Cueva de la Pileta

A local farmer, Jose Bullon Lobato, entered the cave in 1905 looking for bat guano to use as fertiliser and found paintings; his descendants still own the land and run the visits, which is unusual and gives the tour a particular character. The cave holds art spanning a very long period, from Upper Palaeolithic animal figures in black and red, including horses, deer, a fish and what may be a seal, to later Neolithic symbols and marks, with dates for the oldest work reaching around 30,000 years. The French prehistorian Henri Breuil studied it soon after and recorded nearly fifty drawings. There is no electric lighting: visitors carry gas lamps, which is how the paintings were meant to be seen and which makes the experience closer to the original than in most decorated caves.

The main sights

• The Palaeolithic animals - horses, deer and a large fish in black and red.
• The lamp-lit tour - visitors carrying gas lamps rather than electric light.
• The Neolithic marks - later symbols and signs overlying the older work.
• The family guides - descendants of the 1905 discoverer running the visits.

When to go

Spring and autumn; the mountain road is easier in good weather and the cave is cool year-round. Groups are capped at around twenty-five and tours must be booked, often days ahead in season.

Things to know

Booking is essential and walk-up entry is usually refused. Photography is prohibited entirely. The floor is uneven with steps and the lamps give limited light, so it is not suitable for anyone unsteady. The access road is narrow and winding.

Nearby

Ronda and its gorge lie twenty kilometres east; Benaojan and the Grazalema park surround the cave.

Key facts