Rock Art & Human Origins

Arrive into Bilbao and meet your expert Guide Lecturer and fellow travellers at your hotel.

Meals: Dinner

This morning, we drive south to Atapuerca, one of the most important prehistoric sites in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The limestone caves contain a rich fossil record of the earliest human beings in Europe, from nearly one million years ago right up until the Common Era and through its various layers, has provided clear evidence of the daily activities of our ancestors, including stone tools and animal remains that indicate hunting and consumption practices. After lunch in Atapuerca, we continue to Burgos to visit the excellent Museo de Human Evolution, where more than 200 original items unearthed at the Sierra de Atapuerca sites are on display. Returning to Bilbao later today, we have an opportunity to visit the Guggenheim Museum before dinner this evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, we check out of our hotel and travel to Santander, where we visit the Museum of Prehistory. The museum houses an extensive collection of artefacts and exhibits spanning from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age, showcasing items recovered from archaeological excavations in the region. It’s a must-see for anyone interested in prehistory, with notable collections of stone and bone tools from decorated caves like Altamira, El Castillo and El Pendo.

We have lunch in Santander before driving a short distance to El Pendo. Here we visit the cave of El Pendo, which contains a panel over eight metres long of painted animals. There are eight hinds drawn in red and outlined with dots, a horse, a goat, some headless animals and a variety of signs and dots. Interestingly, portable art made from bone and antler was also found here in tremendous quantities. Afterwards, we drive to the charming medieval town of Santillana del Mar, our base for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We drive to Ribadesella this morning where we visit the Cueva de Tito Bustillo, discovered in 1968. The modern entrance leads visitors through a passage that effectively reverses the original route, which was blocked around 10000 BCE. Inside, the cave’s main panel is a masterpiece of Ice Age art. As we explore, the roar of an underground river echoes beneath us. The cave is rich in artwork, most famously known for its frieze of horses and reindeer, making it a highlight of prehistoric art.

After lunch, we continue our journey to Altamira, where the remarkable facsimile of the cave stands as an extraordinary testament to the original site. With the actual cave now closed to preserve its delicate artwork, the facsimile offers a breathtaking and authentic experience. Created using 3D scanning technology that captures 40,000 data points per square metre, it replicates every contour and crag of the cave with astounding precision. The result is truly astonishing, with the atmosphere eerily resembling that of the original cave.

Altamira is most famous for its magnificent painted ceiling, adorned with bison, but the cave also contains a wealth of engravings and finger tracings, each adding to its rich history. Walking through the replica, it’s easy to imagine the ancient artists at work, their hands guiding the images that still captivate us today.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, we visit the Puenta Viesgo Rock Art Centre, home to an extraordinary collection of prehistoric rock art. The centre offers a fascinating glimpse into the ancient world, highlighting caves that feature some of the most important examples of Cantabrian cave art. Among these, the Cueva de las Monedas and Cueva de El Castillo stand out, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The rock art found here dates back over 20,000 years, and it provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives and beliefs of prehistoric communities in the region. The artwork consists of a variety of symbols, handprints and animals, such as bison, deer and horses, depicted in vivid red and black pigments. In the afternoon, we continue to San Sebastiàn, the Basque seaside resort on the wild stretch of the Atlantic coast.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We travel west this morning to Zestoa, a small town situated at the foot of the Izarraitz hills on the banks of the Urola river. Nearby is the facsimile of Ekain, which expertly depicts the remarkably lifelike and vibrant depictions of horses and bison of the original cave. The cave contains around 70 animal figures and includes some of the richest and most beautiful examples of Franco-Cantabrian art. After our morning here, we return to San Sebastián for free time to explore this former European Capital of Culture.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The journey from San Sebastián to Pau takes us through the heart of the Basque Country and into the foothills of the Pyrenees. As we leave the coastal beauty of San Sebastián behind, we wind through rolling hills and lush green valleys, with the landscape shifting from the gentle curves of the Basque countryside to the more rugged, dramatic terrain as we approach the mountains. Pau is a charming city at the foot of the majestic Pyrenees. We enjoy lunch on arrival, before continuing our drive out to Grotte de Gargas. Here, we find cave art consisting of two different elements – both created in the Upper Palaeolithic period of approximately 25000 BCE. One is a collection of animal engravings and paintings, including fine depictions of horses and ibex. These are found in specific areas of the cave and are created by using finger strokes in soft clay, by engraving on the rock with a hard object and by gentle scratching. The other is a group of some 231 hand prints in black, red, brown, ochre and white. They were created by blowing coloured liquid from the mouth over a hand lying flat on the rock, leaving a negative impression of the hand with a ‘halo’ of droplets around it. After our visit, we continue to St Girons and check in to our hotel, where we stay for the next three nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, we visit two remarkable prehistoric caves, beginning with the Grotte de la Vache. Dating back to the Upper Palaeolithic period (around 15,000 years ago), the cave served as a living area for Magdalenian people over several centuries. Weapons and tools in bone, flint and antler were found and an astonishing array of animals is represented. As one of the region’s significant cave art sites, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the symbolic and artistic practices of early humans. We stop for lunch in Petit Auberge de Niaux and then continue to the famous painted cave, Grotte de Niaux. This is one of the deep cave sanctuaries, dramatically situated with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Here we can see one of the greatest and most powerful collections of Ice Age drawings that can still be visited.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We continue our exploration of prehistoric caves with a visit to arguably one of the most impressive and iconic, the Grotte du Mas D’Azil. This cave is a key location for the Azilian culture, a name given to an archaeological culture of the Stone Age which dates approximately 10,000 – 12,500 years ago. Artefacts from the culture include finely carved bone harpoons and colourfully decorated pebbles. Next, we journey to Bédeilhac, where we spend the afternoon exploring both the Museum of Prehistory and the Grotte de Bédeilhac. The museum offers an engaging and in-depth exploration of prehistoric life through interactive displays that highlight the daily lives of early humans in this region. Next, we head to the nearby Grotte de Bédeilhac, a stunning cave that provides a rare glimpse into the art and culture of prehistoric societies. Afterwards, we return to our hotel in St Girons.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner