The Santimamiñe Cave is situated in the Biscayan village of Kortezubi, near Gernika. It was discovered by chance in 1916 by some children who were playing in the area and presents a complete and unique formation in Bizkaia. It is a very special sight, a prehistoric sanctuary, inhabited since the Magdalenian era (more than 13000 years old), and which, far from being abandoned, preserved its character as a sacred place for many years after the Romanization. In fact, many Roman coins have been found inside the cave used in rituals that speak of the sacred character of the location.

The cave possesses a great geological beauty, with a large number of stalagmite and stalactite formations, joining in certain places to create some magnificent columns throughout the whole cave. Also, there are some beautiful stone layers on its walls, producing in certain places some fine limestone curtains, some white and others red, due to the iron oxide in the water.

However, the most interesting aspect of the cave is its prehistoric paintings. They possess an exceptional beauty, with their black ink strokes representing the fauna that existed in the area around that time (horses, bison, goats, etc). Unfortunately, given the deterioration from the crowds of visitors that flocked to see the cave in the past, the majority of the paintings have been closed to the public for conservation. The rest of the cave can be visited in small groups, where you can enjoy a small selection of the paintings.

Visiting times:
From Monday to Friday; 10.00, 11.15, 12.30, 16.30 and 18.00
Closed at weekends and public holidays
Free entrance and accompanying guide
Maximum of 15 people per day