Top 8 Caves around Vegas

The Cueva de la Sima is an old quarry of gypsum and building materials that was sometimes used by shepherds as a cattle corral. The place is a circular pit about fifteen metres deep, with a small shelter on one side, and should not be confused with the nearby Cueva de Pedro Fernández or Sima de las Yeseras, a gallery of several kilometres with remains from the Manchego Bronze Age that is closed to the public.

The caves of the primitive Carpetanian settlement of Caraca are a window in time, from the first Carpetanian inhabitants to the present day, representing the different cultures that have populated the Tajuña valley over time. The current state shows the deterioration typical of a hillside made of marl and gypsum that is brittle and easily eroded. In the time of the Carpetanians, it was a troglodyte settlement with interior passages that connected different galleries, had water channels, warehouses and houses protected from intruders at a certain height from the ground, accessed by ladders and ropes. In the middle of the last century, the Risco de las Cuevas was the setting for several films.

It is an artificial cave at the exit of Villaconejos. The cave dwelling was built by a community of monks of the Order of Discalced Carmelites in 1734, according to the inscription on the entrance lintel, which also has a heraldic shield. The interior is a gallery with 19 arches and several vents; due to the type of construction, it could have been used as a wine cellar for the monks themselves.

The industrial exploitation of Colmenar de Oreja stone began in the 18th century. Limestone veins appear throughout the region, but the Colmenar veins have had a special attraction due to the hardness, good quality and whiteness of the limestone. Along the route, you can see the remains of the quarries and caves of Peñas Rubias, Pocilla Villa and other old abandoned sites on the slopes of the Valdepinar ravine.

On the Jarama front, taking advantage of the structure and characteristics of the terrain, the excavation of caves was common, from small individual shelters to large caves (like the one we can see on the “Secrets of the Greenway” route. Element 8) and tunnels that allowed entire squads or platoons to be housed, the installation of command posts, health posts, warehouses, etc. These excavations, on the one hand, allowed the troops to be hidden from the sight of the enemy and offered good protection in case of bombing, and on the other, they offered a certain degree of comfort to the soldiers who remained in them. These caves usually have many common elements, such as the existence of small holes to support camping equipment or personal objects or chimneys for the escape of smoke. After the Civil War, this type of caves have had various uses. One of them, and a very important one, was the cultivation of mushrooms, carried out until the mid-eighties of the 20th century.

Due to the characteristics of the terrain, caves have been built throughout history, which have served very different purposes. In this area we have clear examples.

These are excavations carried out on the ground to protect citizens during the bombings of the Spanish Civil War. Later they were used to plant mushrooms and other similar mushrooms. At present they are closed to avoid their destruction.

A unique and magical place a few km from the town of Chinchón. Its origin is artificial and is due to the mines that were exploited in the past for the extraction of sodium sulfate. Today you can visit them and contemplate their impressive size, and why not, imagine what it might have been like to work there a few centuries ago.