Cueva de Ardales

About Cueva de Ardales

The cave lies in the Cerro de la Calinoria, 565 m above sea level, just outside Ardales and about 50 km from the coast. Its entrance, sealed for some 3,500 years, was opened by an earthquake in 1821. It is a branching karst system of five areas, where researchers have recorded 1,010 painted and engraved figures on 252 panels, including 98 animals, 10 human figures and 9 hand prints.

The guided visit spends about two hours inside by lamplight, looking at art from two broad phases, the older attributed to Neanderthals and the later to modern humans, plus excavation areas and a Neolithic burial deposit. Flint and bone tools found near the panels may have been used for engraving. The visit includes the Centro de la Prehistoria.

Tickets must be bought online in advance. Visits run Tuesday to Sunday at 10:00, with a second at 16:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and none on Mondays. Prices are €15 from age 12 and €5 for children aged 8 to 12, with groups capped at 15. Meet at the Centro de la Prehistoria, Avda. de Málaga 1. The floor is uneven and the visit long, so it suits older children and adults, not visitors with reduced mobility.

Book well ahead for weekends and spring. Wear warm layers and shoes with grip. A Friday or Saturday afternoon visit can follow a morning on the Caminito del Rey, 5 km away.

What you’ll find

• Access permitEntry permitApply
• Rock artPrehistoric art visit (€5–€15, 10:00–13:00)Ticket

Nearby places to visit

The Caminito del Rey (5 km) starts from the visitor reception at Puerto de las Atalayas, and its hanging bridge crosses the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes high above the river. To the east, Bobastro Church and Ruins (6 km) holds the ruins of Umar ibn Hafsun's stronghold and a Mozarabic church carved out of the sandstone. Ardales itself has a castle on the rock above its white houses. Down the Guadalhorce valley, the Pizarra Municipal Museum (20 km) is on the way back towards Málaga, while towards Antequera lie Campo de Golf Antequera (27 km) and the karst towers of El Torcal de Antequera (28 km).