Huerta Cave

Designated a Natural Monument, it is one of the largest karst cavities in the Principality, with 14.5 kilometres of mapped passages.

The cave forms part of a spectacular karst landscape shaped over thousands of years by the action of water on limestone. The system comprises the gorge itself, sinkholes, underground watercourses, large galleries and resurgence areas, creating a landscape of immense geological and environmental interest.

Nestled between the Sierra de la Sobia and Peña Vigueras, the Foz de la Estrechura cuts through imposing Carboniferous limestone formations. In this setting, Cueva Huerta also plays an important hydrological role, as it acts as a sinkhole and underground channel for the River Sampedro, whose underground course has helped to sculpt the cave and its unique formations.

Its extraordinary geological value is complemented by remarkable natural wealth. Its conditions of darkness, humidity and environmental stability support fauna adapted to subterranean life, making the cave a refuge of great importance for biodiversity.

Owing to its size, its complex hydrological functioning and its exceptional natural values, Cueva Huerta is one of the most outstanding underground sites in Asturias, a place where one can discover how water and rock have, over millennia, a landscape hidden beneath the mountains of Teverga.