El Castillo caves and Paleolithic art day trip from Santander

Free cancellation

Place: Santander

Duration: 5 hours

Language: English, Spanish

Mobile voucher accepted

Instant confirmation

Entrance Fees Included

Small group

Hotel pick up

Transport included

Do this because

Visit the caves of El Castillo and Las Monedas
Discover Puente Viesgo with a guided walking tour
Enjoy the spectacular landscape of valleys and rivers

What to expect

Leave Santander for Puente Viesgo, a beautiful small village next to El Castillo Mount which has four caves with Palaeolithic art declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008. You'll visit two of these caves: El Castillo and Las Monedas.

El Castillo cave contains some of the oldest paintings in the world, dated over 40.000 years ago. It is also known as the "cave of the hands" for the over fifty silhouettes of hands painted in negative. The skeletal remains studied to date indicate that Neanderthals and homo sapiens cohabited in this cave, something unique in prehistory.

Las Monedas cave contains designs drawn in charcoal dated about 12,000 years ago, but it also has important geological formations like stalactites, stalagmites, lava flows, flags, and more. Visit the recently inaugurated Rupestrial Art Interpretation Center to better understand the origin and development of rock art.

Finally, you'll take a short walk through Puente Viesgo to see the lovely Pas River, the historic town hall and the church. If you come to Cantabria and you like rock art, this is definitely the tour for you!

Please note that the guided tour inside the cave is in Spanish. Upon availability, the guide will access with you to translate it into English
During booking confirmation, you'll be requested to provide your accommodation address in Santander to arrange your pickup
The final confirmation of the tour depends on entrance ticket availability and a minimum group of 4 participants
The average temperature of the cave is 14°C, so you should bring a jacket
The caves are slick so it is recommended to wear non-slip shoes

What’s included

Entrance fees

Transportation in air-conditioned vehicle

Hotel pick-up and drop-off

Driver guide

Cancellation policy

Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 24 hours before the experience begins.

Booking fee

Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.

Location

Cave of El Castillo, Puente Viesgo, Spain

Meeting point:

Pickup from your hotel in Santander. During checkout, you'll be requested to provide your accommodation address in Santander to arrange your pickup. Alternatively, you can go to the meeting point at the bus stop in Calle Castelar, 25 (next to Hotel Vincci Puertochico).