LOCATION

   The caves of Nerja are located in the South of Spain, in the slpes of Sierra Almijara mountains, a few kilometres from the town of Nerja, in the province of Malaga. Access to the caves is indicated on the Mediterranean highway (35 minutes from the capital of Malaga). They are perfectly situated in the picturesque surroundings of typical Mediterranean villages, full of the unique beauty of Andalusia. To facilitate the access to the Nerja Caves the bus service is provided as well.


THE CAVES OF NERJA

   Are the formation of karstic cavities, with its origin in the chain of the geologic processes occurred within the last ww5 million years. In the period of Triassic significant quantities of the calcareous mud settled down on the fond of the ancient Mediterranean sea, later on transforming into the calcareous-dolomite marble, which at present shelter the Caves of Nerja. In the period of the alpine orogeny (the end of Cretaceous – beginning of Miocene), started 65 million years ago and lasting up to 5 million years ago, drifts between tectonic layers of Africa and Europe resulted in the creation of the Beticas mountains, such as Sierra Tejeda or Almijara. The rain abundance in the last 5 million years (Superior Mioceneand – Inferior Pleistocene) infiltrated the fissures of marbles stimulating its further dissoluton. In this way, huge cavities in which the underground waters circulated were formed. Later on due to the surge of the ground embossment, resulting from the mountain slides in the region in question, the subterranean waters were forced to look for the lower layers to circulate in. In the consequence the caves commenced to refill with carbonate deposits stalactites and stalagmites. In the last 800,000 years (Medium Pleistocene and Holocene) the impressive stalactites and stalagmites have been formed thanks to the further settling of calcite. The settlement processes have created subterranean scenery of the Caves of Nerja, wich can be admired nowadays.


TECHNICAL DATA

Length of the cavity: 7 219,28 m. of polygonals.
Levels spread: 67,95 metres 32,99 + 34,96
Total Surface: 35 484 m2
Total Volume: 264 379,33 m3

    Only one-third of the halls are open for tourists: low galleries (Entrance Hall, Créche Hall, Elephant Eye-Tooth Hall, Ballet Hall, Phantoms Hall and Cataclysm Hall), throughout the latest one can pass up to the High halls discovered in 1960 and New galleries, discovered in 1970, both of wich are accessible to he reduced groups of visitors dedicated to the speleological tourism. The approximate duration of the visit to the tourist zone in the Caves of Nerja accounts up to 45 minutes.