Nerja Caves Entry Ticket with Audio Guide

The Nerja Caves, a hidden world beneath Maro

The Nerja Caves, or Cueva de Nerja, were discovered by chance in January 1959, when a group of young friends from Maro squeezed through a narrow shaft in the hillside and found enormous halls hidden underground. The cave had been formed over millions of years as water dissolved the marble of the Sierra Almijara, and it opened to visitors only a year later.

Archaeologists soon discovered that people had lived here long ago. Tools, burials and pottery show that the cave was used from the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age, and some galleries closed to the public contain prehistoric paintings. Are the Nerja Caves worth visiting? For most travellers to the Costa del Sol, it is one of the top sights, combining natural wonder and deep history.

Inside the cave: the great halls and the giant column

The visitor route follows walkways and stairs through a series of vast chambers. In the Hall of the Ballet a natural amphitheatre hosts concerts during the summer music festival. The Hall of Ghosts takes its name from pale formations that seem to float in the dark, and the Hall of the Waterfall shows curtains of calcite frozen in time.

The highlight is the Cataclysm Hall, where a colossal column, formed when a stalactite and a stalagmite joined, rises about 32 metres from floor to ceiling and is considered one of the largest of its kind in the world. Around it lie huge blocks that fell from the ceiling long ago. The temperature stays around 19 degrees all year, so the visit is comfortable in every season.

Your visit: audio guide, timing and tickets

Your Nerja Caves ticket gives you entry at a set time, chosen when you book, and the mobile audio guide explains the formation of the cave, its discovery and its prehistoric inhabitants in 15 languages. Children have their own audio guide in English and Spanish, with stories designed for younger visitors. Remember to bring headphones and a charged phone.

The route takes about one hour, with around 400 steps up and down, so wear comfortable shoes with good grip, as the floor can be damp. Photography without flash is usually allowed. Nerja Caves opening hours vary with the season, starting in the morning every day; your ticket shows your entry time, and booking ahead is wise in summer and at weekends.

The Nerja Museum, Maro and the surroundings

Your ticket also includes the Nerja Museum, in the Plaza de España in the town centre, next to the Balcón de Europa viewpoint. It tells the story of Nerja and its caves, from prehistoric hunters to the sugar industry, with finds from the cave on display. The virtual reality room lets you explore galleries of the cave that are closed to visitors.

If you are wondering how to get to the Nerja Caves, they are about 4 kilometres east of Nerja centre, around 10 minutes by car or by local bus, with a large car park at the entrance. The nearby village of Maro has viewpoints over the sea and the coast, and the beaches of Maro and Burriana are just a short drive away.