Cueva de las Ventanas

About Cueva de las Ventanas

The Cueva de las Ventanas lies in Sierra Arana above Píñar, about 33 km north-east of Granada as the crow flies, and is a declared Natural Monument. Excavations have found Upper Palaeolithic tools, engravings from the Gravettian–Solutrean transition, Neolithic and Chalcolithic pottery, Bronze Age objects and medieval ceramics; local people still kept animals in it late in the 20th century.

Guided visits cover the first 500 metres of the upper level, on paths and walkways past natural formations, a former hyena den and a Neolithic burial site. The air stays at about 13°C all year. The nearby Cueva de la Carigüela, another key prehistoric site, is closed to the public.

Tickets from the village tourist office include the tourist train up to the cave and the guide; the visit takes about an hour. The route inside is adapted for wheelchairs and pushchairs, which is rare among Spanish show caves, and suits families with children of any age. Groups should book a time in advance.

The cave opens daily, with longer hours in July and August. Bring a light jacket even in summer, and phone ahead to confirm departure times, as visits run in a morning and an afternoon block.

What you’ll find

• Show caveGuided cave tour (€5–€8, 10:00–18:00)Ticket

Nearby places to visit

Granada's museums are the closest Places on this site: the Archaeological Museum of Granada (33 km) covers the prehistory of the province, the Ángel Barrios Legacy Museum (33 km) is inside the Alhambra and the Manuel de Falla House Museum (33 km) sits just below it. East towards Guadix, the La Inmaculada Cave Museum (26 km) in Purullena is devoted to the region's cave houses. Among other natural wonders, Los Cahorros de Monachil (36 km) is a gorge walk with hanging bridges and the Gorafe Desert (37 km) a landscape of red badlands. Píñar village is worth a stroll before or after the visit.