Cave of Sopeña Salitre

In the original Cave Salitre remains were found of cave bears, deer, chamois, goats, horses and moose, located next to a archaeological site from Solutrean age. In the gallery, there are representations of the different animals. This cave was found by Lorenzo Sierra in 1903.

In La Cárcoba, in Miera, you can visit the Cave Sopeña and an education center with a replica of the original Cave Salitre, in Ajanedo, for this reason it is also known as Salitre II.

Located in the rock mass of Las Enguinzas, the original cave was occupied 30,000 years ago by hunters gatherers that were frequent in the Miera head waters. Usually, during summer, the Palaeolithic inhabitants of Cantabria would move to the mountains of Miera for goat hunting. Also to Miera and its streams which offered salmon and trout. As a result, there are important documented remains in the caverns of Rascaño, El Puyo, as well as the large number found in Salitre.

Cave paintings date mostly from Solutrean age and represent deer and goats. There are also black painted horses and wild bulls, from Magdalenian ages, 15,000 b.C.

In the education center there are life size reproductions of the red and black paintings in a room showing an Early Palaeolithic scene with a recreation of cave bear bones. It also has a replica of an “artist workshop”, in which we can learn about the cave painting process.

Other interesting Prehistoric caves in Miera valley are El Puyo (La Solana), El Rascaño (Mirones), Las Regadas (La Cárcoba) and El Piélago I and II (Mortesante).

Schedule:

Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:30h to 14:30h and Friday, Saturday and Sunday also from 16:00h to 20:00h
Monday: closed. Duration: 45 minutes/hour.
Last visit: 1 hour before closing time.

Price: 3,50 euros

Children (0 to 6)…….. Free
Children (7 to 12)……. 2,50 euros
Senior (+65)……… 2,50 euros
Adult………. 3,50 euros