Sea cave entry restricted
Hikers and kayakers need to pre-book to visit popular Denia coastal enclave in peak season
HIKERS have been queuing up to book advance tickets to visit the Cova Tallada sea cave this weekend in what will be the first Easter when access to the popular attraction is limited.
The watery grotto at the foot of the Montgó mountain near Denia's Las Rotas beach can be visited by kayak or, from above, along a mountain trail only recommended for experienced ramblers. As the Tallada cave is within the protected San Antonio marine reserve, the conservation board opted to restrict entry between mid-June and late September from 2019 onwards, as crowds of tourists in previous years posed a threat to the delicate ecosystem.
Also, sea rescue operations have been numerous in the past, due to the hazards of large numbers being inside the cave all at once.
Other holiday periods have seen the cave packed to bursting, leading the Montgó management
company to impose prior booking and limited numbers at Easter, starting this year.
Staff at the ticket booth will explain what to do and how to reserve a slot online, which can often be done there and then for a trip the same day or even within the hour. This said, regular hikers say mobile phone signals tend to be poor in the ticket office area, which is at the start of the footpath from the rocky Las Rotas beach.
Entry numbers will also be restricted for the first time this year over the holiday weekend for May 1 – given that Monday, May 2 will be a day off in some regions in Spain – and over the October 9-12 bank holiday weekend.
To avoid having to pre-book and wait for an available space, walkers and kayakers can usually enter straightaway on non-holiday weeks.
A head for heights, good hiking shoes, a water bottle, a first aid kit and a mobile phone with plenty of battery are essential and, even when the weather is not hot, sunscreen and headcovering are strongly advised on clear days.