Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Spain Kortezubi Cueva de Santimamiñe (Santimamiñe Cave)

Cueva de Santimamiñe (Santimamiñe Cave)

An archeological treasure trove stumbled upon by a couple of children.

Kortezubi, Spain

Added By
Teresa
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The gate of Santimamiñe Cave   Simoncio on Wikipedia
Uphill path leading to the cave   gingercinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Not all archeological finds are discovered by intrepid explorers. Such is the case with the Santimamiñe Caves in Spain, which were discovered by two children playing near the site.

The cave, as it turned out, contained a wealth of prehistoric artifacts and cave paintings dating back 13,000 years. Primitive depictions of deer, bison, goats, and horses adorn the walls, along with remains from the past all the way up to the Iron Age. The cave provided a valuable, if delicate, look into the distant past of the region. The caves were been closed to the general public since 2006, when a metal gate was bolted to the entrance, but daily guided tours are still available.

Related Tags

Caves Cave Paintings Ecosystems

Know Before You Go

Regular tours run daily, with the price starting at 5€. Times and ticket information can be found online.

Community Contributors

Added By

mongoosenamedt

Edited By

Molly McBride Jacobson, snowjunkie21, EricGrundhauser, gingercinnamon

  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • snowjunkie21
  • EricGrundhauser
  • gingercinnamon

Published

February 15, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.santimamiñe.com/cueva_de_santimamine/
  • https://www.euskadi.net/en/cultural-heritage/santimamine-caves/x65-12375/en/
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santimami%C3%B1e
  • http://www.xn--santimamie-19a.com/la-cueva/
Cueva de Santimamiñe (Santimamiñe Cave)
Urdaibai - Biosfera Erreserba
Kortezubi, 48315
Spain
43.345311, -2.637095
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Gaztelugatxe

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Spain

miles away

Fountain of Dogs

Bilbao, Spain

miles away

Stained Glass Window at Bilbao Abando Indalecio Prieto Station

Bilbao, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kortezubi

Kortezubi

Spain

Places 2

Nearby Places

Gaztelugatxe

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Spain

miles away

Fountain of Dogs

Bilbao, Spain

miles away

Stained Glass Window at Bilbao Abando Indalecio Prieto Station

Bilbao, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kortezubi

Kortezubi

Spain

Places 2

Related Places

  • Papasidero, Italy

    Romito Cave

    A mountain cave is the site of archaeological findings and Paleolithic rock art.

  • Castillo Cave, entrance

    Puente Viesgo, Spain

    Caves of Monte Castillo

    The walls of these four caverns are filled with art that dates back to the earliest human presence in Europe.

  • Laas Geel

    Hargeisa, Somalia

    Laas Geel

    This cave located in the badlands of Somaliland contains some of the oldest cave art in Africa.

  • Cave of Maltravieso

    Cáceres, Spain

    Cave of Maltravieso

    A neighborhood park in the city of Cáceres hides what some believe are revolutionary examples of Neanderthal cave art.

  • Waves rolling into Cannibal Cave.

    Rapa Nui, Chile

    Ana Kai Tangata (Cannibal Cave)

    The ominously named cave is home to some remarkable ancient art.

  • The injured woolly mammoth rock painting.

    Pimiango, Spain

    El Pindal Cave

    These primitive rock paintings include a very beloved depiction of a woolly mammoth.

  • Replica of the horse panel of the Chauvet Cave.

    Asturias, Spain

    Teverga Prehistoric Park

    See replicas of Europe's most famous cave paintings and even some of the animals that feature in the art.

  • Prehistoric painting of horses at Tito Bustillo cave.

    Ribadesella, Spain

    Tito Bustillo Cave

    A magnificent place to see authentic paleolithic cave paintings that are an astounding 33,000 years old.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.