To one of the most visited attractions in the region belong without doubt the Nerja caves. Located only one kilometre from the town itself, tourists can easily reach them and admire this spectacular natural treasure. Hidden within the mountains that make up Nerja’s background, the caves have been declared national monument and hold – even today – many secrets.
For a visit of the Nerja Caves you will have to calculate at least one hour, even though only 1/3 of the halls are actually accessible for tourists. To the rooms that can be visited belong the Entrance Hall, the Ballet Hall, the Phantoms Hall, the Créche Hall, the Cataclysm Hall and the Elephant Eye-Tooth Hall. The high halls were discovered in 1960 but the latest discoveries – the New Galleries - were made not until 1970. Both can be visited in small groups of people.
One of the largest halls in the cave has been reformed to hold cultural events as well as concerts. The impressive acoustic and the unique surroundings make every event to something unforgettable.
Located within the Sierra Almijara mountain range, in the south of Spain, the caves are only a short distance from the town of Nerja. More than 500.000 of the tourists who are visiting the province of Malaga annually also make a trip to see this monumental sight. Coming from the city of Malaga you will only have to drive about 35 minutes on the coast road (N340) before reaching Nerja and the caves that belong to the town. Even though the caves are nestled between typical Spanish villages, they have only been discovered during the 20th century. The wonderful landscapes and picturesque surroundings make the site to a truly magical place.
The Caves of Nerja originated within the last 5 million years due to geological process and the movement of entire mountain ranges. It was around the Triassic period that calcareous mud had settled down which later transformed into the typical calcareous-dolomite marble which we can see today - sheltering the caves. In the very long period of the alpine orogeny which lasted from 65 million years ago until about 5 million years ago, the tectonic layers of Europe and Africa drifted and therefore created the Beticas mountains which includes the mountains of Almijara. During the last 5 million years, the rain abundance was reason for the circulation of underground waters which ended up forming cavities. These waters later had to find even lower layers due to the ground embossment and left many of the caves above dry. As a consequence of the lack of water, caves began to refill with carbonate which left stalagmites as well as stalagtites. During the Medium Pleistocene and Holocene (the last 800.000 years) both stalagmites and stalagtites began to expand and form even further as of the settling of calcite which created the stunning underground scenery as we know it today. Do not miss a trip here to admire the impressive Caves of Nerja with their incredible formations and structures. And even if you are not too keen on the caves themselves, the prehistoric paintings that can be found here are definitely worth a visit.
Length of the cavity: 7 219,28 m. of polygonals. Levels spread: 67,95 metres 32,99 + 34,96 Total Surface: 35 484 m2 Total Volume: 264 379,33 m3
