The discovery almost half a century ago of this cave, also known as the “Natural cathedral of the Costa del Sol”, was a decisive factor in making Nerja a focal point for international tourism.

A group of friends from the local area discovered the cave in 1959. It is less than a kilometre from the coast on a headland that rises some 200 metres above sea level, very close to the Nerja urban district. The part of the cavern open for visits measures 700 metres long and has an area of 140,000 square metres.

There are other, larger, galleries that are closed to the public due to difficulty of access and because a team of experts is continuing its research in them. They have already publicised some of their most interesting finds. The Cataclysm Room stands out among the many rooms (Columns of Hercules, Mountain, Sand, Hispanic Goat, Immensity, Bethlehem, Cascade, etc) that make up this enormous subterranean chamber. It is the largest room in the cave and is overlooked by a gigantic column measuring 45 metres in height, 20 in diameter and 64 in circumference that is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest column in the world. The Festival of Music and Dance is held each July in the Ballet Room, with the most acclaimed international artists performing. 


Several showcases have been installed in a suitable area inside the cave and display incalculably valuable archaeological artefacts. Cave paintings have been found in several rooms that, according to Professor Sanchidrián Torti, constitute a “Solutrense sanctuary”. Two kinds of iconography can be seen: animal (equines and deer) and abstract, with curved-line motifs. Special mention also should be made of the “mono-themed Magdaleniense chapel” in the upper galleries, in which are found the “Dolphin Sanctuary” and several specimens of post-Palaeolithic art with anthropomorphic figures in dancing poses. The human remains that have been found, on the other hand, are of Cro-Magnon man.

While these finds are of extraordinary scientific value what truly captivates the lay visitor is the cave’s grandeur, the beauty of the stalactite and stalagmite formations and, in many cases, the anthropomorphic shapes that nature seems to have sculpted in the rock. The monumental dimensions of some of its rooms are truly stunning and invariably inspire the most diverse exclamations of wonder among the visitors.

The schedule for visits is from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM from 16 September to 30 April (winter schedule), and from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, without interruption, from 1 May to 15 September (summer schedule). The telephone contact number is 952 52 95 20 and the website is  www.cuevadenerja.es.

Since Nerja Cave is located next to the locality of the same name in the heart of the Costa del Sol you need only take the Mediterranean Expressway (A-7; N-340) from any point on the Málaga coast to get there, keeping in mind that you must go in the direction of Motril and Almería. The exit for “Cueva de Nerja” is posted on this highway and it is not necessary to enter the village.