🎨 Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain: La Peña de Candamo
UNESCO World Heritage sites preserving Ice Age artistic expression in Asturian limestone
📌 Fast Facts
- Location: Asturias, northwestern Spain
- Age: Paleolithic art dating to approximately 36,000 years ago
- Primary artworks: Polychrome bison, hand stencils, engraved animals
- UNESCO inscription: 1985
The Cave of Altamira and La Peña de Candamo are limestone caverns in Asturias, northwestern Spain, that contain Paleolithic art from the Upper Paleolithic period. Both sites were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 in recognition of their exceptional archaeological and artistic significance. The caves preserve hand stencils, polychrome animal paintings, engravings, and abstract markings executed between approximately 36,000 and 13,000 years ago. As of 2026, the original Altamira ...