The impressive palaces of Andalusia usually try to visit all tourists. But for those vacationing with children in the Costa del Sol, learning about an underground palace in this part of the coast will be interesting. The underground mansions were created by nature itself, and they are known to us as the caves of Nerja. As in the cave of Altamira, ancient rock paintings were discovered here.
In the vicinity of the cave, nothing says that somewhere there is an entrance to the dungeon. Sunlit gardens and landscaped recreation areas contrast with the darkness of the bowels of the Earth. But the main arts of nature are precisely hidden under the ground.
Only a third of the Cuevas de Nerja is open to visitors. You'll wander from one gallery to the next, marvelling at the bizarre streak formations on the walls and discovering the resemblance to objects in the stalactites and stalagmites. The most extensive gallery, the Gallery of Cataclysms, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most massive mineral column in the world. It is 32 metres high and 13 metres in diameter.
The Ballet Gallery is the most unusual concert hall in the world and hosts an annual music and dance festival. Incidentally, the Hall of Waterfalls is also called because of the stalactites, which resemble frozen water. But you have to find out why it's called the Gallery of Ghosts on the spot.
Archaeological excavations are still going on in Nerja Cave. Investigations have shown that Neanderthals lived in underground labyrinths. During the tour, you will see some archaeological finds, including the skeletons of extinct ancestors of modern humans. Encourage your child to look more closely at the walls — in some places, you can see drawings created by Paleolithic artists tens of thousands of years ago.
Experts cannot yet determine which animals are depicted on the cave walls. Cuevas de Nerja can be visited with a guide or on your own. A film about the cave precedes a guided tour. The route length is about 2 km, i.e. the journey along the roads of the underground kingdom takes 30-45 minutes.
Note that Cuevas de Nerja is not as cold as the caves in Slovakia. The temperature under the ground stays between +17 and 21°C, and the humidity is 80%. If you plan to explore other attractions in Nerja, you can take the Cuevas de Nerja tourist train around the town.
