The Furnas do Cavalum (Caves of Cavalum in English) are a group of four caves located in

Machico Machico () is a municipality, parish and city in the southeast part of the island of Madeira Island, Madeira, in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. The easternmost municipality on the island, it is also the third-most populous area with a populati ...

Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...

. Named after a local legend about a demon called Cavalum, who was imprisoned in the cave. These

lava tube A lava tube, more rarely called a pyroduct, is a 'roofed conduit through which molten lava travels away from its vent'. If lava in the tube drains out, it will leave an empty cave. Lava tubes are common in low-viscosity volcanic systems. La ...

s are of great importance allowing a view on the volcanic history of the now inactive island of Madeira, they have also biologic importance as there are several troglobionts living in the cave, including crustaceans, spiders and flies. At least fourteen invertebrates live in these tubes and at least three of them are endemic on Madeira island, one of them exists only in this cave. Furnas do Cavalum are also part of the cultural heritage of the islanders, as numerous legends are told about the caves. Despite the stories about the demon, the cave was used as a refuge by the locals, namely during violent uprisings like the Revolta da Madeira in April 1931.''Grutas do Cavalum (Machico - Madeira)'', P. Relvas, V. Monteiro, Algarocho, Boletim interno da Sociedade Portuguesa de Espeleologia, #9, 1987, pp 5-8

References

{{reflist Caves of Portugal Landforms of Madeira Volcanism of Madeira Lava tubes

See also

References