The Caves of Altamira

The Caves of Altamira are situated in Santillana del Mar in Cantabria and are the home of some of the most impressive cave paintings in the world.

The cave is 296 metres long and contains a number of twists and chambers. The height goes from two to six metres.

It was inhabited by humans twice, first about 18,500 years ago and again 14,00-16,500 years ago, in other words in the old stone age. It was in an ideal position for hunting the wildlife that grazed in the rich valleys of the surrounding mountains, while at the same time being within fairly easy distance of the coast for fishing.

Human occupancy was limited to the cave mouth, but paintings have been found throughout the cave. The paintings are unique in that they are some of the most advanced of that era. Many other cave paintings have been found in Europe, but the stone age artists of Altamira actually used the natural contours of the cave walls to give their paintings a three dimensional quality.

The paintings represent mainly animals, and the most impressive is the so-called Polychrome Ceiling, which depicts a herd of bison in different poses, two horses, a large doe and a wild boar.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the paintings were being damaged by the damp breath of large numbers of visitors. Altamira was completely closed to the public in 1977, and reopened to limited access in 1982. Very few visitors are allowed in per day, resulting in a three-year waiting list. A replica cave and museum were built nearby and completed in 2001 by Manuel Franquelo and Sven Nebel, reproducing the cave and its art. The replica allows a more comfortable view of the polychrome paintings of the main hall of the cave, as well as a selection of minor works. It also includes some sculptures of human faces that are not visitable in the real cave.