Cuevas de Arguedas

Above the village of Arguedas, the gateway to the Bardenas, the hill is riddled with caves that were homes until the mid-20th century. It is a way of life repeated across the Ribera de Navarra, where the clay is easy to dig and keeps a stable temperature all year. The Town Hall has recovered some of them and today they can be visited with a guide: it is a short, curious stop that explains a lot about how people lived in this land before modern housing arrived.

A little history

According to the Town Hall, the caves of Arguedas appeared at the end of the 19th century. They were dug into the hillside to house the families with fewest resources, who thus avoided paying rent to the few owners who held most of the village's houses. The ground is also relatively easy to dig, so each family could keep extending its home as it grew.

In 1940 there were 52 cave dwellings in Arguedas. They were abandoned in the 1960s, when social housing was built in the village, and the great majority have been sealed.

What they were like inside

The homes were arranged along the façade to make use of natural light. They had no corridor: you passed from one room directly to the next. As almost all belonged to farmers, many had a barn and a yard for keeping working tools.

How to visit them

Guided visits leave from Arguedas tourist information point, on Plaza General Clemente, with a booking. In autumn 2026 the point is open Wednesday to Friday from 16:00 to 19:00, Saturdays from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00, and Sundays from 10:00 to 14:00. Telephone, 948 844 681. The hours change by season: confirm them before you go. The company Rutas Vivamus also offers guided visits to the caves. From the village streets you can see the cave mouths on the hill, but to go in you have to join the visit.

What else to see in Arguedas

Above the 16th-century church of San Esteban, you climb up Calle La Concha and a steep, well-marked path to the Balconico de los Moros, a natural balcony on the crag where the fortress stood until 1084. From there you get the best views of the village, with the church tower in front and the Moncayo on the horizon. About 5 km away, in the Sierra del Yugo, the hermitage of the Virgen del Yugo has a recreation area with swings, barbecues and viewpoints over the Bardenas.

How to combine it

It is a good one-hour stop before entering the park, or on the way out in the afternoon: from Arguedas leaves the lane that leads to the Bardenas information centre and to Castildetierra. If you want to sleep in a cave, in Valtierra, the neighbouring village, there are cave houses to rent.