Cavernas de El Castillo e Arte Paleotítica - pequenos grupos

First, El Castillo has around 300 steps. There are decent breaks in between each set of stairs as the guides explain each painting, etc, but you'll also have to walk all the way back up. Las Monedas is easier, but my mom was winded by the end, so I think I was correct to advise her not to go in the first one. Catalina was amazing in explaining everything from geology to discovery to scientific understanding. I wish we had more time at the interpretation center, I could spend a while there, but I know everyone isn't as much into reading signposts, and the official cave tours are done by museum employees & on strict timetables. As we left the next group was ready to start. Because of late cancelations, we had 4 instead of 7 for the tour, so in a way we got slightly more time I think. Get this off your bucket list as much as possible. Catalina explained that just three years ago they allowed 3 groups of 13 people each per hour, but global warming is leading to fast deterioration in the caves. Soon these could go the way of Altamira which I'm happy to have skipped due to lack of time, where the caves are totally shut down. I feel so privileged to have been able to see the oldest cave art in Europe, by just about the first homo sapiens to reach Europe. And I could be one of the last few in general public to see them. I see museum staff will use English but you'll miss most of the contexts unless you understand Spanish well. If not, get a guide who can do the whole tour in your language. You're making this journey. Might as well get to know all of it.

The cave tours were exceptional; an experience to be sought out if possible. Our driver was fine, the cave guide amazing.

Well organised. We were picked up from out hotel, the guide was friendly and informative and the cave art is fascinating and beautiful, and unbelievably old. Highly recommend.

To visit these beautiful caves and see genuine Palaeolithic art from 40,000 years ago was a truly unique experience and something I have wanted to do since childhood. It was incredible! The small tour group (only 7 people are allowed in the cave at any one time) made it even more special. The caves are thought to have been occupied simultaneously by Neanderthals and Homo sapiens and some of the older cave paintings might even be Neanderthal in origin- the only such examples known, so to see them in situ was awe inspiring. Combined with a visit to Santander museum of Prehistory and Archeology the day before made it even more interesting. We were collected from our hotel in Sardinero which made it very stress free and in the caves our tour guide was knowledgeable and made for a wonderful and unforgettable experience. Highly recommended but book well in advance otherwise you will miss out.

Very educational experience. Thanks

Spectacular small group tour of both the caves and the museum! We had an up close look at the fascinating drawings made thousands of years ago, and thoughtful conversation about the people who drew them. We also learned about the striking geology of the caves themselves. Even if you have seen Paleolithic drawings before, this tour will show you things that you haven’t seen.

Excellent communication from booking through the tour! Gabriella was knowledgeable, engaging, and delightful!

The airport opens at 5am. We had a flight at 6:30am. Because it was an international flight, we decided to go 3hrs before. The hotel never mention to us. We were 3 sets of couple outside the airport, freezing for almost 2hrs. They were not informed either.

Gabriela was incredibly dedicated and knowledgeable — she shared fascinating insights about the caves and the surrounding landscape throughout the tour. El Castillo cave allows only 7 visitors per hour, which made the experience feel intimate and special. When seeing the row of handprints dating back 15,000–20,000 years , I felt like our ancient ancestors were reaching out to us through a wormhole in time. Highly recommended!

I'd been in two minds about signing up for this tour because we had a rental car and I thought we could get to the caves ourselves. This is how we saw Altamira ( the wonderful replica cave). But tickets for Castillo and Monedas were sold out. So I booked a tour instead and I'm so glad I did. Rafa was our guide and while he said his English "wasn't complete" it was certainly enough for us to understand the significance of the caves. He gave interesting, wonderful commentary en route before we entered the caves with the allotted Spanish guides. Once inside, Rafa quietly interpreted for us. The caves are truly, truly special. I hadn't realized how remarkable the art in both of them is, especially in Castillo. I was transported! Rafa was especially thoughtful and gave me his arm every time we had to move through the cave across a somewhat slippery, potentially dangerous floor. (My husband and I are in our early 70s and I have a palpable fear of falling!) Rafa was by my side to prevent that. We learned so much from him and have come away with new respect for those who lived in the Paleolithic era and for what they achieved artistically. If you find yourself in Cantabria, sign up for one of Rafa and his company's tours! Utterly memorable.