• Length in direction: 7 km.
  • Difficulty level: 7/10
  • Climbing time: 3,5 hours
  • Climbing with children: 4 hours
  • Height difference: 880 m.
  • Starting point:

    Village Strazha

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Ubavica or Gjonovica – a cave on the Bukovikj mountain, above the old road Gostivar – Kichevo, near the village of Gorna Gjonovica.

The name “Beauty” was given because of the distinct stalagmite in the shape of a woman’s silhouette, but also because of the great wealth of various underground natural decorations. The other name of the cave comes from the locality itself, after which the two nearby villages are named.

The cave was created along a fault line, in a north-south direction. This fault also breaks out on the surface of Buković, as evidenced by the skarsted dry land that stretches in the same direction. Uvavica is rare in its splendor, with countless figures of stalactites and stalagmites created over thousands of years, several galleries, pillars, painted ceilings, various cave jewelry, a water channel, ponds, a seven-meter high waterfall, five hot springs and more shapes and in length of over five hundred meters.

In most of the cave, with the exception of the entrance channel (85 m), there is a permanent underground water flow. During the spring months when the snow melts and the water level is high, the water from the underground aquifer overflows and flows out of the cave, flowing like a strong river and flooding the road and the surrounding area. In addition to the numerous and diverse cave decorations that abound in the cave, the last cave extension (10×13 m) is particularly interesting, in which there is an underground waterfall 5 – 6 meters high.

In addition to bats, the endemic species Ceuthophilus Bukoviki from the family of cave crickets (Rhaphidophoridae) is represented in the cave.

Source: Wikipedia

Tour

(under construct.)

Village Gorna Gjonovica – Ubavica Cave (1,5 km.)
Village Dolna Gjonovica – Ubavica Cave (2,5 km.)
peak Tepe – Ubavica Cave (7 km.)

  • Above options are included in the GPS link