Caving in Cantabria
Questions This Article Answers
Are there caves in Spain?
Is the Altamira cave in Spain?
Is there cave art in Spain?
Where to go caving in Spain?
Caves for Non-Cavers
For such a tiny region, Cantabria is rich in arte del Paleolítico Superior(Upper Paleolithic art). According to current knowledge, there are at least seven caves with pinturas rupestres(rock art) that can be visited. And who knows what's under our feet and yet to be discovered!
Estalactitas and Estalagmitas
It’s an incredible feeling to walk into a cave and see something that our ancestors painted tens of thousands of years ago. However, it’s not just the art that’s impressive. The estalactitas(stalactites) and estalagmitas(stalagmites)—nature’s works of art—in these caves are just as breathtaking.
So, what can non-cavers see? There are a number of caves you can comfortably visit in your sneakers. Here are just a few of the most incredible caves in the region:
La Cueva de Altamira
If you’ve seen Antonio Banderas’s film Finding Altamira, you’ll be familiar with this cave. The Cueva de Altamira(Altamira Cave), along with many of the others listed in this article, is one of Spain’s many UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to its importance on an international level and for humanity’s history.
A Replica of the Original Cave
Unfortunately, you can no longer visit the original cave and paintings because tourism was damaging the original paintings. However, there is a realistic replica that is open to visitors. The original cave is occasionally opened to lucky tourists. In the past, they have held lotteries to randomly select visitors to see the original caves!
History
The region’s caves provided the ideal shelter site for the area’s earliest inhabitants. Arqueólogos(archaeologists) have found many signs of life in these cavities. In the town of Puente Viesgo, located near the center of Cantabria, you can visit the Centro de Arte Rupestre de Cantabria(Rock Art Center of Cantabria), a museum about Cantabrian rock art. If you’re in the Santander area, you can visit the Museo de Prehistoria y Arqueología de Cantabria(Museum of Prehistory and Archaeology of Cantabria) to learn more about the region’s rich history.
Something for the Spelunkers
Cantabria’s not just a great destination for the casual caver who visits cavities in their tennis shoes. It’s also visited by hundreds (if not thousands!) of professional cavers each year. In fact, mountain rescue professionals from Spain and other regions in Europe come to the area to train!
If you’re an English-speaking caver, you can check out the work that the Matienzo Caves Project has done. Cavers from this project have been surveying, mapping, and otherwise documenting the caves in the Matienzoarea since the late 1960s! The work they have done is truly impressive.
Some of the most notable caves in the region include the Sistema de los Cuatro Valles(Four Valleys System), which is reportedly over 44 miles long, and the Torca del Porrónor Gran Pozo MTDE. This vertical cave was discovered by local espeleólogos(speleologists) in 2016, and it is considered the second deepest vertical cave in the world! That’s a pretty big achievement for the tiny village of Ruesga, where it’s located.
Local Guides
Cantabria, and the Alto Asón(Upper Asón River Valley) area in particular, are an expert caver’s paradise. However, due to the extreme nature of these caves, it's advisable to visit them in the company of a local guide who knows their way around the area. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to hear about rescues in these caves.
Spanish Words to Talk About Caving
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| arte rupestre | rock art |
| espeleólogo | speleologist |
| estalactita | stalactite |
| estalagmita | stalagmite |
| pintura rupestre | cave painting |
All this talk about caving got you ready to dive deep into Spanish? Check out the following articles for more interesting content!
