Getting started
Caving is safe when it is done with people who know how. This is how beginners in Spain get there, and the rules every caver follows.
How to start: a club, a course and a licence
Nobody starts alone. The usual way in is to join a club, take its beginner course and get the federation licence, which includes the insurance.
The AAES beginner syllabus covers personal and group equipment, safety, geology, knots, rope techniques, passing rebelays, self-rescue and preventing harness (suspension) trauma.
Source: Asociación Andaluza de Exploraciones Subterráneas (AAES)
Beginner course approved by the Murcian caving school (Jumilla, November 2025): 40 hours, 6–9 places, €70 for federation members, €95 for members of other federations with habilitation and €115 for non-members.
Source: Federación de Espeleología de la Región de Murcia – Escuela Murciana (EME)
AAES beginner course at Villaluenga del Rosario (Cádiz, 2024): four days, 20 places, €220 including full board and certificate, plus €20 for equipment hire; members get 15% off.
Source: Asociación Andaluza de Exploraciones Subterráneas (AAES)
The Catalan Caving School, the Catalan federation's teaching body, offers beginner courses as well as official sports-technician and volunteer-initiator training.
Source: Federació Catalana d'Espeleologia – Escola Catalana d'Espeleologia
The Navarre Caving Federation's website reports an introductory vertical-caving course held over two June weekends (13–14 and 27–28).
Under the FEE statutes, the sports licence is individual, personal, non-transferable and valid for the calendar year; it is issued by member regional federations or, where none exists, by the FEE itself.
Source: BOE – Estatutos de la Federación Española de Espeleología (2023)
In Asturias the licence can only be obtained through a club; FESPA licences are automatically valid nationwide through the FEE.
For the 2026 national-scope licence, the FEE publishes the civil-liability policy, the accident report form and the insurer's (Allianz) accident protocol.
Source: Federación Española de Espeleología – Licencias 2026
The Asturian licence insurance covers accidental injury during the sport under Royal Decree 849/1993, at contracted medical centres, and includes civil liability and rescue limits.
After an accident, FESPA says to notify the insurer within 7 days with your licence number; only in a life-threatening emergency go to the nearest hospital, then continue treatment in the contracted network.
The official Sports Technician in Caving qualification (Royal Decree 64/2010) is an intermediate-level award totalling 1,140 hours: 450 in the initial cycle and 690 in the final cycle.
The initial cycle qualifies holders to lead beginners and guide in caves up to class 4 without an active stream; the final cycle covers caves up to class 5 with active water.
Safety
Most rescues start the same way: rising water, a light that fails, or nobody knowing where you were. This is what the rescue teams advise.
The Aragonese cave rescue group sums up its approach as 'prevention is the best rescue' and asks cavers to plan each trip around the cave's water behaviour and the weather forecast.
Source: Federación Aragonesa de Espeleología – Espeleo Socorro Aragonés
The Aragonese cave rescue group recommends setting a planned schedule and a time limit for the activity and for raising the alarm before going in.
Source: Federación Aragonesa de Espeleología – Espeleo Socorro Aragonés
The Aragonese cave rescue group says to carry spare lighting (headlamps and batteries), survival food and always a foil blanket and first-aid kit, and to avoid large groups.
Source: Federación Aragonesa de Espeleología – Espeleo Socorro Aragonés
The Aragonese cave rescue group advises not letting a companion tackle a long or difficult climb alone and not climbing while exhausted.
Source: Federación Aragonesa de Espeleología – Espeleo Socorro Aragonés
For the Morteros-Imunia traverse, the Cantabrian cave rescue foundation warns to check the weather and water levels before entering, since high water can cut off the exit; it expects around 5 °C inside.
The US National Park Service asks for at least four reliable lights per person, telling a responsible adult where you are going and when you will be back, never caving alone (four people minimum) and staying out when rain is forecast, because caves can flood suddenly.
