Many vestiges of the prehistoric past are preserved in Spain, such as the Altamira caves. However, all these cultural assets are preserved and protected as museums and life is no longer carried on in them. Except in this troglodyte town, where people still live in caves dug into the mountains, as unlikely as it may seem.
It is called Artenara and it is one of the most unknown towns in Gran Canaria. The reason for being secret is that it is hidden at the summit, behind a terribly winding road and in the middle of the caldera of the Tejeda volcano, away from non-expert tourists and in the middle of a dream mountain landscape.
This Canarian town has less than 100 inhabitants and, although many live in its new area, some locals still live in the traditional cave houses of the area and have become the last troglodytes in Spain, in the literal sense of “living in caves” as contemplated by the Royal Spanish Academy.
The cave houses of Artenara, Gran Canaria
The inhabitants of Artenara have been living in artificial caves for many years, which they excavate in the mountainside to create rooms, living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and even an outdoor terrace with the most spectacular views of Roque Nublo, Bentayga and the mountainous horizon of the island.
Cave Chapel
These peculiar traditional homes are thus hidden from the summer heat under the stone cliff at more than 1000 meters above sea level and have become the hallmark of the town. So much so that they even have a small hermitage-cave, the Cave Chapel carved in the stone itself, next to the altar, the lectern, the pulpit and even the confessional.
Cave House Museum
Visiting Artenara and not entering a cave house is a sin. There is no need to knock on anyone's door, because there they have the Cave Houses Museumwhich are kept in a perfect state of conservation to see how the Artenarenses of yesteryear lived. Bonus points: It's free. End the visit at the Unamuno Viewpoint, with unbeatable views of the mountains.
Unamuno Viewpoint
How to get to Artenara, the cave town
To reach the summit of Artenara you have to leave from Teror on the GC-21 road in a 45-minute journey. Get ready for a road full of curves between pine forests, thick forests full of mist and lush vegetation that seems straight out of the Azores or Maldives.
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