Covaciella Cave

Covaciella was discovered by chance in 1994. It has paintings of bison, horses, deer... from the Magdalenian period, more than 14,000 years ago. The cave's representations are valued for their quality and layout, as well as being in a great state of conservation.

These paintings are exceptionally well preserved, thanks in large part to the fact that the cave has been sealed for thousands of years.

Covaciella is in the Las Estazadas gorge and has a gallery some 40 metres long that opens into a large room, divided in two by the blocks that were poured in before its discovery; the western part of the room measures 11 x 13 metres and the eastern part 25 x 15. The total length of the cave, from east to west, ascending, is 80 metres; its original entrance is a small opening to the northeast of the large room, and from the time it was naturally sealed off until it was opened as a result of the construction work, there was no human intrusion into the cave.

The cave cannot be visited, but in Carreña, Cabrales we can visit the interpretation room of the Covaciella cave in "La Casa Bárcena".