PEÑA CAVE
Cave with several rooms including a large room with many cave paintings
Located near the mouth of the Nalón River, the La Peña cave is about 70 m long and has several rooms, including a large room with numerous cave paintings. However, the cave was severely damaged after it was discovered in 1914, especially due to the development work carried out as a result of tourist traffic. In order to preserve what could still be preserved, the Peña remained closed to the public between 1979 and 1994, and has only reopened its doors to a limited number of visitors. Access to the main room, through a winding gallery, is not easy and is not recommended for children under 7 years old.
The large painting room has six panels dating from the Gravettian (31,000 to 22,000 years ago) to the Magdalenian (17,000 to 12,000 years ago). The most notable of these, with its fifty superimposed engravings, is reproduced at the Candamo interpretation centre. But the cave is best known for the "camarín": a high cavity, very difficult to access, decorated with horses and cattle. If you are careful, you will notice that the figures appear as if we were facing them, although they are located much higher than us. The artist has played with perspective to give this effect and, up close, the animals would appear disproportionate. In addition, the layout and shape of the rock give the impression of looking at a theatre stage or a cinema screen, which says a lot about our ancestors' taste and art of staging!
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