Source: US National Park Service – Ozark National Scenic Riverways (source from the USA, not Spain)
In June 2024, the search for two cavers in the Garmaciega complex (Soba, Cantabria) began because they did not come out on the planned day; they were found unharmed.
Rules and conservation
Many caves lie in national or natural parks, hold rock art or shelter protected bats. Exploring them takes permits and respect for the seasons.
Spain's Historical Heritage Act 16/1985 (art. 40.2) declares every cave, rock shelter and site with rock art a Property of Cultural Interest by operation of law.
In Cantabria, visiting caves of archaeological interest needs a permit from the regional culture department, requested a month ahead (two for July and August); caves listed in the 2017, 2020 and 2025 resolutions are exempt.
Source: Federación Cántabra de Espeleología – Permisos de cavidades
Exploring in Picos de Europa National Park uses the park's form, routed from your home federation to the destination federation; new zones need a support letter and a project, filed at least two months ahead, with a report within six months.
Source: Federación Cántabra de Espeleología – Permisos de cavidades
The Asturian federation provides an application form for caving exploration in Picos de Europa National Park and another to request work and exploration zones.
To apply for permits in Cantabria, every participant must hold a Spanish regional-federation licence (foreigners, one from their national federation); members without their own policy are covered by the Cantabrian federation's civil-liability insurance on authorised explorations.
Source: Federación Cántabra de Espeleología – Permisos de cavidades
The Ordesa y Monte Perdido park plan (Decree 49/2015) bans caving inside the National Park unless tied to authorised research or monitoring; in the Peripheral Protection Zone it is allowed under an agreement with the Aragonese federation.
Source: BOA nº 80, 29/04/2015 – Decreto 49/2015 (PRUG Ordesa y Monte Perdido), copia MITECO
In Ordesa, cave monitoring is limited to listed caves (Fuentes de Escuaín, Casteret ice cave beyond the fence, among others), with at most two groups a month of up to six cavers and four days per visit.
Source: BOA nº 80, 29/04/2015 – Decreto 49/2015 (PRUG Ordesa y Monte Perdido), copia MITECO
The Ordesa park plan allows caving in the Peripheral Zone to be restricted to avoid disturbing cave fauna, especially during the breeding season.
Source: BOA nº 80, 29/04/2015 – Decreto 49/2015 (PRUG Ordesa y Monte Perdido), copia MITECO
In the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park caving needs authorisation from the regional environment department, requested at least 15 working days ahead; one group per cave per day, of up to ten people.
Source: BOJA nº 94, 19/05/2021 – Resolución sobre espeleología en Sierra de las Nieves
In the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park, authorised groups must belong to recognised federations, clubs or associations and hold insurance covering medical care, civil liability and rescue.
Source: BOJA nº 94, 19/05/2021 – Resolución sobre espeleología en Sierra de las Nieves
In the Tinaja cave (Tolox, Sierra de las Nieves) caving is banned from 1 May to 31 August (breeding) and 16 November to 28 February (hibernation); the cap is 20 people per week.
Source: BOJA nº 94, 19/05/2021 – Resolución sobre espeleología en Sierra de las Nieves
The Sierra de las Nieves resolution notes that its caves host bats listed in Annex II of Law 42/2007, such as Schreibers' bat and several horseshoe bats, and bans disturbing them: pass quickly and quietly.
Source: BOJA nº 94, 19/05/2021 – Resolución sobre espeleología en Sierra de las Nieves
In Sierra de las Nieves it is forbidden to touch or damage formations, take samples, write on walls, leave waste, or put any marking or signs inside the caves.
Source: BOJA nº 94, 19/05/2021 – Resolución sobre espeleología en Sierra de las Nieves
In Sierra de las Nieves, carbide may only be carried as an emergency back-up light; portable electric lighting with non-disposable batteries is considered compatible, and spent batteries and carbide waste must be carried out.
