Andalusia has long attracted numerous views because of its gorgeous landscapes. It is on its territory that one of the most popular Spanish attractions is located - the caves of Nerja. Nearby is the resort of the same name, so you can always combine business with pleasure - relax and enjoy an amazing natural monument.
Amazing find of the 20th century
The vast territories of the caves of Nerja would never have been discovered if in 1959 five curious little boys had not run in search of bats. One winter day, the children who lived in the villages of Nerja and Maro ran around the rocky surroundings and decided to look for these nocturnal inhabitants of the planet in one of the many cracks. A couple just flew out of it, and the guys thought to get through a narrow crevice, but once inside, they were horrified by the picture that appeared before their eyes - among the stalactites and stalagmites, two long-decomposed human bodies and their skeletons flaunted.
Frightened, the boys ran away to tell their family and friends about their terrible find. Research teams immediately arrived at the site and worked here until 1961. Scientists figured out the origin of the amazing area, and also determined who owned the remains of people. As a result, the caves of Nerja were declared not only natural monuments, but also historical ones.
History of the caves
According to research by scientists in the caves of Nerja, people settled 25 thousand years ago, and the last traces of life were left about three thousand years ago. But the most interesting information is the age of natural rock formations - they appeared five million years ago.
Numerous finds of archaeologists in the form of rock art, ceramic shards, stone tools and traces of a "home" fireplace testify to the habitation of people in caves. Moreover, bones and skeletons of animals that lived in these lands at that time were also found inside the caves. If you take a good look at the photo of the Nerja caves, you can understand how such depressions were formed in the rock. For many years, rainwater got into the already existing cracks, it expanded them and washed out the insides. Just imagine how long it took for the caves of Nerja to transform in order to appear in their majestic appearance today.
How to get to the caves?
According to the reviews, the caves of Nerja are equipped with two entrances, formed naturally, but there is alsoanother one is man-made, it is through it that tourists are allowed to enter. Moreover, there is even a modem installed that distributes free Wi-Fi.
Next to the entrance there is an information stand, which says that if you connect to Wi-Fi, you can download a convenient and specially designed application with a guide to the caves in your phone. It is called Cueva de Nerja info. Tourists on various forums advise doing this if not all the information in the audio guide is clear, since you cannot visit the caves without a guide (that is, in free movement).
Where to start inspection?
In order to get inside, you can either come on a special tourist bus, having bought an excursion to the Nerja caves in advance, or on your own and explore everything yourself. Moreover, most tourists advise the latter option. The inspection of the territory begins with watching a documentary film, in which you can find all the information you need about how the valuable find was discovered, how archaeological research was carried out, and so on.
In order for the film to be understandable to tourists, free audio guides are given out at the entrance to the cinema hall, and, according to reviews from travel forums, everyone advises taking them without hesitation, since the story is really interesting. There are six languages in total, including Russian, which is very pleasing. After that, a special person gathers everyone who was in the cinema hall for an excursion walk through the caves, he also accompanies people.
Initially the groupdown a steep staircase eight meters down, there is already a coolness, as well as the familiar smell of the dungeon. At the first stop, tourists enter a small hall where they can see ancient objects found by archaeologists. Then the group goes to the rest of the halls. Tourists are not advised to linger in the first hall, as it can be well examined on the way back, and lagging behind the main group, you can miss interesting information.
Description of the cave
The area of the entire cave kingdom is 35,000 m2, and the volume is 300,000 m3. Impressive numbers, right? This area can be compared with the five football fields of Barcelona's Campnow stadium. Inside the caves consist of several galleries, which are divided into halls and have a connection with each other.
Ordinary travelers and tourists can enter only a small part - this is a third of the entire territory of the caves. She, by the way, is called Tourist. The tourist gallery is divided into several halls, each with its own name. In the Hall of Ghosts, sometimes you can hear frightening sounds, and the rocky outlines look like ghosts. In the Bethlehem Hall, you can see stalactite and stalagmite columns, composed by nature into a bizarre architectural ensemble. The Waterfall Hall, which has been converted into a real underground concert hall, once hosted Rostropovich, Montserrat Caballe and other popular artists from Russia and other countries. The Hall of Cataclysm completes the Tourist Gallery with a large collapse and a huge stalactite column. Her height is 32m.
There is a convenient path between the halls, stairs are placed in the necessary places, and the entire perimeter of the walking area is equipped with railings. In some places, lighting cannot catch all the parts of the cave necessary for viewing from the darkness, so the group escort usually has a flashlight with him, which additionally highlights the right places.
There are small signs along the entire route, on which numbers are marked. In such places, the escort stops the whole group and loudly announces the number indicated near the object, tourists at this time must dial this number on their audio guide and listen to the information in their usual language. The route is 700 m, and along this path, stalactites and stalagmites hang from all sides and surround tourists. Almost every growth has its own name.
Features of the other two galleries
You can get to the Upper and New galleries by purchasing a special expensive speleological excursion beforehand. Moreover, tourists who have visited these galleries are strongly advised to fork out and go to this part of the caves. There are only two halls in the Upper Gallery, which naturally correspond to their names: the Immense Hall and the Hall of the Pillars of Hercules. The New Gallery also has two halls: the Hall of the Mountain and the Hall of Spears. It is here that you can see the rock paintings made by our ancestors, as well as some of the oldest bas-reliefs on the planet.
According to tourist reviews above all this undergroundmiraculously, there is a wonderful park with gorgeous views of the surrounding area.
Opening hours and location of the caves
The caves are open to tourists 12 months a year, except on January 1st and May 15th. According to the information provided on the official website of the caves, in winter they are open from 9:00 to 16:00 and a passage is possible every half an hour. In summer, the caves are open from 9:00 to 18:30.
How to get to the caves of Nerja on your own? According to the reviews of tourists, finding this attraction is very simple - you need to get to the town of the same name Nerja, and then after 1.5 km you can see a fenced place with caves and a corresponding sign.
There is a parking lot near the cave, which costs one euro, excluding parking time. You need to pay on your own by dropping coins into a special machine built into the barrier. According to tourists, there is a deserted place to the left of the paid parking, which is also always crowded with cars, since you do not need to pay for it.
Tickets for an adult cost 10 euros (about 760 rubles), for children from 6 to 12 years old - 6 euros (456 rubles), children under 6 years old are free. A 45-minute tour inside the Tourist Gallery is included in this price.
