Caves of Messalit

Useful Information

Location:	Tata. From Tata P1805 north 6 km. Tufa plateau right of the road, uninhabited village on the other side of the river. (29.81215926538673, -7.988538839926569)
Open:	no restrictions. [2021]
Fee:	free. [2021]
Classification:	Tufa Cave Tufa Deposits
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Caves of Messalit, Tel: +212-.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

The Caves of Messalit are a series of primary caves inside a massive deposit of tufa. Today the valley north of Tata is dry, the river obviously flowed in much wetter climate during the last ice ages. It seems there was a karst spring at the foot of the mountains west of the river, which formed a tributary for the river. But when the limestone rich water emerged from the spring, the carbon dioxide in the water went into the atmosphere, the water lost its ability to dissolve limestone, and the limestone was precipitated in the form of tufa. Over many years a deposit was built which finally reached the river. Ther were obviously waterfalls at the edge. And the growing rock created numerous small caves by growing irregularly. Inside those caves stalactites and stalagmites formed from the dripping water.

Today the situation has changed, the climate is arid, the karst spring and the river are both dry. The river is probably reactivated for a short time in the wetter winter months. But the tufa is still there, with spectacular speleothems in the middle of a desert, a site which is obviously hard to understand by tourists. And it seems the guides know little more about it and tend to tell nonsense.

To see the caves leave the car at the road, when you see the abandoned village on the opposite side of the valley. On the flat tufa deposit there is ample place for parking. Follow the trail down into the river gorge, the caves are located in the cliff on the western side of the river. There are some rumours about prehistoric engravings, but we guess that’s also part of the legends. Not legendary, unfortunately, is the rubbish in the area, a lot of plastic garbage along the river.