Source: BOJA nº 94, 19/05/2021 – Resolución sobre espeleología en Sierra de las Nieves
The 2008 resolution for the Hundidero-Gato system (Málaga) limits how far cavers may go from 15 November to 15 March because of bat hibernation, and only allows the full through-trip from 15 March to 14 April and 1 August to 14 November.
Source: BOJA nº 64, 02/04/2008 – Resolución sobre el sistema Hundidero-Gato
The same Hundidero-Gato resolution caps access at 20 people or four groups per week and requires a valid federation licence on the dates of the trip.
Source: BOJA nº 64, 02/04/2008 – Resolución sobre el sistema Hundidero-Gato
In the Balearic Islands, the Natura 2000 cave management plan (Decree 14/2015) covers 30 protected (ZEC) caves; caving access needs authorisation and is limited to work backed by a scientific institution, a university or a public commission.
In the Valencian Community (Decree 65/2006) all caves enjoy general protection: altering them or removing or introducing materials is banned without authorisation from the environment department.
Source: DOGV nº 5261, 18/05/2006 – Decreto 65/2006 (copia alojada en cuevascastellon.uji.es)
Valencian Decree 65/2006 requires authorisation for sampling, scientific collecting and visits involving the public or large groups, but exempts ordinary, respectful caving and its teaching.
Source: DOGV nº 5261, 18/05/2006 – Decreto 65/2006 (copia alojada en cuevascastellon.uji.es)
The same Valencian decree allows habitat-protection perimeters around catalogued caves holding important bat populations.
Source: DOGV nº 5261, 18/05/2006 – Decreto 65/2006 (copia alojada en cuevascastellon.uji.es)
If something goes wrong
Across Spain the number is 112. Each region organises cave rescue its own way, almost always with volunteer cavers from the federation.
After an accident, the Aragonese cave rescue group says to raise the alarm and inform the nearby contacts: 112 and the rescue groups.
Source: Federación Aragonesa de Espeleología – Espeleo Socorro Aragonés
When raising the alert, give the cave's name and location, access routes, number and condition of casualties, group size, the cave's rigging and the equipment available.
Source: Federación Aragonesa de Espeleología – Espeleo Socorro Aragonés
With a casualty, the Aragonese cave rescue group says to protect them (out of water and away from rockfall), insulate them from damp, mind their position and keep them warm by setting up a warm point.
Source: Federación Aragonesa de Espeleología – Espeleo Socorro Aragonés
The Madrid Caving Federation asks that, after an accident, you call 112 and also the contacts of its rescue group (GSFME).
Source: Federación Madrileña de Espeleología – Espeleosocorro
In Cantabria cave rescue is the regional government's responsibility through its emergency services, currently contracted to the Cantabrian Red Cross, which has a specialist cave rescue team.
Source: Federación Cántabra de Espeleología – Grupo Espeleosocorro
Since 2008 the Navarre Caving Federation has worked with the Navarre Emergency Agency under an agreement, through the Navarre cave rescue group.
In the Balearic Islands, the Balearic cave rescue group (about 50 federation volunteers) supports professional teams and is part of the regional government's cave rescue protocol.
In Galicia, a 2024 agreement between the regional government and the Galician Caving Federation has the federation advise emergency services on caving and canyoning incidents and help train rescuers.
In the Basque Country, the Basque Speleologists' Union runs the Euskal Espeleo Laguntza (EEL) cave rescue service, with alert protocols, drills and an annual rescue report.
Source: Euskal Espeleologoen Elkargoa / Unión de Espeleólogos Vascos
For medical care covered by the Asturian licence, FESPA lists the insurer's 24-hour emergency line (900 404 444).
Data checked in October 2026. Spot a mistake or a missing cave? Tell us.
Light is the one thing you cannot run out of
Underground there is no daylight to fall back on, so cavers never trust a single light: spares go in the pack, and the main one is on the helmet, hands free. That is the lamp Carbi was designed to be: wide and even to read the cave, long reach for shafts and big chambers, and a battery you can check before you go in.
See Carbi