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Rock Art of Altamira
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£2,395
£2,495
Summary
Decorated 15-35,000 years ago, the caves of Altamira still display some of humankind’s first great artistic achievements. This is a unique chance to view the vivid images of horse, bison and deer that have come to epitomise Palaeolithic art. Throughout this tour, we will stay in historic towns nestled among the hills of northern Spain, which allows us to visit each of the sites on our itinerary with ease and also maximises our touring time. A visit to the Ice Age caves of northern Spain is a tremendous privilege. Where else could you approach original masterpieces of such immense antiquity in situ? Led by experts in rock art, for this tour we have secured special access to a selection of memorable caves and rock art sites. Here, we can view the images precisely where they were created, standing or crouching exactly as the original artists once did.
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£2,495
Today's Price
£2,395
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Benefit from one of these limited time offers:
- Save £100 if you pay your full balance today, just £2,395
- Pay a low deposit of £199, was £500.
Single supplement: £290
Includes flights
Meet your Experts
Expert guides, whenever you travel
We are proud of our team of expert guide lecturers. Whenever you travel, your guide lecturer will be on hand to answer questions, tell stories and deliver insights to make your trip truely remarkable.
Dr Rob Dinnis
Guide Lecturer
Dr Rob Dinnis is an expert on the Palaeolithic, and particularly the archaeology of the last Ice Age.
Anna Vigetti
Tour Manager
Half British and half Italian, Anna was brought up in Piemonte and studied at the University of Edinburgh.
Your itinerary
Day 1 - London - Bilbao
Today we fly from London to Bilbao. Upon arrival, we transfer to our hotel and dinner will follow later this evening.
| Meals included | Lunch, Dinner |
|---|
Day 2 - Ekainberri - Bilbao
This morning we drive to see the facsimile of the painted cave discovered in 1969 at Ekain in the Basque country, which is home to some of the most realistic colourful depictions of horse and bison. We leave the prehistoric era behind this afternoon with a visit to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Note the stark contrast between ancient and modern art.
| Meals included | All meals included |
|---|
Day 3 - Covalanas - El Pendo
We have an attractive drive through the mountains to the small cave of Covalanas, which is decorated with deer that are drawn entirely in red dotted outlines. After lunch, we visit the cave of El Pendo, which contains a panel 8.8 metres long of painted animals. Interestingly, portable art made from bone and antler was also found here in tremendous quantities.
| Meals included | All meals included |
|---|
Day 4 - Altamira - El Castillo
Today we reach the famous site of Altamira, where we see the superb facsimile of the cave and the museum. Continue along the coast to El Pindal, a cave set into the cliffs above the sea – one of the most beautiful and spectacular locations of all the decorated caves. Here, we find a series of geometric signs and a variety of animal figures, including bison, deer, a fish, and also an unusual painting of a mammoth.
| Meals included | All meals included |
|---|
Day 5 - Las Monedas - El Castillo
We travel to the south of Santillana, the site of several decorated caves, two of which we will visit. Firstly, we explore Las Monedas, a large, labyrinthine cave in which bear bones were also found. The art here is extremely homogeneous and it is considered likely that it was produced by just one person. The art at our second visit – the cave of El Castillo – clearly belongs to a number of different phases and recently produced some of the earliest dates for cave art in the world – more than 40,000 years. There are hundreds of animal figures and 50 red hand stencils to be observed here. This afternoon, there is time to explore the town of Santillana.
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch |
|---|
Day 6 - La Loja - Tito Bustillo
We travel west along the coast into the mountainous region of Asturias to La Loja – a cave with some fine engravings, which stand out clearly in white against the dark rock. This afternoon we see the cave of Tito Bustillo, discovered in 1968 by a group of cavers. The cave is famed for its frieze of horses and reindeer.
| Meals included | All meals included |
|---|
Day 7 - Candamo - Teverga
We visit Candamo, where the most famous engraving is a big stag turning its head, apparently pierced by many spears. We also view many other fine figures, some in surprising locations. Our final visit of the tour is to the prehistoric park at Teverga, where we are treated to a superb final overview of the caves and their discoveries.
| Meals included | All meals included |
|---|
Day 8 - Bilbao - London
We return home today after breakfast.
| Meals included | Breakfast |
|---|
Tour dates & prices
Included in your cost:
- Expert Guide Lecturer
- Professional Tour Manager
- Local travel aboard a private air-conditioned coach
- Meals as per the itinerary, wine and tea or coffee with dinner
- Accommodation
- Entries to all sites as per the itinerary
- All taxes & gratuities
- Field notes
| Tour Departure | Tour ID | Departure date | Return Date | Guided by | Price | Deposit | Single Supp. | Offer | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 June 2020 | AALT200615 | 15 June 2020 (Monday) | 22 June 2020 (Monday) | Dr Paul Bahn Leonie Loudon | £2,495 (inc. flights) |
£199 |
£290 |
£2,395 save £100 |
Call for availability |
| 24 August 2020 | AALT200824 | 24 August 2020 (Monday) | 31 August 2020 (Monday) | Dr Rob Dinnis Anna Vigetti | £2,495 (inc. flights) |
£199 |
£290 |
£2,395 save £100 |
Book Now |
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