Updated 9th January 2000; 3rd February 2001; 3rd June, 8th June 2002; 9th November 2003; 27th October 2007; 4th January 2009; 7th October 2012

A remnant of large, fossil passage perched high above Llueva valley. A thirty metre wide entrance - similar to Cueva de Cobrantes (110) - slopes down to a large boulder and calcite floored passage with some fine formations. A junction is met after 180m. To the left the passage ascends over boulders to a chamber, while to the right greasy calcite descends to an old lake bed with false floor remains. The passage soon closes down in small phreatic tubes.
The cave was re-explored at the end of 2008: the entrance was fixed with GPS, photos taken but nothing new was discovered. Re-explorations by ADEMCO in 2011 also failed to find anything new.

A small chamber on the left of the main passage contains several groups of schematic-abstract paintings, found by C.A.E.A.P., who also located Iron Age pottery and an iron arrowhead. The black marks are described and discussed in El Arte Esquemático-Abstracto de Matienzo y sus alrededores (Smith Peter, 1998b) and Muñoz Emilio et al, 1995. The apparently life-size engraving of a horse, discovered in December 1988 in the roof midway along the passage, is rather harder to date.

Morlote Jose M et al, 1995 describes Covarona as one of the Iron Age sepulchral caves in the area.

The developing Acanto web site (by the Federación de Asociaciones para la defensa del Patrimonio Cultural y Natural de Cantabria) has a section on Arte Rupestre esquemático-abstracto. Reference Ruiz Cobo Jesús and Muñoz Fernández Emilio et al, 2009 summarises the archaeological discoveries in the cave

References: anon., 1980a (logbook); Corrin J et al, 1981b (survey); Corrin J, 1980; Corrin J S and Smith P, 1981; material in file; Munoz Fernandez E et al, 1987; Muñoz E, 1988; Smith P, 1988; anon., 1994a (Easter logbook); Morlote Jose M et al, 1995; Muñoz Emilio et al, 1995; Smith Peter, 1998b (survey); Smith Peter, 1998a (photo); Corrin Juan and Smith Peter, 2007; anon., 2008g (Christmas logbook); Ruiz Cobo Jesús and Muñoz Fernández Emilio et al, 2009 (survey); ADEMCO, 2012
Entrance pictures : yes
Underground picture(s): Photos taken at the end of 2008.
entrance :   markings 1  2 :  black marks 1  2 : formations 1  2  3  4  5  6 :  Pottery 1   2   3
Photos taken in 1980
Detailed Survey : from 1980: low res  high res (N is 180 degrees out)
Line Survey :
On area survey :
Survex file : yes (Coordinates altered to fit ETRS89 datum, April 2014.)