Cave of Chufín

Rionansa, Spain

The cave of Chufín is situated at the confluence of the Lamasón and Nansa rivers. Several caves are ornamented with rock art pock the steep slopes above the water. Chufín is one of the caves included in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites under the entry Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain.

In Chufín were found different levels of occupation, the oldest being around 20000 years old. The small cave has some subtle engravings and paintings of red deer, goats, and cattle, all represented very schematically.

Also found in the cave were many symbols. One group, called type 'sticks', accompanies the paintings inside animals. There are also many drawings using points (puntillaje), including one which has been interpreted as a representation of a vulva.

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Founded: 18000 BCE
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Spain

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Manolo Fraile (6 months ago)
The guide gave us a magnificent archeology class. Congratulations on your work. Access to the account is not easy. It is advisable to wear pants designed to get mud stained, because even though they give you knee pads, some of them will get stained (you have to crawl a short distance). In our case, a long sleeve was enough, there was no need for warmer clothing.
ester bondi (7 months ago)
A small cave but with a lot of charm!
Alfonso Pardo (8 months ago)
If you like history, a must visit. Dream landscape and we were lucky to see a team of archaeologists working in the cave. Juan, the guide, did a great job and contributed to enriching the experience with his enthusiasm, knowledge and professionalism. You have to be prepared for the mud, yes. They provide you with material (helmet, flashlights and knee pads) for the complicated areas of the cave. My daughters made the visit without problems and one is 7 years old.
NE (11 months ago)
An experience. After seeing all the guided caves that can be visited in Cantabria, this has been special, a cave that can be seen at certain times of the year because the water level does not allow it, in which only groups of 6 pass and they bring you closer to the place in car, then a one kilometer journey along a muddy path and you enter a cave with a helmet and knee pads, since you are going to enter crawling. Impressive inside, nothing like the rest and guided by Juan, who lives it and makes your visit a unique memory.
Nuria Bloesch López (2 years ago)
A cave that is worth visiting, you have to reserve tickets in advance. In our case we took them about 3 weeks before and it was at the end of August. The cave is simply spectacular, there is a section that the guide takes you by car. Then there is a path of about 20 minutes and then you reach the entrance to the cavity. And there you start to enjoy the cave.
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