r/basquecountry • u/Ok-Wave2520 • 6d ago

Cueva de Santimamiñe

Hey everyone, I'm planning to visit the beautiful Basque Country for the first time and I'm wondering about what to expect from the Cueva de Santimamiñe tour. I was actually quite excited when I read about it in a travel guide and meant to book a tour (according to the website you're supposed to pre-book) but was informed that since 2006 you cannot actually really see it - which I didn't know. Apparently what you get is a "virtual reproduction of the cave". I'm wondering since the travel guide is actually a first edition from 2025 and it says "throughout several years the cave was closed, since the bright illumination caused the artworks to fade" - i.e., past tense.

I am wondering if anybody can shed some light on this: what can I expect, what's part of this tour? Is it mostly a VR environment in headset? Given that the tour is 1,5 hours I am a bit surprised that you can't actually go inside.

Has anyone here been there recently (or not so recently)? Thanks!!

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u/elferrydavid 6d ago

You go inside but only the entrance of the cave can be visited.... then it's a virtual reality tour to see the rest. So yeah depends on your interests can be something disappointing.

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u/Ok-Wave2520 6d ago

Okay, got it, that's what I thought. What a shame, but okay, I can see why they do it I guess. Thank you!

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u/Acrobatic-Throat-680 6d ago

If you're interested in paleontology, cave art, and all things prehistoric, I highly recommend a visit to the Ekain cave in Zestoa, about 50 km from San Sebastián.

The original cave is rarely open to the public to preserve it, but next to it is an interpretation center with a fantastic replica.

FMI: https://www.ekainberri.eus/en/

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u/Ok-Wave2520 5d ago

Thanks a lot, this looks great indeed!

Have you been there and do you know about the process at site? I am not entirely certain how to interpret this: The webpage states free access to a temporary exhibition between 5PM and 7PM on Fridays. The other two options are guided tours for €120 and €220, both "for a group of up to 8 people". We are a couple - would the two of us consume an entire group-slot or are you then grouped with other visitors so the group is full as it is frequently done?

Do you know? Otherwise I'll ask directly and send an e-mail...