The depths of the earth have drawn men as much as the heavens. We look down, we look up, and everything fantastic seems divine to us. Today it is not the stars but the underground wonders that summon us: the Grotto of Wonders.
Caves are fantastic sites and some civilizations once thought that they were openings to the underworld ... Today we know that they are not that but they are creations signed by the masterful hand of nature. This cave is in Spain, not too far from Seville, so let's get to know it.
The Grotto of Wonders
It is located 89 kilometers from Seville and just over a hundred kilometers from Huelva, in the homonymous province, about five hours from Madrid. The particular thing is that it is in the heart of the urban area of Aracena, not to the outskirts, as it usually happens.
Aracena is a town in the Sierra de Aracena, with just over eight thousand inhabitants, but with a lot of archaeological legacy. It is known that humans have been living here since the second millennium BC, for example, sometimes more, sometimes less. The bulk of the population would not arrive until the XNUMXth century and currently its economy depends on tourism from two sites, the Picos de Aroche and the Sierra de Aracena Natural Park.
And of course there is the Grotto of Wonders which attracts more than one hundred thousand visitors per year. This cave is the product of water erosion on the weak limestone rocks of Cerro del Castillo. It is a complex of corridors and rooms that is 2.130 meters long, although only 1.400 can be visited.
They say in Aracena that the grotto was discovered by a shepherd, but in the annals of the town it appears only at the end of the XNUMXth century. Shortly after, in 1914, it was first opened to the public and thus it became the first cave in Spain to become a tourist destination. You can find it on Pozo de la Nieve street, next to the Plaza de San Pedro, under the Castle of Aracena.
The grotto is decorated with stalactites, plain curtains, stalagmites, aragonites (They are crystalline forms of calcium carbonate that can take the form of stalactites), choraloids (small nodes of gypsum, aragonite or calcite, shaped like popcorn), gours (puddles of water), and beautiful lakes. All in many colors. Handsome!
Visit the Grotto of Wonders
As we said only part of the grotto complex is open to the public. The guided tour passes through the Hall of the Entrance, the Hall of Shells, various galleries, the Hall of the Great Emerald Lake, the so-called Glassware of God and the Hall of the Nudes. Will be one kilometer in total. There are some new galleries and if you book by phone or call the tourist office, ask how it is to visit them.
As soon as you enter, the humidity hits you (almost 100%), but after a while you get used to it since it is a little colder than outside. There is a lot of artificial lighting so no need to carry a flashlight or anything like that. There are stairs everywhere and when you stop in the first section of the entrance you have a great view of the so-called Sala de las Conchas, in all its splendor. Actually the beauty of the grotto surprises you at first, but only to discover that it becomes more and more beautiful with each meter traveled.
All the guided tours They are in groups of a few people, around 40 maybe, as they arrive at the box office and buy the ticket, and they leave approximately every 50 minutes. The tour lasts about 45 minutes. I think not suitable for people who have some difficulty walking because they go up and down many stairs, since the height of the grotto is important.
In addition, you must go to the rhythm of the guide who passes through various rooms and nooks and crannies and explains how they were formed. You'll see turquoise blue lakes, ponds and puddles phenomenal. The best views are surely those of the Great Hall, Los Brillantes, Las Conchas or the fabulous Emerald Lake. What unforgettable images!
Now, When does the Grotto of Wonders open? Except for December 24, 25 and 31, and of course January 1 and 6, the Gruta de las Maravillas open all year.
The advice is that you do not trust, especially if you go in summer, because only one thousand people per day are accepted. You can request your appointment at the Aracena Tourist Office, so point to: www.aracena.es; grutadelasmaravillas@ayto-aracena.es and turismo@ayto-aracena.es.
Visiting hours are from 10 am to 1:30 pm and from 3 to 6 pm. Another thing to keep in mind: reservations on weekends and holidays for groups of less than 20 people will only be taken in the first hours of the morning.
Individual entrance to the grotto costs 10 euros but for 12, 50 euros you can buy the Aracena Tourist Card and also access the Museum of Ham, the Aracena Castle and a tour by tourist train.
The visit to the castle is worth it because it is a beautiful XNUMXth century fortress with an imposing Torre del Homenaje, walls with their own towers, citadel and cistern. It was in the hands of the well-known Order of the Temple, that of the Knights Templar, and to her we owe the no less beautiful Mudejar style church, Nuestra Señora del Mayor Dolor. It is the oldest church in all of Aracena.
The visits to the castle are from 11:45 am and from there every hour until 13:45 pm, a stop until 4 pm there is another visit and it is repeated at 5 and 5:45 pm. In winter the hours are extended until 8 pm. It lasts 50 minutes and costs just 2 euros per adult. And finally, if you like the place a lot and want to stay one night, they always recommend doing it in the Aracena Convent.