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Cliff caves in Najara

Charles Hansen

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances 2004 road cycling
Frances path cycling (2016)
I've become interested in going here based on the below, and other photos.
The safety railings suggest that there is public access, as I expect otherwise the entire area would be closed off.

Has anyone been there?
What is the access point?
Are they run publicly (by the city) or privately?
How much is the admission?

 
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I know that the church/monastery shown in the back of your picture on the left was built there because of the discovery of a virgen statue in a cave. I have visited that cave, but I think it is closer to the romanesque church you see there. But it definitely looks like the raiiling continues over the to the cliffs adjacent to the church. I don't know that there are other caves in Najera that you can visit, but there may be.

The complex is well worth a visit, even though the virgen statue in the cave is a copy, with the original spirited away to Madrid.

Looks like hours of operation are typical Spanish hours: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/la-rioja/najera/sights/religious/monasterio-de-santa-maria-la-real

I'll also bet that the hours are different for winter and summer, but the ones posted above will give you an idea.

Buen camino, Laurie
 
This from http://alberguenajera.es/ 'There are two types of caves, those called El Castillo (‘the Caslte’) and Las Siete Cuevas (‘The Seven Caves’). Both were hand-dug and form a group of rooms layered in five storey or floors, with a similar building plan based on angles and straight lines, vertical walls and flat ceilings.


In the last century the caves have served to accommodate Italian troops during the Civil War, as corrals, dovecots, housing…

Due to their state of preservation, they are not open to the public nowadays.
 
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Thanks Tincatinker -

That's too bad, but understood.

I don't know if it applies here or not, but sometime such structures were created as defensive positions for when a town was being raided in earlier eras.

I found another photo, showing the five levels:

 
Very interesting, Tincatinker. It's really too bad they are not open, but maybe a renovating and preserving hiding place for fascist troops would not be high on the government's list of "to do" projects. Though it seems from the albergue website that these caves go back to Roman times or earlier. Am I reading that right?

Thanks! Buen camino, Laurie
 
Other references I found suggest a Roman or pre-Roman origin. Cliff dwellings are fairly common in Spain and France. There are examples on the Lot and Gironde in France and at Arnedillo and Enciso in Rioja. Among non-defensive uses were conversions to Palomares (Dovecotes) as a source of meat. At Bodega la Petra, (00 34 941 394023; Avenida de los Cidacos, Arnedillo) one of the caves is now a restaurant. Not sure if Pigeon is on the menu
 
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However, I discovered that it may be possible to get a similar view over the city, monastery and valley.

Calle Subida Castillo leaves the Camino route leaving town



shortly past the monastery. It appears to run behind the last row of housing on the lower level, but I see pathways coming off it that seem to head upwards. It also looks like there's access from the back side of the cliffs.
 
I rememer Najerá...pouring with rain, private albergue full, so had an EXCELLENT sleep with 80 other damp people in the other one. Returned by car a year later and enjoyed a Najerá lunch and hope to return one day and explore these caves.
 
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