Visitors dodge beauty spot new booking rules

Cova Tallada visitors face fines if they enter without booking – but 17% do anyway

ONE IN six visitors to the Cova Tallada cave in summer failed to book their place and buy a ticket – despite knowing they could be fined, according to its management.

The grotto in the sea at the foot of the Montgó mountain on the Dénia-Jávea border is so popular in summer with kayakers, snorkellers and swimmers that the regional government has had to set a daily limit of 482 visitors, given that it is based in the Cabo de San Antonio marine reserve and huge crowds put the endangered aquatic fauna at risk.

Between June 15 and September 30 – high season when restrictions apply, a total of 24,621 booked their place online via the Montgó nature reserve's official website, with the highest traffic being in August, a month that saw 10,839 people a day snapping up tickets.

Staff at the information desk attended to a total of 10,249 people, of whom 51% had booked in advance.

Another 32.5% who had not done so turned away, but just under 17% had no bookings and entered the cave anyway, according to employees.

Security guards warned them they could be fined if they did this, but they went ahead.

Local and regional police have already sent fine notices to 'numerous visitors' and even kayaking companies.

The Cova Tallada, whose name, in valenciano, translates as 'cut-out cave', earned its distinction due to the rocks having been apparently 'sliced' – either by man or nature, but nobody is sure.

Large chunks of the cave were chopped out in medieval times for solid masonry blocks to build parts of Dénia castle and Jávea's Gothic-era church.