Spain is culture

Welcome to the world's oldest art gallery. In Spain, you find more than 100 archaeological sites of great value, which are part of the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe "Prehistoric Rock Art Trails". Thousands of years ago, our ancestors drew these paintings on rocks outdoors and in caves (like Altamira) – humanity's first works of art.

The Prehistoric Rock Art Trails are 15 rock art routes for an exciting journey to the artistic origins of humanity in Spain. You can see drawings and artistic forms made thousands of years ago, a reflection of the beliefs, concerns and daily life of our prehistoric ancestors. Sets of fascinating cave paintings and engravings, since you can find naturalistic but also schematic and abstract representations and symbolic figures. Humanity's first works of art.

Amazing prehistory

Some of the most important cave sites in Europe are located in Spain. Each year, more than two million people visit these locations. Most of them are part of the European Cultural Route "Prehistoric Rock Art Trails".  And they are usually located in beautiful landscapes and natural environments. Also, four large rock art areas are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list: the Cave of Altamira and Palaeolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain, the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula, the Prehistoric Rock Art Site in Siega Verde, and the Risco Caido and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria Cultural Landscape.

Rock art routes throughout almost all of Spain

The Prehistoric Rock Art Trails cross almost all of Spain. The routes feature small sites, such as caves, rock shelters or open-air rocks, and visits to large museums, archaeological parks and infrastructures with excellent reproductions of rock art so as not to jeopardise the conservation of the original sites. They even offer workshops, activities for children and 3D tours, which help visitors to explore prehistoric artistic techniques and daily life. These are the 15 routes:

Paleolithic Euskadi (Basque Country): the route takes two days and goes from Zestoa (Gipuzkoa) to Bilbao, stopping at the Ekain and Santimamiñe caves, among other places.

The country of Altamira (Cantabria): a route through Cantabrian cave paintings designed to be done in 4 days. In addition to the Altamira Museum, visit the Covalanas, El Pendo, El Castillo, Las Monedas, Hornos de la Peña and Chufín caves, awarded the World Heritage designation by the UNESCO.

Caves and rock art landscapes of Eastern Asturias: a three-day tour through the valleys of Asturias that includes visits to World Heritage caves like El Pindal, Tito Bustillo and Covaciella, among other sites.

Rock Art in the Nalón Valley (Asturias): this two-day route continues in Asturias and includes a visit to the Teverga Prehistory Park and the Peña de Candamo cave, also on the UNESCO list.

Petroglyphs of Pontevedra (Galicia): ideal for three days, it covers several Galician cave sites, including the Campo Lameiro Rock Art Archaeological Park.

Schematic Art of the Prehistory of Extremadura: a 5-day route that starts in the region of Las Hurdes (Caceres) and ends in Alburquerque (Badajoz), going through areas like the Monfragüe National Park and the Villuercas Geopark. Two rock shelters are of particular quality: the Monfragüe Castle and the Maltravieso Cave in La Zarza.

Cave paintings of the Northern Plateau (Castile and Leon): the route runs through the provinces of Segovia, Soria, Palencia and Leon. The paintings of Peña Piñera, the Ojo Guareña cave, the path through the schematic art of Valonsadero and the Enebralejos cave are some of its most attractive points.

The Art of Light, from the Sistema Central to Agueda (Castile and Leon): a three-day route designed to visit the cave sites of the provinces of Salamanca and Avila, also enjoying beautiful landscapes. The archaeological area of Siega Verde and the shelters of the Las Batuecas Natural Park are some of the must-see stops.

Rock art in Castile-La Mancha: week-long tour that travels through the provinces of Guadalajara, Cuenca, Albacete and Ciudad Real, where there is a wide network of sites of great archaeological value on the World Heritage list, such as the shelters of Minateda, Alpera, Solana de las Covachas and the Villar de Humo ensemble.

Andalusian Rock Art (Andalusia): six days through the interior of the provinces of Huelva, Cordoba, Jaen, Almeria, Malaga and Cadiz, visiting places like the Dolmen de Soto and the Nerja, Murciélagos de Zuheros and Doña Trinidad de Ardales caves.

Rock Art of the Region of Murcia: a five-day route from Mula to Yecla, enjoying the museums and cave shelters in different locations, such as the shelters of Pozo de Calasparra, Barranco de los Grajos or those of Monte Arabí.

Rock Art of the Region of Valencia: four-day tour to learn about Levantine rock art, awarded the World Heritage designation by the UNESCO and a reference point for the Prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula.

Cultural Parks of Aragon: four cultural parks in Aragon preserve amazing heritage with more than 60 rock art caves. The five-day route visits iconic sites, like the shelters of Prado del Navazo, Val del Charco, the Vero river and the Colungo Rock Art Centre.

Rock art in La Rioja:  ideal for two days, this tour shows the human ability to create cave spaces and how they have been used since the Bronze Age.

Gran Canaria, rock art on the island (Canary Islands). With two main locations: the Museum and Archaeological Park of the Cueva Pintada de Gáldar, where you can learn about the art and life of the first settlers of the Canary Islands, and the ancient troglodyte settlement of Risco Caido.o.