In Ortigosa de Cameros, Spain, calcareous rocks from the Jurassic period are a natural treasure in the interior of the Encinero massif, a mountain at an altitude of 1,073 metres, where the caves of La Paz and La Viña are located.
Stalactites, stalagmites and flags, sometimes with whimsical shapes and special chromatics, created through the dissolving power of water against limestone.
The geologist and guide Manuel Noval shows an almost magical world where the first defined figure was the little dog "Marilyn". There are two grottos, we go through La Paz, the biggest one at 200 metres long. There is another one called "La Viña" at 100 metres. They are connected but only accessible for speleologists. There are stalactites more than 100,000 years old and the footprint of earthquakes.
We can even see the root of an oak tree searching for water in the subsoil and extending metres and metres between cavities. The caves of Ortigosa keep a rich set of stalactites of diverse and unique tonalities and it is necessary to take into account that one centimetre of stalactite means the passage of 30 years.
