"We were going to hunt for bats and we came across a natural wonder. We always thought that there was something under there, but we never thought it would be this." That is how Francisco Navas describes the day that he and four friends from Maro came across the Nerja Cave 50 years ago. "That day we decided to break some stone where there was a gap and we went down into the 'Sala de la Cascada' (falls room) where the festival performances are held today. What we saw was magnificent," continued Navas who is now 71 years old.

On Monday, exactly 50 years after the discovery of the Nerja Cave by five friends, Francisco Navas, Manuel and Miguel Muñoz, José Torres and José Luis Barbero Miguel Muñoz, Nerja Town Hall and Mayor José Alberto Armijo (PP) unveiled a plaque in their honour which has been put up at the entrance to the cave.

The act was attended by four of the friends and the widow of José Luis Barbero, María López, and their faces reflected the pride which they must feel at discovering what is now the most visited tourist site in the province of Malaga and the spot that changed the history of their village forever.

"Even Franco will come here now, we said a few days after our discovery in January 1959," said Miguel Muñoz (64) who was only 14 years old then. And it didn't take long for the news to spread. Shortly afterwards photographer José Padial and journalist José A. Pascual went inside the cave and took photos which were published in SUR on April 19th 1959. The Civil Governor at the time, José Rodríguez Acosta, then organised a trip to see the cave and once its marvels were confirmed, people started streaming to see it. The rest is history.