Wonders · Sierra de Huelva

Gruta de las Maravillas

Gruta de las Maravillas is a show cave under the castle hill in the centre of Aracena, Huelva, open to visitors since 1914, with a 1.2 km route past lakes on three levels of galleries.

About Gruta de las Maravillas

The Gruta de las Maravillas is a phreatic cave dissolved by water in the marble of the Cerro del Castillo, the hill crowned by Aracena's castle. Mining work revealed it in the 19th century, and it opened to the public in 1914, among Spain's first show caves. The known system runs to about 2,130 metres on three levels, of which the visit covers about 1,200 metres; the air stays at 16 to 19°C.

Stairs lead down to the Sala de las Conchas, and the route continues through halls such as the Salón de los Brillantes and the Gran Lago, where still water mirrors the ceiling. Formations include stalactites, eccentrics, curtains, columns and gours. Guides speak Spanish; free audio guides cover other languages.

The entrance is on Calle Pozo de la Nieve in the town centre, so park in town and walk. Guided visits last about 45 to 50 minutes; arrive 10 minutes before your slot, and book online at busy times, as numbers are capped at 1,000 a day. The route has stairs and wet, slippery floors and is not suitable for people with reduced mobility, breathing or heart problems, or claustrophobia. Photography and pets are not allowed.

Weekdays outside mid-June to mid-September are quieter and cheaper, at €18 rather than €20 for adults. The ticket also covers the ham museum, castle and geology museum, so allow half a day, and bring a light layer.

Gruta de las Maravillas in pictures

Illuminated speleothems in a hall of the Gruta de las Maravillas, Aracena

What you’ll find

Show caveGuided cave tour (€15–€20, 10:00–18:00)Ticket

Nearby places to visit

The cave lies under the castle hill, and the Aracena Castle and Priory Church (300 m) crowns the hill directly above it: a 13th-century fortress of the Knights Hospitaller enclosing a Gothic-Mudéjar priory church. West of Aracena, the Peña de Arias Montano (9 km) above Alájar is a tufa crag with caves, a 16th-century hermitage and a wide view over the south of the province. Further west, the Mosque of Almonaster la Real (20 km) is an Andalusi mosque inside a hilltop castle, free to visit, and the Castillo de Cortegana (22 km) is a medieval border castle above its town. For golf, Club de Golf Corta Atalaya (22 km) lies to the south at Minas de Riotinto.