The Cueva de los Murcielagos (Bat Cave), near Zuheros, was inhabited from Middle Paleolithic to Roman times. With almost 1,000 metres height and a distance of about two kilometres, it is one of the largest caves in Cordoba and one of the most beautiful in the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park.


The origin of the cave is attributed to the formation of a giant fault and the collapse of a great boulder of rock. As water runs through the limestone, small pools and spectacular karst formations appear. La Sala de Formaciones, home to a large stalactite called Asparagus, and La Sala del Órgano, complete with rock face covered in beautiful obscurely jagged shapes are fine examples of this. There are numerous bats in the lower chambers, giving this cave its name.

It is a very important Neolithic site in Andalusia and the first with Upper Paleolithic art, leading to its declaration as an Asset of Cultural Interest. Visits to the site go partially through the cave, traversing a number of chambers and corridors which contain paintings of horses, bears and deer from Paleolithic times, as well as diagrams of people and goats from the Neolithic period. Other remains have been discovered in the cave, including bones, tools, and “La Almagra Pottery culture”, which gets its name from the red pigmentation of almagro.

You can compliment a visit to this natural monument with a walk around the vicinity of Zuheros. From its viewpoints you can see the town nestled at the foot of the Roquero castle, believed to be of Moorish origin. The Bailón River runs here, alongside the enormous limestone cliffs of the Sierra de Zuheros. The trip can be completed with a visit to the Archaeological Museum. And don’t forget to purchase some goat´s cheese as a souvenir! Hiking and climbing are both also popular activities in the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park.