These are the best cave holiday homes in Granada province

Prehistoric people lived inside caves to protect themselves from wild animals, but it is more than likely that they also realised something that their successors have learned from them: caves maintain an almost constant temperature and this ensures that it is neither too cold in winter nor too hot in summer.

According to experts, the temperature is between 18 and 20 degrees. If outside, at the height of a heatwave, the province of Granada is quite often in the 40s, sleeping in a cave is an excellent idea and there's no need for either a fan or air conditioning.

In Granada province there are cave houses in various locations: mainly in Alhama de Granada, in the city and Guadix. Alhama has only a few of these so-called cave houses and the ones in Granada city, located in the Barranco del Abogado, Sacromonte and on the hillside of the Alhambra, are almost all occupied, so the best choice is Guadix.

This is the region where the Geopark is located, a vast area of almost 5,000 square kilometres that includes Baza and Huéscar. But it is in Guadix where there is the widest and most varied offer of cave houses and there is even an area called "barrio de las cuevas" (neighbourhood of caves).

According to the town hall there are about 2,000 caves. "They are underground, enjoy all the comforts of a modern home and their natural benefits, which are the constant temperature and the silence provided by its natural insulator, clay", the town hall explains on its website.

Guadix has a cathedral that dates back to the 16th century, it was designed by the master architect Diego de Siloé and mixes renaissance and baroque styles.

The town hall square is the nerve centre of the town and both there and in the surrounding area you are guaranteed to find good places to eat and have tapas. Moreover, being at an altitude of 950 metres, Guadix is cool until well into the morning and, except on particularly hot days, has bearable nights.

But back to the caves. Some are inhabited all year round, with permanent owners or tenants, but others can be rented for weekends or longer periods. There are plenty of places to go to compare prices, and internet search portals offer variety in terms of size and budget.

El Algarrobo offers four bedrooms and can sleep seven people. It has two bathrooms and costs 188 euros per night. It is fully equipped, suitable for a large group and is located in the heart of the town.

Soledad has four bedrooms and capacity for eight people. It has wifi and costs 180 euros per night, plus cleaning supplement and has an outside terrace area with barbecue.

Near Guadix there are also houses, scattered in villages where peace and quiet are guaranteed, especially in the summer months. La Cueva Zambrano, also called Cortijo del Capellán, is very close to the town of Purullena, has three bedrooms, can sleep six people, costs 96 euros per night and has a swimming pool.