Did you know that Balma de sa Estalagmita is more than just a cave entrance? It is a portal to a hidden world. This natural wonder is located near Palma de Mallorca. It has a story etched in stone and whispers of ancient lives.
Today we explore Balma de sa Estalagmita. It is a place where geology meets history and where the past speaks volumes.
Balma de sa Estalagmita is not just any cave. It is divided into two distinct zones. There is an outer balma and an inner cave. These may even be two different cavities. The outer part is a result of erosion. The inner part is likely a collapse chamber. The Sala de sa Calavera or main chamber proves this.
The name Balma des Quartó has multiple meanings. It possibly refers to the dry stone compartments within. According to J. A. Encinas, the cave was about a quartó in internal surface. This is approximately 1700 square meters. He got this information from the property’s key holder.
The balma itself is of medium size. It measures about 24 x 16 x 7 meters. Its constant recession is evident. Many blocks are piled on the ground. Vegetation helps to conceal it. A large rock currently threatens to fall near the cave entrance.
The cave entrance is in the balma’s southern area. It is a small hole hidden by stones. A stone wall compartment hides a small room further ahead. This room is about four meters long. It is just over two meters wide. A window connects it to the cave entrance. An artificial well exists in the balma’s northeast corner. It is over two meters deep. This may be from past archaeological digs.
Accessing the cave requires passing through a small opening. R. Martínez cleared this opening. Once inside the floor becomes horizontal. The ceiling is low. You cannot stand upright until you reach the Sala de la Calavera after several meters.
Upon entering the cave you will find a dusty area. Roots cover much of it. Columns dot the landscape. To the right is a stalagmite massif. Passing this leads to a small gallery. It ends in a small room with no onward path. This is next to the entrance on a lower level.
The Sala de sa Calavera is a collapse chamber. It is large. Calcite covers most of the fallen blocks. The hall is beautiful. Its length is about seventy meters. It descends from east to west on a steep slope. You can walk southwest to the deepest part. The ceiling is only one meter from the outside in places. A beautiful parietal flow in the east resembles a waterfall. It hides a small room.
Large blocks of stone litter the ground. Some have been arranged to form a small wall. A stone ramp built by humans assists access to the cave’s depths.
The cave floor is horizontal. Sediments cover the ground. This area acts as a sinkhole. Here you can see stalagmites columns and fistular stalactites. These are close to reaching the ground. Other speleothems are also common. This point is 12.5 meters below the surface. It is 10.5 meters above the water table.
Returning to the room’s start you can ascend eastward. Leave a beautiful stalagmite on your right. Once at the top you will see gourds without water. Continuing south past the stalagmite requires navigating a low passage. This leads to more gourds. Following the collapse crest will take you to the cave’s most beautiful area. Fistular stalactites decorate many formations. Delicate eccentrics grow on some columns. The return path follows a gallery on the east side. It skirts the room’s edge. A small room lies hidden to the left. A narrow passage tests your agility before reaching the exit.
Remarkably Balma de sa Estalagmita also features cave rims. These formations are rare. They are also found in the Cova des Pas de Vallgornera. Their formation relates to their position. This is above the water table. A lower level beneath the calcified blocks is possible.
Balma de sa Estalagmita seems to have been used as a burial site. Human bone fragments are visible near the gourds. Fragments of old pottery are also present.
Besides its archaeological value Balma de sa Estalagmita has paleontological significance. Clypeaster fossils are embedded in the cave walls. There are also shells. These include oysters scallops and cockles.
Balma de sa Estalagmita is of speleological archaeological and anthropological interest.
As you leave Balma de sa Estalagmita consider its secrets. It whispers tales of geological processes. It tells of human history. This cave is more than just an entrance. It is a reminder of the interconnectedness of time nature and human experience.