Are they worth it? How do they compare to the Nerja caves? We will have a car, driving en route from Seville to Nerja. How safe is the parking lot there with our luggage hidden in the car while we tour the cave? Thanks.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7937 posts
Rhon-It's been 11 years, so perhaps things have changed, but while the cave was historically significant compared to caves with no sign of prehistoric markings, it wasn't awesome like caves in the Dordogne region of France. I've never been to the Altimira cave site, but suspect it's also more impressive. Pileta was really low-key 11 years ago. We were the only car mid-day day in June, and the parking location was isolated, without a lot of commotion or people (honest or otherwise) about. The "tour" was a short walk thru with who I believe was the property owner, not a developed presentation from a paleolithic scholar at the time. We arrived, and a gate to the cave was closed, with a sign in several languages indicating to wait and the tour leader would be arriving soon. As non-German speakers we had to laugh at the German translation "Der Fuehrer is in de Hohle."
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7887 posts
I haven't been to Nerja, but it looks like a major tourist attraction. Some French caves are elaborate replicas because of damage from too much tourism. Pileta is , at least, the real thing. And it's a bit of a "Rick Steves Moment" because its home-spun and off the beaten path. I wouldn't rent a car just to come here. But if you're in Ronda for more than a day, its a good excursion. It is tiny, but inaccessible to the disabled. We had to wait for enough tourists to turn up to warrant a tour. So we lost at least an extra hour. And it was hot and sunny outside the cave, with nothing else to do.
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
Last yr I was at Pileta caves.It was about an hr long but we waited over an hr for the grp to asssemble. It is lead by the owners family with little technical or archeolgical discussion beyond the obvious. Paintings and relics were quite vague and subject to creative intepretation. It was disappointing to me as I had visited the Dordogne area caves yrs before which were much better. Parking there is avail but signs everywhere advise locking up tight and beware! I tried to visit the Nerja caves but they were closed when we arrived. Conclusion even with a car I would not bother visiting.