How to visit and what to see in Neocueva and Museum of Altamira: schedules, prices

You already know, you tourist trip to Cantabria It will be incomplete if you do not visit the beautiful town of Santillana del Mar and to the enclave of Altamira.

That's right, the visit of the original Altamira cave now it can only be done in a very restrictive way.

But that does not prevent you from knowing the significance of this Paleolithic enclave in Cantabria which receives more than 250.000 visitors every year, of which 80 percent come from other Spanish communities and abroad.

Since 2002 you Altamira visit will focus on the new Altamira Museum, which includes access to the neocave a replica very thorough and almost perfect from the original cave.

Where is and how to get to Altamira in Cantabria

El Altamira Museum You find it just two kilometers from the very beautiful and picturesque town of Santillana del Mar, another of the jewels to visit in Cantabria, so visiting both enclaves makes up an essential excursion during your trip to Cantabria.

When you arrive at the museum site, if you do it by car, you have a free parking at the entrance.

How to visit the Neocave and the Altamira Museum

El Altamira museum It is located in a modern building, which houses both the museum area and the aforementioned neocave, and in front of whose door you find the lockers.

At ticket that they will give you buy tickets do you have the information on the time of access to the neocave, and thus you will see that, possibly, you will have time to, first of all, visit the museum exhibition rooms.

In this way, before entering the neocave, which will be the culminating moment of your Altamira visit, you will be able to know and delve deeper into the keys to the Altamira Caveas well as in the history surrounding its discovery.

In addition to the information panels and exhibits, which allow you place Altamira in the context of prehistory, you will find it very interesting see the documentl that is projected continuously.

This will take you back to 16.500 years ago, when the large cave located near this museum housed a community of hunter-gatherers.

They were the ones who left their marks through the wonderful and famous paintings of the bison, great masterpiece of rock art.

What to see when visiting the Altamira Neocave

And the time has come visit the Altamira neocave!!

It is a three-dimensional representation that emulates in a very faithful way the original cave configuration, after the application of the most modern technologies.

In the neocave shows what it was like Altamira in the assumed period of between 35.000 and 13.0 years.

The first thing you will see will be the large entrance mouth of the cave, and you will find the representation of a paleolithic camp.

Roof of the bison in Neocueva de Altamira

A little further on you will see the emulation of a archaeological excavation to finally get to the bottom of the neocave, where the most famous area of ​​the original is represented Altamira cave, Great Polychrome Ceiling.

This area of ​​the neocave exactly reproduces the shapes of the stones and the different drawings of bison that in the original cave are reproduced on them.

The difference is that in this place of emulation You can see them comfortably standing, as they are arranged at a higher height than in the original cave.

Without a doubt, appreciating the different drawings of the bison, the deer and all the figures represented will be the main experience of your visit to the Cantabrian museum.

Visiting hours of the Altamira Museum and Neocave

The Altamira visiting hours They are, from May to October, from Tuesday to Saturday, from 9,30:2 a.m. to 9,30 o'clock, and on Sundays and holidays, from 15:18 a.m. to XNUMX p.m., with extension on Sundays in July and August until XNUMX p.m.

From November to April the museum closes from Tuesday to Saturday at 18 p.m.

El Altamira museum It always closes every Monday of the year, as well as on January 1 and 6, May 1, June 28 and December 25.

Ticket prices for the Altamira Museum and Neocave

The ticket prices The general one is 3 euros, and the reduced one is 1,50 euros.

For summer or times of high influx of visitors, such as Easter, it is advisable to advance ticket purchase.

How to visit the Altamira Neocave for free

You can visit Altamira for free on Saturdays, from 14 p.m., and on Sundays all day, as well as on April 18, May 18, October 12 and December 6.

And throughout the year they can visit the Altamira Neocave for free, among other groups, those under 18 years of age, seniors +65, youth cards, pensioners, large families and people with disabilities.

Photos of the Altamira Museum and Neocave

Here you have more photos of the Altamira Museum and Neocave, without a doubt an essential visit in Cantabria.