Pou de la Calella

Pou de la Calella is the deepest and most spectacular sinkhole cave (avenc) in the Montgrí massif, perched on the cliffs near L'Estartit, within the municipality of Torroella de Montgrí. Among Catalan cavers it is one of the best-known cavities in the region — not for its overall size, but for its dramatic clifftop setting and the view it offers over the coast.

What is this place?

Pou de la Calella is a vertical shaft (avenc) roughly 55 metres deep, carved into the limestone of the Montgrí massif. It sits inside the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park, so the whole area — including the cave mouth itself — is under nature protection. The opening lies at the bottom of a small karst sinkhole, reached by a short side path of about a hundred metres from the main coastal trail.

How do you get there?

The starting point is the car park at Port de l'Estartit. From there a walking trail climbs toward the cliffs via Cap de la Barra, passing close to Pou de la Calella and Cova de les Salines, before continuing along the Camí de Ronda — the coastal path that runs along the entire Montgrí cliff line. A short branch off the main trail leads down to the cave entrance itself.

What will you see on site?

The mouth of the avenc is sealed with a metal gate and padlock — a standard safety measure used throughout the park to protect the cavity and prevent accidents among casual hikers. That doesn't make the stop pointless: a few steps further along the cliff edge is a viewpoint that offers one of the finest views on this stretch of coast, looking out over the Medes Islands and the rugged Costa Brava shoreline. For most walkers, that view — rather than the cave itself — is the real reason to make the detour.

Can you actually enter the cave?

Access to the interior of Pou de la Calella is tightly controlled. Because it lies inside a natural park and close to a heavily visited viewpoint, entry is administered by the L'Estartit tourist office, while the permit process for actual caving expeditions is handled through the Catalan Federation of Speleology. In practice this means casual visitors won't get inside without prior authorization, though the surface trail around the sinkhole is freely open to anyone walking the coastal path.

When should you visit?

Spring and autumn are the best times to walk this stretch of the Camí de Ronda and stop at Pou de la Calella — temperatures along the Costa Brava are mild and the trail is far quieter than in peak summer. In July and August the exposed clifftop path offers little shade, so an early morning or late afternoon visit is more comfortable.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the Pou de la Calella cave? Not without authorization. The entrance is sealed by a gate, and access to the interior is administered by the L'Estartit tourist office together with the Catalan Federation of Speleology.

How deep is Pou de la Calella? The shaft is around 55 metres deep, making it the deepest cavity in the entire Montgrí massif.

Where does the route to Pou de la Calella start? At the car park in Port de l'Estartit, from where the trail follows Cap de la Barra along the Camí de Ronda.

If you can't enter the cave, what's the main draw? The clifftop viewpoint right next to the sinkhole, which looks out over the Medes Islands and the Costa Brava coastline.