Aside from standing out as one of the coastal resorts on southern Spain’s Costa del Sol to retain much of its traditional charm and avoid the fate of becoming littered with high-rise concrete buildings, Nerja has another very special claim to fame.  Just three kilometres from its town centre is where you will find the spectacular Caves of Nerja, or Cueva de Nerja.

Discovered by a group of schoolboys who were hunting for bats in 1959, the caves proved to be an important find indeed, as they not only offered up proof of man’s existence in the area more than 20,000 years previously, but also contain the only known examples of cave paintings dating back to the Upper Palaeolithic era, somewhere between 10,000 and 50,000 years ago.  Although what is known as the Show Gallery was opened up to the public the year after its discovery, the Upper and New Galleries were not discovered until 1960 and 1969 respectively.  Even now, only the various ‘halls’ which go to make up the Show Gallery are fully open to the public, although some of the other chambers and caverns can be explored by over 14 year-olds joining a speleological group, details of which are available by calling or visiting the Caves.


The total length of the caves is said to extend to 4,283 metres, but the halls which go to make up the Show Gallery and which have been developed for tourists reach only about a third of this distance.  With steps, concrete walkways and a lighting system which highlights the magnificent stalagmites and stalactites and cave walls, which look in places as though they have been hand-carved from candle wax, the spectacle is one which is certain to leave any visitor awe-struck at the ingenuity of Man and Mother Nature alike.  The Hall of the Cataclysm, itself more than 100 metres long and 50 metres wide, is home to the highest stalactite in the world, standing at an impressive 32 metres and measuring 13 metres by 17 metres at its base.

The Hall of the Cascade or Ballet, which is close to the Entrance Hall, plays host every June to the underground Festival of Music and Dance where one can only wonder as to the quality of the acoustics.  The auditorium is set up with only around a hundred metal seats for spectators, so anyone thinking about attending should enquire about tickets well in advance.

You can get a wonderful sneak preview of what you can expect to see by watching the video below.  If you are visiting the Costa del Sol, the Nerja Caves are a sight definitely not to be missed!

If you are looking for a place to stay on your holidays in Nerja or the Costa del Sol, please see our Costa del Sol and Nerja Holiday Rentals page.