HORNOS DE LA PEÑA CAVE

Google Maps:
43.261315, -4.032022

Type of site:
Cave

Place of location: Peña de los Hornos or Monte Redondo
Village/Town: Tarriba
Municipality: San Felices de Buelna (Cantabria)
Region: Cantabria
State: Spain
Telephone: (+34) 942 598 425
Website: https://cuevas.culturadecantabria.com/en/
E-mail: reservascuevas@culturadecantabria.es

Natural Environment:

The cave is in a limestone hill, located above a terrace of the River Barcenal and overlooking a natural pass. The limestone peaks of Sierra del Dobra are opposite the cave.

Archaeological evidences in the site:

The exterior engravings are comparable with those at other sites in northern Spain, such as the figures outside Chufín Cave and in La Luz Cave in Cantabria, or the deep engravings in the Nalón Valley (Torneiros, La Lluera, etc) in Asturias. The engravings inside the cave can clearly be compared with similar representations in El Castillo and Altamira Caves.

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Opening Times:

It is necessary to book at least one day in advance to see the cave. Closed 1st and 6th January, 24th, 25th, and 31st December. Low season: From 1st November to 28st February. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Mid season: From 1st March to 13th June and from 18th September to 31st October. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. High season: From 14th June to 17th September. Closed on Mondays.

Booking and access:

www.culturadecantabria.com reservascuevas@culturadecantabria.es Telephone: +34 942 598 425

Nearby cultural destinations:

In San Felices de Buelna: Pero Niño Tower, in Llano. The Besaya Valley has a large number of Romanesque and pre-Romanesque churches, as at San Román de Moroso, San Juan de Raicedo and Santa Leocardia de Helguera. Park of Cantabrian Stele, in Barros de Buelna.

Nearby natural destinations:

Limestone hills in Sierra del Dobra. Oak and beech woods in Monte Teja.

Accommodations (Tourism Website):
https://turismodecantabria.com/
Restaurants (Tourism Website):
https://www.turismodecantabria.com/descubrela/donde-comer

Age of the artistic representations:

Gravettian and Magdalenian.

General description of the destination:

The cave has two clearly different groups of engravings. The first is in daylight at the entrance of the cave and consists of deep engravings, above all of a horse, which are archaic and possibly date from the Gravettian. Inside the cave there are more engravings of horses and bison, a stag, a reindeer and a serpentiform. A black painting representing a horse has also been identified. One of the more outstanding figures is an anthropomorph with a raised arm and a long tail, situated in a hollow at the back of the cave.

History of the site:

The rock art was discovered by H. Alcale del Río in 1903. In 1906 it was almost completely excavated by the Institute of Human Palaeontology in Paris. Ucko and Rosenfeld carried out a new study of the art in the 1960s.

Museographic resources description:

There is a small reception centre for visitors at the enterance to the cave.