Cueva de los Letreros

The Cave of the Signs.

At a rocky escarpment in Southeast Spain's Almeria region known as Cueva de los Letreros is to be found some very rare Iberian Prehistoric Cave Art.

This location is only accessable with a guide.

It is a reasonably long climb and while not too taxing it is not for anyone unfit or faint of heart.

The ascent begins as a small meandering dirt track through an Almond orchard.

Most of the upward journey has been "stepped" to make access a little easier up the steep slope.

It is located not far from the towns of Velez Blanco and Velez Rubio, both beautiful little towns worthy of a visit in and of themselves.

One of the towns, Velez Blanco, has a noteworthy and beautiful Castle with an unusual connection to the U.S.A.

Castle of Velez-Blanco

Castle Brochure

Cueva de los Letreros is just one of a number of sites dotted about the region which contain examples of Neolithic Cave Art and are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

One particular painting represented in the Cave Art at los Letreros is the figure of a human holding what has been interpreted as both a Bow and a Rainbow.

Take your pick, neither is definitive.

This figure is known as Indalo and is to be found throughout the region on everything from signs, jewellery, buildings, artworks and a host of other things and is synonymous with the Almeria region.

The Los Letreros Cave contains representations of what is known as Levantine-style Prehistoric Painting, with highly schematised animal figures (goats, deer, etc.) as well as men and women, usually with bowed arms and legs, dating to around 5,000 BC.

The Los Letreros Cave was declared National Historic Monument in 1924, and more recently a World Heritage site. At this rock shelter the Indalo figure was discovered, representing a man holding a rainbow with his hands, and which has become the most representative symbol of Almeria.

Velez Blanco and Velez Rubio

Velez Rubio - Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación

It is very difficult to convey both the beauty and the importance of these Neolithic era Cave paintings in these rough and somewhat shoddy photographs of mine.

While it is unlikely that any particular one of us can correctly identify or guess at what the many shapes portray or are describing, undoubtedly some are of obvious human form, some are animals and yet others seem anthropomorphic or possibly stylistic to the ancient artists themselves.

The reality is that today, they are what the eye of the beholder wishes them to be.

They are a wonder to behold in person and I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to do so.