It’s been a very long time since humans stayed in caves but a town in Spain is luring tourists with the promise of doing just that.
The cathedral town of Guadix in southern Spain’s Granada province is less then two hours from the tourism hotspot of Malaga.
People in the town have been working hard to tempt tourists away from Spain’s popular coast to the country’s interior, with the possibility of staying in a cave hotel among the attractions.
María Paz Expósito Aranda of the Guadix tourist office told Euronews the town was put on the tourist map thanks to its location in a UNESCO Geopark.
The town, which is known as the European Capital of Caves, became part of the Global Geoparks Network in 2020.
There are 2,000 cave hotels to choose from in the geopark with more tourists heading to Guadix every year, according to Ángel Oller Del Águila, who rents out cave flats.
It’s not just visitors who are bedding down for the night in Guadix’s underground dwellings, but also the locals, whose cave district neighbourhood goes by the name Barrio Troglodyte.
Tourists are welcome to take a look inside the caves whose owners, affectionately known as troglodytes, are “very friendly” and will be sure to invite visitors into their stony homes, according to Andalucia.com.
Some of the cave dwellings feature private swimming pools, marble floors, fitted kitchens and wifi while the nearby village of Purullena has a disco inside one of its caves.
Andalucia.com says the cave homes retain their warmth in winter and provide a cool interior during the hot summer months. It adds: “Cave accommodation in Guadix is comfortable and cosy and a different experience altogether.”
Eco-conscious travellers should also be tempted by Guadix’s cave dwellings, according to Natalia Guidani of the Andalusian Caves Association.
She told Euronews: “Caves are the best synergy between humans and nature… The temperature is constant between 18 and 22 degrees, so no air conditioning or warming is needed. It’s not only economical but above all sustainable.”
The town also hosts the Festival of the Cascamorras every September 6 when a local from Guadix, known as the “Cascamorras”, tries to recapture a statue of the Pieta Virgin from the nearby village of Baza. He always fails and on returning to Guadix he gets “punished” by locals for his failure.
Guadix is just one Spanish town among many which want tourists to visit, in contrast to popular destinations where locals are demanding visitors stay away.
The nearest airport to the town is Granada, with easyJet, Ryanair, Iberia, British Airways, Jet2, TUI, Vueling Airlines and American Airlines all flying direct, according to Skyscanner.
It is possible to get flights to Malaga from London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Belfast and Liverpool.
Guadix is less than two hours by car from Malaga. Trains also run from Malaga Maria Zambrano railway station, with journey times in excess of three hours. Buses also run between Malaga and the town.