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The province of Andalusia is not only blessed with beautiful cities, nature lovers can also indulge themselves there. It is less known that this southern part of Spain has countless caves. Here is a short tour of some high-profile caves.
We start in Nerja, not far from Malaga. These caves were discovered by accident in 1959 and were named the Cathedral of the Paleolithic. This underground world is both enchantingly beautiful and interesting for a variety of reasons. Its beauty is most evident in the largest column ever found in a cave. A fusion of stalagmites and stalactites has formed a mammoth rock formation. With a height of 32 meters and a width of 13 meters, it is listed in the Guinness book for world records. But there are also plenty of fabulously beautiful dripstone formations to see in other rooms of the 5-kilometer-long complex, of which 700 meters are accessible.
The Nerja Caves are also known for the ancient wall paintings, which can still be admired. In the caves, in an exhibition area, various finds can also be seen, such as a skeleton, prehistoric tools and pottery. The history of the caves is discussed in more detail in the historical museum in the town. There you can learn how the first inhabitants, some 25,000 years ago, populated the caves. Hyenas and later Romans and Moors used the complex.
The Cave of Wonders in Aracena, near Seville, owes its popularity mainly to a very bizarre twist of nature. In one of the rooms in this complex, which is more than 2 kilometers long, one can marvel at the very unusual shapes formed by the centuries-old free play between water and rocks. Many objects protrude from the rock walls, which show a striking resemblance in both shape and color to the male sexual organ. This leads to quite different reactions from visitors. Some are amazed by this strange natural phenomenon, while others mainly use the laughing muscles.
But these caves are also more than worth a visit. In other rooms you can admire more traditional, but wonderfully beautiful stalactite formations. Other attractions include some underground lakes and a small geological museum.
Caves of a completely different kind can be visited in Guadix near Granada. The Barrio de Santiago district is the largest inhabited cave area in Europe. About 3,000 people live here in the houses, which were carved out of the limestone hills long ago. The houses vary from small and simple to much larger and very luxurious. Some of the larger caves are now used as hotels. From a distance there is little more of the houses to be seen than the many chimneys, which emerge from the rocks and occasionally blow out smoke.
None of the houses have heating or air conditioning. But that is not necessary either. The extremely thick walls ensure a constant temperature of around 20 degrees in both summer and winter. The use of the cave system dates back to the 15th century when Moors hid there from the Christians who wanted to reclaim the area.
In the village you can learn more about the history of this unique cave district in a museum.
