El Castillo Caves and Paleotithic Art- small groups

Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
Image 6
Image 7
Image 8
Image 9

Overview

Available languages

English
Spanish

5 hours

Mobile ticket

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit the caves of El Castillo and Las Monedas, both world heritage caves for their cave paintings

• Walk around the cozy village of Puente Viesgo

• Enjoy the views over the Pas River

SUMMARY

After picking you up at your hotel, we will travel to Puente Viesgo to visit the famous caves of "El Castillo" and "Las Monedas", both World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, 2008.

The "El Castillo" Cave has paintings considered among the oldest preserved in the world. The silhouettes of hands in negative are famous, which according to archaeologists belong to more than 50 different people. Las Monedas cave will offer us beautiful silhouettes drawn in charcoal from the Magdalenian period. This cave also has a high geological value.

Finally, we will take a short walk through the village of Puente Viesgo

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Public transportation options are available nearby

Specialized infant seats are available

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

A maximum of 8 people per booking

This tour has a minimum of 4 people for final tour confirmation

Tour request approval depends on cave entrance tickets availability

Children must be accompanied by an adult

The visit into the cave is only in Spanish available, your guide access with you to translate

Tour may be operated by multi-lingual guide

Temperature into the Caves is 12ºC all year

This tour is NOT recommended for people with mobility problems

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Entrance ticket to Las Monedas Cave

Driver/guide

Entrance ticket to El Castillo Cave

Transport by private vehicle

Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

1

Cave of El Castillo

This has has been declared World Heritage by Unesco and it is one of the most important caves in the world for its cave paintings. Please notice that the regular visit is in Spanish. Please contact us if you want to have a private tour in English or someone translating the visit for you into English.

1 hour • Admission Included
2

Cueva De Las Monedas

This cave had been declared World Heritage by Unesco in the year 2008. Please notice that the regular visit is in Spanish. Please contact us if you want to have a private tour in English or someone translating the visit for you into English

1 hour • Admission Included

Options

Regular tour - small groups

Duration: 5 hours
Minivan
Pickup included

Reviews

4.73

30 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

25
4
0
0
1
  • Great tour of the caves

    staydan212,

    Oct 30, 2025

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    4.00

    A great day out, our guid, Maria, was great, she was engaging,friendly and extremely knowledgeable on the caves and art work. Well worth the money.

  • A taste of the Paleolithic world

    jeffreysN1011QR,

    Oct 12, 2025

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    Amazing experience of relatively unchanged caves. Is slippery- be sure to wear good shoes for walking/wet surfaces. Cave art from 40,000 to 10,000 years ago together with impressive stalagmite and stalagmite formations. No photos allowed. The associated information center is also interesting with art and 360 virtual views of caves. Our guide Jaido knew alot about the art as well, helping out the docents!

  • Fantastic tour and well...

    Bri L,

    Sep 14, 2025

    - Review from Viator

    5.00

    Fantastic tour and well worth the trip to see the caves and art. The columns of stalagmites and stalactites made it feel like we were in a natural cathedral and the many ancient drawings simply added to the experience. Definitely wear good footwear as the floor is slick and request an English guide who will translate alongside the Spanish guide. Our guide was fantastic and answered all of our questions!

  • A real privilege

    A E,

    Aug 20, 2025

    - Review from Viator

    5.00

    Wonderfully passionate and informative guides for some spectacular snippets of prehistory. An absolute privilege to get to see these works of art in person and in situ.

  • Some con artists

    PepitaMarquesa,

    Aug 8, 2025

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    1.00

    They don't meet the description of the activity, but they charge you the same. Not to mention the guide's bad driving, a danger.

  • Slippery steps

    Phyllis L,

    Aug 6, 2025

    - Review from Viator

    4.00

    The driver was great.. the tour good but there were many slippery steps without railings or support. That was a surprise and should have been explained more fully in advance. The examples of prehistoric art were very few. Not sure if more exist but are not shown.. We went to caves in France some years ago on own and saw many more examples..I understand the difficulty in preservation of the sites.. if they are open to the public , pathways to viewing should be more accessible.

  • A Magical, Intimate Cave Adventure

    OliM150,

    Aug 1, 2025

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    An unforgettable cave experience made truly special by our guide Gabriela, and the two cave guides. Their deep knowledge, passion for the caves, and warm, welcoming nature brought everything to life. With only six of us on the tour, it felt intimate and personal, more like a real exploration than a typical group visit. We had the time and space to absorb the beauty and stories of the place. Highly recommended!

  • Mind blowing experience with a lovely small group company.

    Shelagh W,

    Jul 19, 2025

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    I have travelled quite a lot, and prefer to plan my own independent travel but I often book local day tours. I can honestly say that this was the best tour I have ever taken! If you are in or near Cantabria I highly recommend that you make the effort to take this tour with Exploring Cantabria. First of all, you will never see anything like it in your lifetime. The cave paintings are much more beautiful in real life and it is an incredible privilege to see them in this way, with our guide from Explore Cantabria and the local guides in each cave. They are all so passionate about what they do and what they are showing you. The guides share their extensive knowledge and bring everything to life. I actually got tears in my eyes when we entered the first cave we actually saw 2 caves). These caves, unlike Altamira, are not reproductions, you are in the actual caves. Rafa told us that each year the number of people allowed in per hour is dropping, I think he said it is down to 7 people now. One of the guides in the 2nd cave said he does not believe his children will be able to see these caves with their own eyes, so to go now was pretty awesome. I also can’t say enough about the owner (along with the his wife) and guide, Rafa. He phoned me in the morning to tell me to wait at my hotel instead of the pick up point (which was only about a 5 minute walk away) because it was raining a little bit, he came to my hotel to pick me up. He is a most gracious and lovely host with a real love for what he does. Thank you Rafa, you gave us a precious gift indeed! The small group ethos (there were only 3 of us and our guides) meant that we were immersed in the experience and it was very intimate and special. If you are fortunate enough to be in the north of Spain, a beautiful part of the country, I highly recommend that you look into any of the tours they offer, but this tour is pretty special!

  • Magical prehistoric caves a short drive from Santander

    ROBERT G,

    Jun 13, 2025

    - Review from Viator

    5.00

    The Castillo and Monedas caves were fantastic, even just in terms of geology. Add the mystery of the ancient human artwork and the wonder of 40,000 years of preservation, and you get the gift of an experience full of wonder. Our guide, Pepe, was genuinely kind, knowledgeable and fun. The guides at the two caves were really excellent and engaging. Do wear solid anti-slip shoes to maneuver the stairs and floors, and keep an eye open for low ceilings.

  • Amazing tour.

    Nanette M,

    May 8, 2025

    - Review from Viator

    5.00

    The tour guides were so knowledgeable and helpful. And the driver was so friendly and kind. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in learning about history and caves. They were incredible.

From €100.00

4.73
30 reviews

Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour

Chat with us on social

  • zalo
  • whatpsapp
  • messenger