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Discoverers and officials at the cave on Sunday 12 January. E. Cabezas
Popular Costa del Sol tourist attraction celebrates 66 years
Monuments

Popular Costa del Sol tourist attraction celebrates 66 years

Two of the discoverers of the Nerja Cave attended the celebration at the monument on Sunday 12 January

Eugenio Cabezas

Monday, 13 January 2025, 13:44

Nerja Cave celebrated the 66th anniversary of its discovery on Sunday 12 January with two of the five people who discovered it attending the celebration.

The most visited natural monument in Andalucía was discovered by five young boys from Maro on 12 January 1959. "We saw lots of bats and we thought that they could not get out of such a small cave, so we decided to break some formations and with some effort we discovered what so many people have been able to see for 66 years now," said one of the discoverers, José Torres.

"It was one evening, at dusk, when we entered, with a bricklayer's hammer," Torres went on to say. He was accompanied by Miguel Muñoz, the youngest of the group, which also included his brother Manuel, Miguel Barbero - who died in 2007. The cave was opened to the public in June 1960.

The Cueva de Nerja foundation paid tribute to the five men who by chance while playing in the area, found what would become the most visited natural monument in the region. The simple ceremony, held in the Plaza de los Descubridores, at the main entrance to the cave, was attended only by José Torres and Miguel Muñoz, as well as María López, Barbero's widow. This year neither Navas nor Manuel Muñoz attended the event for health reasons.

"The most beautiful thing, and what I feel most proud and happy about, is to see how people enjoy seeing this monument, like the groups of children," Torres said in his speech. Although they found it in January 1959, it was not until more than three months later, when the boys were accompanied by a group of local residents, including the late photographer José Padial, that they were able to take photos of the interior of the cave. Their publication in SUR, a few days later, allowed the whole world to see its grandeur.

The impact that the discovery had on Nerja was enormous: the coastal town went from being an agricultural and fishing village to a popular holiday destination among Spaniards and foreign holidaymakers alike, attracting thousands of tourists every year. Since opening to the public in 1960 more than 20 million people have visited the cave.

Discoverers and officials at the cave on Sunday 12 January. E. Cabezas

One of the challenges that lies ahead and to which it has been aspiring for several decades is to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. At Sunday's celebration, mayor of Nerja, José Alberto Armijo, urged both the regional and central governments to "move forward with this goal." He went on to say, "There are 1,059 assets that are on the list of World Heritage and I think the cave deserves to be, by itself or with others in the province."

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surinenglish Popular Costa del Sol tourist attraction celebrates 66 years