Andalusia has long attracted numerous views because of its chic landscapes. It is on its territory that one of the most popular Spanish attractions is located - Nerja Caves. Nearby is the resort of the same name, so the pleasant can always be combined with the useful - relax and enjoy the amazing natural monument.
Amazing find of the XX century
Huge territories of Nerja caves would never have been discovered if in 1959 five curious little boys had not fled in search of bats. One winter day, the children living 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. Just a couple flew out of it, and the guys thought to get through a narrow crevice, but when they got 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 rather to talk about their terrible find to family and friends. Research teams arrived immediately and worked here until 1961. Scientists figured out the origin of the amazing terrain, and also determined who owned the remains of people. As a result, Nerja caves were declared not only natural monuments, but also historical.
Cave history
According to the research of 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 here 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 cave paintings, ceramic shards, stone tools and traces from the "home" fireplace testify to people living in caves. Moreover, bones and skeletons of animals living in these lands at that time were found inside the caves there. If you take a good look at the photo of Nerja caves, you can understand how such depressions were formed in the rock. Rainwater fell into the existing cracks for many years, it expanded them and washed the insides. Just imagine how much time the Nerja caves needed to spend on their transformation in order to appear in their magnificent appearance today.
How to get into the caves?
According to reviews, the Nerja caves are equipped with two entrances, formed naturally, but there is one more - man-made, it is through it that tourists are allowed to enter. Moreover, there is even a modem that distributes free Wi-Fi.
Near the entrance there is an information stand on which it is written that if you connect to Wi-Fi, you can download a convenient and specially designed application with a guide to the caves to your phone. It is called Cueva de Nerja info. Tourists at different forums advise to do this if in the audio guide not all information is clear, because without a guide (that is, in free movement) you can not visit the caves.
Where to start the inspection?
In order to get inside, you can come either 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 recommend the latter option. Inspection of the territory begins with a documentary film in which you can find all the information of interest on how a valuable find was discovered, how archaeological research was carried out, and so on.
In order to make the film understandable to tourists, free audio guides are given at the entrance to the cinema, and, according to reviews from tourist forums, everyone advises taking them without hesitation, since the story is really interesting. In total, there are six languages, including Russian, which is very pleasing. After that, a special person gathers everyone who was in the cinema for an excursion walk through the caves, and he accompanies people.
Initially, the group goes down a steep staircase eight meters down, there is already a cool feeling, as well as the usual smell of the dungeon. At the first stop, tourists enter a small room where you can see the ancient objects found by archaeologists. Then the group goes to the rest of the halls. Tourists do not advise staying in the first hall, since it can be well seen on the way back, and behind the main group, interesting information can be missed.
Description of the cave
The area of the entire cave kingdom is 35,000 m 2 , and the volume is 300,000 m 3 . Impressive numbers, right? You can compare this area with the five football fields of Campnou Barcelona Stadium. Inside the cave they 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. It, 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 are similar to ghosts. In the Bethlehem Hall you can see stalactite and stalagmitic columns, composed by nature in a bizarre architectural ensemble. The Waterfall Hall, which has been converted into a real underground concert audience, once hosted Rostropovich, Montserrat Caballe and other popular artists from Russia and other countries. The Cataclysm Hall completes the Tourism Gallery with a large collapse and a huge stalactite column. Its height is 32 m.
A convenient walkway is arranged between the halls, stairs are located in the necessary places, and the entire perimeter of the walking area is equipped with a railing. In some places, the lighting cannot catch out of the darkness all the parts of the cave necessary for viewing, therefore, the accompanying group usually has a flashlight with them, which additionally highlights the necessary places.
Throughout the route there are small signs 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 should type this number on their audio guide and listen to the information in their usual language. The route is 700 m long, and stalactites and stalagmites surround tourists from all sides over this route. Almost every growth has its own name.
Features of two other galleries
You can get to the Upper and New Galleries by purchasing a special special speleological expensive tour. Moreover, tourists who visited these galleries are strongly advised to fork out and go to this part of the caves. In the Upper Gallery there are only two halls that naturally correspond to their names: the Immense Hall and the Hall of Pillars of Hercules. The New Gallery also has two rooms: the Hall of the Mountains and the Hall of Spears. This is where you can see the cave paintings made by our ancestors, as well as some of the oldest bas-reliefs on the planet.
According to tourist reviews, a wonderful park with gorgeous views of the surrounding territories is located above all this underground miracle.
Opening hours and location of the caves
Caves are available for tourists 12 months a year, with the exception of January 1 and May 15. According to the information indicated on the official site of the caves, in winter they work from 9:00 to 16:00 and the passage is possible every half 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 after 1.5 km you can see a fenced place with caves, and the corresponding sign.
Near the cave there is a parking lot worth one euro without taking into account the parking time. You need to pay on your own by dropping the coins into a special machine built into the barrier. According to tourists, to the left of the paid parking lot there is a deserted place, which is also always full of cars, since you do not need to pay for it.
Tickets for an adult cost 10 euros (approximately 760 rubles), for children from 6 to 12 years - 6 euros (456 rubles), children under 6 years pass for free. A 45-minute tour inside the Tourist Gallery is included in this price.