Ojo Guareña

Ojo Güareña - Cuevas Ojo Guareña


Useful Information

Location: Cueva, Merindad de Sotoscueva.
Open: Ermita y Cueva de San Bernabé:
18-MAR to JUN Fri-Sun, Hol 11-13:30, 17-19:30.
JUL to 11-SEP Tue-Sun 11-13:30, 17-19:30.
12-SEP to OCT Fri-Sun, Hol 11-13:30, 17-19:30.
NOV to DEC Fri-Sun 11-14.
Ermita de San Bernabé:
All year Sat, Sun, Hol 11-13:30, 17-19:30.
Cueva Palomera.
after appointment.
[2008]
Fee: Ermita y Cueva de San Bernabé:
Adults EUR 3.50, Children (6-16) EUR 2.50, Children (0-5) free, Students EUR 2.50, Seniors EUR 2.50.
Groups (25+): Adults EUR 2.50.
Ermita de San Bernabé:
Adults EUR 3, Children (10-16) EUR 2.
Groups (20+): Adults EUR 2.
[2008]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst Cave SubterraneaCave Church Cretaceous Dolomite
Light: LightIncandescent
Dimension: L=110,000 m, VR=193 m.
Guided tours: Ermita y Cueva de San Bernabé: L=600 m, D=1 h.
Ermita de San Bernabé: D=20 min.
Cueva Palomera: D=2 h.
Photography:  
Accessibility:  
Bibliography:  
Address: Ojo Guareña, 09568 Cueva (Burgos), Tel: +34-947-138614.
Ermita de San Bernabe, 09568 Cueva, Tel: +34-645 49 02 88
Merindad de Sotoscueva, Calle Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, s/n., 09568 Cornejo. 947138681
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1970 declared a Monumento Histórico Artístico.
1996 declared a Monumento Natural.

Description

Near the small village of Cueva [sic] lies under a limestone ridge which is 120 m higher than the village. South of the town it forms a huge bowl-like structure, an almost round blind valley with caves in the far end cliff face. A road uses this location, where the ridge is much lower, to cross it. From the highest point a trail starts down to the cave entrances.

The Circo de San Bernabé is named after the Ermita de San Bernabé, an hermitage located in the various cave entrances and dedicated to Saint But this is also the place where the Rio Güareña has its spring and the place is hence called Ojo Güareña (Eye of Güareña). Actually many places in the area have cave related names, the village Cueva for example, and Sotoscueva means grove by the cave. The karst area is of impressive size with 14 cave with together some 110 km of passages which is the longest system of caves on the Iberian peninsula. The cave registry of the whole area lists some 400 caves. But the cave system is accessible only to cavers, it is not developed as a show cave.

The main interest at this site is actually of the cultural kind. This extraordinary place, with huge cave entrances and a spring nearby has always been an ideal place for living. Man settled here since the Palaeolithic, there are remains of all epochs conserved inside the caves. The most obvious and also the only part which may be visited is the Ermita de San Bernabé. This tour is called Ermita y Cueva de San Bernabé (hermitage and cave of Saint Bernabe). It includes both the Medieval churches and some 600 m of cave. There is also a short tour which shows only the churches. And there is a caving or better cave trekking tour which takes some two hours.