content, contributed to the creation of ideal conditions for the formation of a developed system of caves, of which there are more than 4,000 in Mallorca. In ancient times, they were used to store contraband and even as housing. Today, most of the underground voids are in private ownership, but the most interesting ones are open to everyone.
Back in the 15th century, the theologian Vincent Ferrer argued that Mallorca resembles an inverted clay bowl. Of course, this statement is a bit of an exaggeration, but speleologists know of more than 200 caves, some of which are so large that they could easily accommodate a cathedral or an entire football field.
Particularly popular among tourists are the so-called Dragon Caves, the formation of which dates back to the Miocene era. The main feature of this complex is the opportunity to take a boat ride on a large underground lake while listening to live music and enjoying a colorful light show. The Arta Caves are considered one of the highest in Europe and are notable for their stalagmites and stalactites of unusual shapes and sizes.
However, the famous Ams caves are considered the most famous, because this is where most of the tourists come. Extensive galleries, unique illumination of the vaults, a huge underground lake and live music leave no one indifferent, giving a lot of positive emotions and unforgettable impressions.
History and features of the attraction
The cave system, called Cuevas del Jams, was first discovered in 1905 by Spanish speleologist Pedro Caldento while searching for onyx in the local mountains. During the work, a huge piece of rock broke off from the mountain, revealing voids that no one had previously heard of. Caldento recognized the site's potential and later installed electricity using a homemade generator. The illuminated vaults of the caves seemed to transport visitors to other worlds.
The caves get their name from the word for fishhook, which is pronounced Ams. The fact is that inside there is a huge number of stalactites curved into bizarre shapes, reminiscent of fishing gear. The vaults of the main cave are illuminated using the latest lighting technology, creating stunning blue illumination. In addition, here, in an improvised auditorium created by nature itself, where one of the vaults acts as a giant screen, visitors can watch an interesting documentary film telling about the history of Mallorca from ancient times to the modern period, learn about the process of formation of cave systems and their discovery. In addition, various exhibitions, expositions, and other thematic events are constantly held here.
Tourist Information
If you decide to spend an unforgettable holiday in Spain, be sure to include a visit to the Ams Caves in your program. And in order to get the maximum dose of emotions and impressions, it is recommended not to miss the unusual concert called “Magic Mozart”. It is held daily at a depth of 30 meters below the surface of the earth on an underground lake - the Venetian Sea. This is the deepest point of the entire complex. The musicians sit in a boat decorated with lit candles and perform works by the great composer, accompanied by magnificent light shows.
The Ams complex is accessible to tourists all year round, and the entrance ticket for adults and children is only 9 euros. Visits to the famous caves of the island of Mallorca are included in many sightseeing tours, which provide an excellent opportunity to see more attractions.
How to get there
To get to the Ams Caves from Palma de Mallorca, you need to drive to the towns of Manacor or Porto Cristo. You can use several bus routes or book a one-day excursion, which will cost 14-17 euros per person. In this case, a comfortable bus will take you to your place. You can also rent a car, but not everyone can afford it. It is almost impossible to get there on foot, since the attraction is located at a considerable distance from major cities.
The Ams Caves are located in the city of Manacor, the center of the production of artificial pearls Mahorica. The name Ams translates as “fishing hooks”: the grotto, called “Angel’s Dream”, contains stalactites and stalagmites, which are shaped like fishing hooks.
Ams Caves were discovered by Pedro Santadru in 1905. Geologists suggest that the cave was formed during the formation of the Mediterranean Sea. At a depth of 30 m in the cave there is an underground lake with the romantic name “Venetian Sea”. The name becomes clear to us after visiting the cave: its grottoes are illuminated so that the figures change their shades, and on the underground lake boats with candles float to the music of Mozart, which creates the image of Venice.
Dragon Caves
There are about 200 underground caves in Mallorca, only five of which are open to the public. The Dragon Caves, over two kilometers long, are the longest chain of caves on the island and one of the most striking attractions.
Ten million years ago, before the island of Mallorca was pushed to the surface by the collision of two tectonic plates, the Dragon's Cave was underwater. Now tourists who find themselves here are amazed by the most beautiful stalactites and stalagmites - fossilized pillars of calcium carbonate that have grown together over many centuries. This is truly a magnificent and amazing creation of nature, because one centimeter of stalactite grows for almost thirty years!
Inside the Dragon Cave there are six underground lakes, the largest of which is Lake Martel, which is the largest underground lake in the world. The length of Lake Martel is 177 meters, the width is about 40. The transparent water of the lake along the shores is beautifully illuminated. An amazing musical performance is held for tourists.
