Fundación Cueva de Nerja

The caves at Nerja are among the largest and most beautiful dripstone caves in the world. They lie near the small town of Maro. Considering how many years ago they were formed, it's actually remarkable that they weren't discovered sooner.

The caves were in fact only discovered in modern times, in 1959, when five young people from Maro and Nerja decided to go bat hunting. They were sitting by a well, from which large flocks of bats could be seen flying out at sunset. They climbed down into the well shaft and felt a draft of air coming from below.

The cave had to be hiding something more, and their curiosity drew them further in, until they were stopped by two large stone pillars, so-called stalactites. The next day the boys returned with tools and broke through a narrow passage, eventually reaching a chamber so large that the light from their lamp was swallowed by the darkness.

As they went further in, they were astonished to discover they weren't the first to have been in the cave. They found skeletons next to old clay jars. Quite shaken, they chose to head back towards daylight and tell everyone about their discovery.

It wasn't until a hundred days later that the first photos appeared in the newspaper, and the caves were named "Cuevas de las maravillas" (Caves of Wonders) and "La cuevas de Nerja" (The Caves of Nerja), as they are still known today.

Opening hours: Open daily from 09:15 to 16:30, with last entry at 15:30. In the summer months (July and August) the opening hours are often extended, staying open until 17:00 or 19:00.