Visit Nerja cave
A must to discover
Everything you need to know about the Nerja cave before your visit
In this article you will find all the information you need to know about visiting the Nerja cave :
- A few words about Nerja and the cave
- In this cave, the first traces of mankind
- Booking Nerja caves tickets online
- The Music Festival in the cave
- Where is the Nerja cave?
- Book accommodation
- Some useful links
- Experiences to discover in the province of Málaga
A few words about Nerja and the cave
Nerja is located in Axarquia in the province of Malaga.
Nerja is known for its beautiful beaches and its famous cave.
Among the treasures of this town is the Nerja cave. Its galleries extend for several kilometres. The caves of Nerja are among the most famous, and they have yet to reveal all their secrets.
The cave was discovered only 60 years ago and excavations are still going on today. Below, on the site of the Nerja cave (about 150 metres from the entrance for the visit) you can see which way the 5 young people who discovered the cave in 1959 went :
The public tour covers one third of the galleries. This already offers the possibility of seeing considerable beauty.
photo credit: Cueva de Nerja Foundation
In this cave, the first traces of mankind
A few years ago, cave paintings dating back to the Paleolithic period were discovered. These paintings were made by Neanderthal man.
They have recently been dated to 30,000 years ago, making them the only Neanderthal paintings in the world. These paintings show seals painted in red ochre.
There are, however, cave paintings in several places in the cave.
A work of nature
In the cave, time and nature have also created some works of art…
In the cataclysm room, there is a column (junction of a stalactite and a stalagmite) among the highest in the world. It is 33 metres high, with a diameter of 18 metres on the ground!
Booking Nerja caves tickets online
There are two ways to book tickets for the Cave of Nerja online
- Book tickets to visit the Cave of Nerja. The Foundation allows you to download an audio guide in the language of your choice onto your telephone.
- Book tickets to visit the cave of Nerja in the dark. The activity takes place at 5 pm. The Foundation lends everyone a headlamp. A guide takes you on a tour in this atmosphere of darkness and silence!
- To book this package, just click on this link: visit the cave by night
Music festival in the Nerja cave
Until a few years ago, concerts were given at an international festival. Great artists such as Rostropovich, Paco de Lucía, José Carreras and Barbara Hendricks performed here.
They gave concerts in the Waterfall Hall and the Ballet Hall, in a concert hall that is… 250 million years old…
Today, the summer music festival is held right next to the cave entrance.
Where is the Nerja cave?
Book accommodation in Nerja
Booking.com
Some useful links for a trip to Andalusia
Here is a great car rental agency in Andalusia and more specifically at Malaga airport : book a rental car.
If you are in Andalucia as part of a tour with several major cities to visit, here are some links that may be of interest:
- Discover must-sees before visiting Cordoba
- Visit Malaga on foot.
- All you need to know about Granada, the Alhambra, the Albaicin neighbourhood before visiting Granada
- If you are passing through the geographical centre of Andalusia, then you can visit Antequera, with the incredible natural site of El Torcal right next door.
Experiences to discover in the province of Malaga
Find more ideas for visits to authentic Andalusia: see the blog pages on Andalucia.
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