Alicia Gallardo’s passion for Mallorca extends far beneath the surface of the island. The nature enthusiast grew up in El Molinar, Palma’s former fishing district, and discovered her passion for caving in 2012 together with her now-husband, Joaquín.

“The feeling of being the very first person to reach a place that no one has ever seen before awakens my spirit of discovery”, Alicia Gallardo.

Today, the Mallorcan is Secretary of the Balearic Speleological Federation, while Joaquín serves as Vice-President. Alongside their organisational work for the federation, they explore the islands’ caves, work to preserve them and bring their fascinating world to life for visitors.

Mallorca is believed to have the highest concentration of caves anywhere in Europe. Around 5,000 caves have already been recorded on the island, with more still waiting to be explored. Gallardo explains this extraordinary concentration as the result of the island’s limestone geology. Over thousands of years, water has gradually dissolved the rock, creating the spectacular cave formations seen today. The best known among them is the Coves del Drach near Porto Cristo, which attract around 4,000 visitors a day during the summer. At approximately 80 kilometres long, Vallgornera, located in the municipality of Llucmajor, is Mallorca’s largest cave and is also considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It was discovered in the 1960s when excavation work for a hotel’s septic tank unexpectedly broke into the cave.

Mallorca’s caves are considered an important part of the island’s natural and cultural heritage. As part of a European conservation programme, 30 caves have now been closed to the general public. Vallgornera is also no longer publicly accessible. To ensure that its beauty can still be experienced, Alicia Gallardo and her husband have created a photographic book documenting the history of the cave.