Museum and Caves of Altamira

The Altamira cave is located in the Katambria mountain range. It is famous because of the colorful wall paintings associated with Upper Paleolithic Magdalenian culture. Most were created around 13,000 BC but some drawings are much older. The cave extends for 270 meters, and its walls are covered with hand prints, images of bison, deer, horses, roe deer and geometric figures. Red, black and purple dyes were used in the art. Some drawings show movement and different perspectives.

The cave was found by Marcelino Sanza de Sautuola in 1879. Due to the great interest of tourists and the destruction of paintings, the building was closed to the public in 1977. It was reopened in 1982 with a daily entry limit. However, due to further degradation of wall drawings, it was closed again in 2001. In 2008, an exact replica of the cave was opened to visitors.