Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcón
Why we like it: Cave houses for one to eight people in the San Torcuato district of Guadix, a few minutes' walk from the cathedral, with a kitchen, summer pool and restaurant.
From €69
View details
Duration2 nights
From Granada50 min
From Almería1 h 20
BaseCuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcón
Budget€150–260 pp
Best timeMar · Apr · May · Oct · Nov
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive on Friday at midday and head back on Sunday after lunch. La Calahorra only opens from Friday to Sunday and by booking, and Gorafe needs half a day with the car; book the cave, the castle and Saturday's dinner beforehand.
Friday
- 113:00The cave and the troglodyte quarter
Leave your luggage in the cave and set out on foot. The cave quarter can be walked free in an hour and a half, between the Ermita Nueva and the Padre Poveda and La Bala viewpoints, which at sunset set the red of the earth alight.
- 220:30Dinner at El Refugio
On the Plaza de la Constitución, open kitchen, terrace and more than thirty cheeses with the region's wines by the glass. On Friday it opens until one.
Saturday
- 19:00Cathedral first thing
From Monday to Saturday you can enter free from 9:00 to 9:45. If you want to climb the tower and see the videomapping on La Piedad, the ticket is €9 and it is wise to buy it on the cathedral's website.
- 211:00Gorafe dolmens
About 33 km north, under forty minutes. More than 240 Neolithic dolmens on the edge of the reddish ravines of the River Gor, with three signposted routes to do independently. Bring water and a cap: there is no shade. Call 616 94 46 05 beforehand if you want to enter the interpretation centre.
- 317:00La Calahorra castle
Come back through Guadix and continue 18 km towards Almería. Free guided visit, by booking only: the Carrara marble courtyard inside a fortress of brown stone, with the Sierra Nevada behind. On the way back, dinner in the Tío Tobas cave dining room, in Alcudia; its website does not publish opening hours, so call to reserve a table.
Sunday
- 110:00Roman theatre of Acci
A guided visit to the theatre on Sundays at 10:00, for €2.60, booked at the tourist office. The alcazaba, under works, is seen from outside. Lunch in the centre and the drive home.
In Guadix the cave house is not a tourist backdrop: the San Torcuato quarter is still full of white chimneys rising from the ground and of neighbours who live inside. This getaway puts you in one of those caves for two nights and uses the days for what surrounds the town: the cathedral, the dolmens on the edge of the Gorafe desert and a four-towered castle that hides a Renaissance marble courtyard. Everything is under forty minutes by car.
A cave a walk from the cathedral
Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcón rents cave houses for one to eight people in the San Torcuato district, about 500 metres from the cathedral: you can walk to dinner in the centre and come back without a car. Each cave is an apartment with its own bathroom, kitchen, living room and wood stove, and the Town Council puts the village's caves at between 18 and 20 °C all year. The rates on its website go from €69 for one person to €190 for eight in high season; check-in from 13:00, check-out until 11:00 and free cancellation up to 48 hours before. Pets are accepted: say so when booking. The pool opens from 15 June to 15 September.
If you prefer to eat in a cave and sleep further out, the Casas Cueva del Tío Tobas, in Alcudia de Guadix, are about thirteen minutes by car and have their own restaurant.
From the troglodyte quarter to Gorafe
What it comes to per person
Between €150 and €260 per person as a couple: two nights in a cave, two dinners, two lunches, the cathedral with the tower and the theatre. The castle and Gorafe cost nothing. With a four- or eight-person cave, the price per head drops a lot.
With kids underground
The cave works very well with kids: there are family caves and the coolness inside is welcome in summer. Gorafe with small children calls for a short route and an early start in the hot months, and at La Calahorra ask about the minimum age when booking.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Guadix, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Guadix
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
Where to stay
Where to stay in Guadix
Casas Cueva del Tío Tobas
Why we like it: Nineteen caves in Alcudia de Guadix, 13 minutes from Guadix, with views of Sierra Nevada, a fireplace, kitchen, pool and a cave restaurant.
From €85
View details
Cuevas Hammam Abuelo José
Why we like it: Eight cave houses among poplar groves in El Bejarín, 20 minutes from Guadix, with their own porch, a pool and Arab baths on the same site.
From €80
View details
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Guadix centre | Dinner on foot, cathedral next door | |
| Cave quarter | Caves inside the city | |
| Alcudia and El Bejarín | Caves in the countryside, 15–20 min by car |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Guadix
Restaurante Vinoteca El Refugio
What to order: a board of local cheeses with a Guadix-region wine by the glass, and a dish from the menu of the day
Tío Tobas Restaurant
What to order: the suckling lamb chops or the wood-fired pork ribs, with artichokes with anchovy alioli to start and fig tart for dessert
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book La Calahorra before you go
The tickets are free but limited, and at weekends they are allocated days in advance.
- 2Avoid Gorafe at midday in summer
The ravines are bare earth; in July and August, better first thing or early on Sunday.
- 3Firewood for the stove
In winter ask on arrival how the cave's stove works: with it, any other heating is unnecessary.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is a Guadix cave cold or hot?
Neither: the Town Council puts the temperature at between 18 and 20 °C all year inside the caves.
Can I go with a dog?
Yes. Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcón accepts pets; say so when booking. The cave quarter can be walked with the dog on a lead.
How much does the visit to La Calahorra castle cost?
It is free, with compulsory prior booking, Friday to Sunday.
Do I need a car?
For Gorafe and La Calahorra, yes. Guadix has a train station, but both places are far from any transport.