Type of site:
Facsimile of Ekain Cave and Visitor Centre.
Place of location: Sastarrain Valley
Village/Town: Zestoa
Municipality: Zestoa (Gipuzkoa)
Region: Basque Country
State: Spain
Telephone: + 34 943 868 811
Website: https://www.ekainberri.eus/en/
E-mail: info@ekainberri.com
Natural Environment:
The replica of the Ekain Cave is located in the Sastarrain Valley, 600m from the cave and 1km from the centre of Zestoa. Sastarrain is a small valley surrounded by deciduous woodland, farms and meadows, and was the setting for the Palaeolithic artists at Ekain about 14,500 – 10,000 years ago. In order to conserve this natural scenery, measures have been taken, such as prohibiting motor vehicles from entering Ekainberri.
Archaeological evidences in the site:
The lower part of the Deba and Urola river valleys host a large number of caves and sites of Palaeolithic times. Some of the caves of this area have Palaeolithic art, like Altxerri (UNESCO World Heritage), Erlaitz, Danbolinzulo, Astigarraga, Praile Aitz and Ekain (the most important one). It is an important area for the study of Palaeolithic, especially the cultures of the Upper Palaeolithic.