Northern Spain · about 9 km from Espinosa de los Monteros
Complejo Kárstico de Ojo Guareña
Closed to divers
Access to the cave system beyond the show cave (San Bernabé) and the guided trips in the Cueva Palomera is prohibited. Only research teams with a permit from the Junta de Castilla y León dive here.
- Max depth37 m
- CertificationFull cave
- SpecialSidemount
Diving and fills
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Fills nearby
- Fill stationBuceo Mundo SubmarinoAir, nitrox, trimix and helium in any mix, up to 300 bar (O₂ and He analysers)Route ↗
- Fill stationCentro Buceo PedreñaAir, nitrox and mixed gas; the team includes a trimix gas blenderRoute ↗
Now at Complejo Kárstico de Ojo Guareña
What it looks like
All 1 videos and posts
Videos and posts
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Other people's footage, not advice: how someone else dives here says nothing about what suits your team. Dive within your training.
The dive
With >110 km of passages on six levels, Ojo Guareña is one of Spain's largest cave systems. The Guareña and Trema rivers flow through the lowest level and return to the surface at resurgences (including El Torcón and La Torcona).
Profile and sections
With >110 km of passages on six levels, Ojo Guareña is one of Spain's largest cave systems. The Guareña and Trema rivers flow through the lowest level and return to the surface at resurgences (including El Torcón and La Torcona). There are archaeological sites inside the caves.
The system is a Monumento Natural (1996), Bien de Interés Cultural (1991) and Natura 2000 site. The first dives were in September 1985 (La Torcona and Galería del Aburrimiento). In 2022 G.E. Edelweiss and Geoceanic worked in the Resurgencia sector (via the Sima de Villallana) and the Rizuelos sector.
Practical: the Casa del Parque (visitor centre) is in Quintanilla del Rebollar.
- Depth and profile
- Torcón 410 m / -18 · La Torcona: >465 m of flooded passages, Sifón de Barro, Sifón Resplandor 650 m / -37 · Galería del Aburrimiento (terminal sump): three sumps of 25, 55 and 25 m, deepest point given -7.7 m
- Configuration
- Small cylinders / sidemount after long dry carries; backmount is not realistic here.
- DPV: Not DPV-suitable (estimate)
- Sumps deep inside the system, after kilometres of dry caving.
Who can dive where
- At least Full cave
- Configurations: Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 37 m (trimix or deco may be needed)
- Ropework (SRT) needed
- Experienced divers only
This is how the planner decides who in your team may dive this cave. Rules your own trip adds (organizer, a mail, the AI) show with your trip.
How to get there
No public access to the sumps. The terminal sump of the Galería del Aburrimiento lies >7 km from the main entrance (Cueva Palomera): ~7.5 km of dry caving with ladders (30 m, and 20 m in the Sima del Divino Aurelio) and a raft across a lake — ~4 hours in, with dozens of porters. The Torcón sump starts in a small pool 750 m from the Cueva de La Torcona.
Around Complejo Kárstico de Ojo Guareña
Fills2 fill stations · nearest 46 km
Buceo Mundo Submarino
C/ Dr. Federico de la Lastra 3, bajo, 39770 Laredo (Cantabria)
Air, nitrox, trimix and helium in any mix, up to 300 bar (O₂ and He analysers)
Not listed — ask
SSI centre with recreational and technical courses; rents 10/12/15/18 l cylinders and 2×10 and 2×12 l twinsets. Fills for visiting divers: ask. Closest fill point for Matienzo (~30 min, estimate).
Centro Buceo Pedreña
Barrio La Barquería 151E, 39130 Pedreña
Air, nitrox and mixed gas; the team includes a trimix gas blender
Not stated — ask
Caves nearby5 within 43 km
News
- This is underground Castilla y León: visitable caves beyond Ojo Guareña ↗
- The karst complex of Burgos declared Natural Monument: Ojo Guareña, cave houses in the mountains ↗
Access and rules change: check what applies locally right before your trip. Source: GDELT Project and the news feeds of diving magazines. Search for more news ↗ Searched automatically, last on 13 Nov 2026.
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