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Art & Culture
Cultural Heritage
Santimamiñe Caves are located in an unparalleled setting: on the right bank of the River Urdaibai and on the foothill of Ereñozar Mountain.
Santimamiñe's cave paintings were discovered in 1916 as, out of curiosity, some boys ran into them. The paintings depict several animals such as horses, goats, deer or dun bears. Santimamiñe features big geological beauty, with lots of stalactites and stalagmites that sometimes unite forming magnificent columns all through the cave's itinerary.
On the other hand, there are concretion layers on the walls that form fine calcic carbonate-curtains, sometimes white and sometimes red due to the amounts of iron oxide found in the waters.
The caves have been closed to the public since 2006. Nonetheless, hour and a half long guided tours are offered.
For starters, visitors enter the cave, allowing them to admire the site. They can also enjoy the spectacular natural environment. Then, they can make their way to the chapel of San Mamés, which has been turned into an interpretative centre. There, with the aid of a sophisticated virtual tour, one can travel to the inside of the cave, including the famous cave paintings.
Caves
