Cueva de Nerja
- Visit: 60–90 min
- from EUR 13
- Not step-free
- Ideal for kids, teens
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Why go
- Fallen stalactites in the Hall of the Cataclysm were shattered by an earthquake about 80,000 years ago.
- The Hall of the Nativity holds calcite columns and a cave skeleton in a glass case.
- Waterfall Hall has formations resembling a stone waterfall and hosts an annual music and dance festival.
- Prehistoric paintings make the cave an important European rock-art site; the Upper and New Galleries are closed to ordinary visitors.
Opening hours
Today09:15 – 16:30Show all
Don't miss
- Entrance Hall discoveriesLook for finds displayed in the archaeologically excavated entrance chamber.Entrance Hall
- Fluted columnsLook for columns associated with different musical notes; some may have been modified by prehistoric inhabitants.Organ Corner
- Mediterranean plants and orchidsLook for regional crops, orchids and rare species; the garden entrance is behind the ticket office.Botanical Garden
With kids
- School visits are offered for students and educators.
- The virtual reality experience is guided by Tadeo Jones and shows how people lived in the cave 35,000 years ago.
Tips for your visit
- The cave ticket includes a virtual reality experience showing rooms and details beyond the regular route.
- Check whether your ticket includes the Nerja Museum, where cave finds and the town’s history are presented.
- Agency and association groups of more than 10 people can arrange group tours.
Know before you go
- The public route is through Nerja I. The Upper and New Galleries are closed to ordinary visitors.
- Wheeled vehicles cannot enter because of steep slopes and narrow spaces.
History
Finds include stone and bone tools and body ornaments, alongside evidence of food preparation and preservation. Small cupules held resinous wood fires that illuminated decorated areas.
- About 5 million years agoWater dissolved fissures in marble, beginning to form the cave.
- About 35,000 years agoThe oldest dated surface evidence belongs to the Aurignacian period; inhabitants made stone and bone tools.
- 25,000 BCPeople began using the cave seasonally. By about 21,000 BC, they had settled there year-round.
- About 4500 BCPeople farmed near the cave, kept domesticated animals and made pottery.
- 12 January 1959Five young people from Maro and Nerja entered La Mina while searching for bats and found skeletons beside ceramic bowls.
Show all
- 12 June 1960The cave’s public inauguration featured a ballet and the Málaga Symphony Orchestra. A visitor entrance supplemented two natural sinkholes.
- 1961The cave became a Historical-Artistic Monument.
- 1960 and 1969The Upper Galleries were discovered in 1960 and the New Galleries in 1969.
- 1999The Nerja Cave Research Institute was established for research, conservation and heritage outreach.
- 2006The cave was declared a Site of Cultural Interest in the Archaeological Zone category.
- 2017A study dated the seal paintings to between 20,000 and 18,000 years ago.
How to get there
- On footOn the face of the Sierra de Almijara in Maro, about five kilometres from Nerja town centre. Address: Carr. de Bajada a Playa de Maro, s/n, Nerja, Málaga.
Accessibility
- Step-free entry The circular route uses stairs and paved paths and has 458 steps. It is inaccessible to people with reduced mobility.
- Virtual reality tour A 10-minute tour is an alternative for visitors with reduced mobility.
Shorts
Interesting facts6
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4,823 metres
The cave system extends for 4,823 metres.
Inicio - Cueva de Nerja -
158 metres
The cave lies 158 metres above sea level.
Inicio - Cueva de Nerja -
750 metres
The cave is 750 metres from the coast.
School Visits - Cueva de Nerja -
35,484 square
The cave covers 35,484 square metres.
Höhlen von Nerja - Wikipedia -
9,371 square
The tourist galleries cover 9,371 square metres.
Grotte de Nerja - Wikipedia -
35,000 years
The oldest dated surface evidence in the cave is about 35,000 years old, from the Aurignacian period.
Historia de la Cueva de Nerja - Cueva de Nerja
Sources: Caves of Nerja - Wikipedia · Inicio - Cueva de Nerja · Historia de la Cueva de Nerja - Cueva de Nerja · School Visits - Cueva de Nerja · Höhlen von Nerja - Wikipedia · Cueva de Nerja - Wikipedia · Grotte de Nerja - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026
- Website
- cuevadenerja.es/
- Phone
- +34952529520
Plan from here: Evening walk →
Questions and answers
What are Cueva de Nerja’s opening hours?
Open daily 09:15–16:30; closed on 6 January, 15 May and 25 December.
What is included beyond the underground visit at Cueva de Nerja?
The cave ticket includes a virtual reality experience showing areas beyond the regular route.
Is the Nerja Museum included with a Cueva de Nerja visit?
Only when it is explicitly included on your ticket. The museum displays cave finds and presents local history.
Why is it called Organ Corner at Cueva de Nerja?
Its fluted columns can produce different notes. Some may have been modified by prehistoric inhabitants.
What did Cueva de Nerja serve as in the past?
It served as a human home, burial place, food store, animal shelter and hyena dwelling.
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