Cave of El Castilllo

Access to Cave Castle is through a hallway that contains the most complete record of the lives of our ancestors which includes occupations ranging from the Lower Paleolithic (120,000 years ago) to the Bronze Age (3000 years ago) and they are still conducting archaeological excavations. In addition, this hall has been used to install an Interpretation Centre about the 5 Monte Castillo Caves: The Castle, The Chimneys, Coins, The Arrow and the Pasiega. Several information panels and photographs tell you about what you will see on the tour inside the cave with photographs of rock art (you are not allowed to take pictures inside), explanations on the techniques used to perform and the way of life of Homo Neanderthal and Homo sapiens in these caves.

Although the outside has a modern visitors reception, the real entrance to the caves is a little further inside, where a simple door separates the magic locked into the rock from the modern era. The cave of the castle houses the oldest cave paintings in the world, negative hands, horses and other animals. Some of the paintings are not obvious at first sight and you need to have a little imagination and play with cracks or shadows of the rock in order to see some of them. What most caught my attention in this cave are the negative hands, I think they are the most significant in the cave, the feeling of needing to make a mark and to show that they were there.

This is a large system of about 40 karst caves, located in Monte del Castillo. Of all the caves only two are visited, the cave of the coins and the castle. Both are geologically spectacular and feature cave paintings - some of which are unique. Definitely worth a visit.