Although perhaps for most of the people who visit Asturias it is not one of the main points to take into account when choosing the Principality as a destination, the rock art is undoubtedly one of the great attractions of our region.
There are numerous Palaeolithic sites that make Asturias internationally known. Without going any further, it is very remarkable that in Asturias there are 5 caves declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO:
– Tito Bustillo (Ribadesella)
– The Pindal (Ribadedeva)
– La Peña (Candamo)
– El Llonín (Peñamellera Alta)
– Covaciella (Cabrales)
Apart from these, there are many other examples such as the Cueva del Demo, in Boal, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. However, the vast majority do not admit visitors. There are currently only 6 caves that can be visited in Asturias, 3 of which coincide with those recognized by UNESCO. Here are some of them:
- Tito Bustillo’s Cave.
Probably the best known in Asturias. It is located in Ribadesella. It was discovered in 1968 by a group of young people from Oviedo and Rioella who were fond of caving. It is made up of 12 ensembles, including the Gallery of the Horses, the Gallery of the Anthropomorphs, the Camarín de las Vulvas and the Main Panel, the only one that can be visited today. In addition, to ensure their proper conservation, there are restrictions on these visits on the number of people (maximum 150 per day) and dates (from March 1 to November 3 in 2019). Children under the age of 7 are not allowed in Tito Bustillo.
Tito Bustillo is part of a karst complex in which there are other caves such as the Cuevona de Ardines, which can be visited all year round. Of course, it is a visit “for the brave”, since to access it you will have to climb 300 steps. An effort that is certainly worth it.
The complex has been completed with the creation of an interpretation centre, the Tito Bustillo Rock Art Center, which offers a very complete and very interesting permanent exhibition, which is sometimes complemented by temporary exhibitions, and a wide range of Workshops & Activities didactic and educational to approach the Paleolithic Art.
If, after all this, you are thinking of including this visit in your plans, we recommend that you take a look at their website to see the different options available, prices, access and other information of interest.
Cuevona de Ardines (Image: C.A.R. Tito Bustillo)
- El Pindal Cave.
The El Pindal Cave is located in the town of Pimiango, in the municipality of Ribadedeva. It is located in Cabo San Emeterio and has a single entrance over the sea. The gallery is partially open to the public and, due to its characteristics, it is not recommended for people with vision or mobility difficulties to visit and the use of warm clothing and appropriate footwear is recommended. In addition, in the case of children, access is allowed for ages 7 and up. Tours are carried out in groups of a maximum of 20 people and require prior reservation.
In this case, El Pindal also has an Interpretation Centre with free access and from which guided tours are organised. Pay attention, because although the Interpretation Centre is open from Tuesday to Sunday, access to the cave is from Wednesday to Sunday.
In this link you have all the information you need (click!).
- Cueva de La Peña.
It is located in the town of San Román, in the neighboring municipality of Candamo. That is why it is also known as the Candamo Cave. This is the westernmost Palaeolithic cave in Europe, with different spaces such as the Stalagmitic Slope, the Wall of Engravings and the Goat Panel. Unfortunately, as a result of having allowed the visit without any kind of control, its engravings and paintings suffered serious deterioration, so in 1979 it was closed and did not reopen until 1994, after having carried out recovery work. Today, visits are limited and require prior reservation. In this case, entry is also limited to those over 7 years old.
La Peña Cave has a Interpretation Centre and Didactic Classroom of the Candamo Cavern, in which you will be amazed both by its content, with life-size reproductions and a very complete multimedia system, and by its container, as it is located in an old palace from the seventeenth century. Although the center is open year-round, access to the cave is allowed at certain times of the year.
Detail of Tito Bustillo (Image: C.A.R. Tito Bustillo)
- Cave of La Lluera.
In the municipality of Oviedo is the Cueva de La Lluera, discovered in 1979. It should be noted that it is considered the most complete outdoor sanctuary of Palaeolithic art in Europe, in which there are representations of aurochs, deer, horses and bison. Its opening is limited to the summer period. Once again, this time mainly due to its access, visits are restricted for children under 7 years of age and elderly people or people with reduced mobility.
Here you can see more useful information for your visit.
- Cueva de La Loja.
One of the easternmost caves in the region, in the municipality of Peñamellera Baja (town of El Mazo) and the first with vestiges of Palaeolithic art discovered in Asturias. It can only be visited at Easter and summer. It also has a Didactic Classroom. In this case, the visit to the classroom is guided and takes place prior to the visit to the cave itself. There is a maximum number of people per day and children under 7 years old are not allowed.
You can find additional information at this link.
- El Buxu Cave.
The last of the 6 caves that can be visited in Asturias is the Cueva de El Buxu, located in Cardes (Cangas de Onís). It has 3 sets in which not only animal figures can be appreciated, but also geometric and zoomorphic ones. A very important feature of this site is the discovery of movable art, where a sculpture of a bird carved on a cave bear tusk stands out.
It is open all year round, with free admission on Wednesdays. Be careful, because the visits are very small, with 4 groups per day of a maximum of only 6 people per group. Once again, we leave you more information here.
Gallery of the Prehistoric Park of Teverga
Another way to get closer to cave art and the Palaeolithic is to visit
the Teverga Prehistory Park
, which we already told you about in this post.
As you will see, this period left great examples in our region. We have only told you a small part that we hope has been helpful and that has served to give you one more reason to visit Asturias.
