Hello! We will be in the Asturias region of northern Spain and would like to visit some of the renown cave art. Would it be a long day to visit both Altamira and Tito Bustillo in the same day? I understand that at Altamira you do not see the cave itself but a reproduction, but it still sounds like a great exhibit. We will be staying about an hour from Ribadesella and two hours from Altamira. We will also be travelling with children. I would like to see both caves/exhibits, but worry it would be too much for one day. Would it be a mistake to only see Tito Bustillo and skip Altamira? Thank you!
Posted by
San Jose
5 posts
We visited Altamira and the Cave of El Castillo on one day on our last trip - the two are very close to each other and easy to see in one day. My husband and I both loved seeing the real cave and found it to be very moving. The cave art is truly art. Seeing Altamira - which we saw first - was OK but did not give me any emotional connection. I'd skip Altamira personally in favor of the real thing any day.
I also recommend the cable car ride at Fuente De - kids would love it. It looks as though you're going to run into the mountain. It's relatively close by and was a really fun thing we did that isn't well known so I like to recommend it when I can.
Have a great time!
Posted by
Barcelona (Catalonia)
2942 posts
Language is indeed a funny beast.... looking for "Fuente De" can indeed bring a headache to more than one. Written as such (which literally translates in Spanish as "fountain of" and also it can be "fountain from") one then will immediately ask "fountain from... where (or of what)?", as if you missed something in the name. There is a tonne of possible references... Fuente de los Cien Caños (Málaga), Fuente de la Alcachofa and Fuente de la Mora (Madrid), Fuente de las Anjanas (Asturias)... But funny enough, @Kate is indeed referring to a famous place named... well, that: "Fuente Dé" -with an acute accent but nothing more.
I understand that a typical US keyboard doesn't have them handy -and, frankly, most of the time it doesn't matter because in Spanish, with or without accent the meaning is still clear. But sometimes it does indeed matter... and can even cause funny situations. Take this form from an airline... the writer intended to ask the passenger, well, what it says in English... he/she, however, missing an accent in the word "qué" stated instead: "We would like to know -as in, to make sure- that you think", not too polite towards the passenger, huh? :))
Fuente Dé is located over 60 miles from Altamira though.
Well, sorry for the babbling... do indeed visit Fuente Dé, you'll love it!
PS. @Kate, not a scoff, just pointing out a curiosity of language :)
Posted by
Fairfax, Virginia
330 posts
Another possibility for you much closer to Ribadesella (if your kids are at least 7 years old) might be Cueva del Buxu. I had hoped to visit it two years ago, but we were in the area on Monday and Tuesday, the two days of the week they are not open.
I loved Fuente Dé and would recommend it if you have the time. It's well over an hour off the A-8 autovía, and the drive in through the Desfiladero de la Hermida while spectacular, can be unnerving if it's raining. But if the timing does work, I'd also recommend it. If you head to Fuiente Dé on a counterclockwise circuit from Ribadesella, the Desfiladero de los Beyos is also spectacular and may induce white knuckles. But if spectacular scenery on narrow mountain roads doesn't intimidate you, both are worthwhile.
I'd also suggest the caves of El Castillo and Las Monedas over Altamira. As Kate noted, I didn't get the same connection to the simulation that I did to the real thing. El Castillo and Las Monedas area few minutes apart and it's an easy walk between the two.
And, if you do head towards Altamira, Rl Castillo, and/or Fuente Dé, consider driving by AS-114 instead of the A-8. It's far more scenic than the autovía, but as unnerving as the drive thoriugh the desfiladeroi to Potes and Fuente Dé.