Updated October, 11th November 2001; 12th November 2002; 7th November 2006; 9th November, 21st December 2008; 8th November 2010; 18th February 2011; 16th October 2015; 29th November 2016; 8th January 2020; 13th May, 19th September 2023

The entrance must be reached by a small, exposed chimney down after a steep grassy slope. Two ladders from a covenient bush just below the path makes access safer. A short stoop then enters the main passage which is about 100m long with a smaller, short side passage and chamber to the left.

The cave is an archaeological site having revealed iron age pottery (fragments of 4 urns and a smaller pot), human bones (possibly a young male, although Ruiz Cobo Jesús et al, 2008, p214 states that the bones are from one adult with a sacrum from a young woman) and metal objects, including two copper strips with zig-zag decorations.

Morlote Jose M et al, 1995 describe Barandas as one of the Iron Age sepulchral caves in the area. Ruiz Cobo Jesús and Smith Peter et al, 2001 discusses the finds and includes drawings of copper strips and pottery.

The cave line was re-surveyed in 1995; the survey is this line with detail from the published survey in Smith P, 1985. The cave was resurveyed in October / November 2010 as part of an archaeology project. Pottery was subsequently carbon dated to the 7th century BC - early Iron Age. Details of this archaeology study appear in Smith Peter. Ruiz Cobo Jesús and Corrin Juan, 2013. The results indicate the cave was used in the first millenia before and after Christ.

Reference Smith P et al, 2015 has a summary of the archaeological work carried out within 2004 - 2016 and a table of radio-carbon and thermoluminesence dates.

Near the start of the path up, site 2576 is on the right at the base of the cliff below Barandas.

Bat information
Date: 3/4/2023
Evidence of occupation (only): droppings
Bat remains (number): -
Species identified name (number): lesser horseshoe bats (2)
Other notes: some droppings had brown/green tinge
Photos from visit

Date: 6/8/2023
Evidence of occupation (only):
Bat remains (number): -
Species identified name (number): -
Other notes: 2 skeletons found

References: Corrin J, 1983c; Smith P and Muñoz E, 1985; Smith P, 1983; Smith P, 1985 (survey); Muñoz E, ?; Muñoz E and Bermejo A, 1987; Muñoz E, 1988; anon., 1994b (logbook); anon., 1995b (Whit logbook); Morlote Jose M et al, 1995; material in file; Smith Peter and Ruiz Cobo Jesús, 1999; Ruiz Cobo Jesús and Smith Peter et al, 2001 (includes line drawings); Ruiz Cobo Jesús and Smith Peter, 2003 (line drawing); anon., 2008f (autumn logbook); Ruiz Cobo Jesús et al, 2008 (survey, drawings); anon., 2010d (autumn logbook); Smith Peter. Ruiz Cobo Jesús and Corrin Juan, 2013; Smith P et al, 2015; Smith Peter, Ruiz Cobo Jesús y Corrin Juan, 2016; anon., 2023b (Easter logbook); anon., 2023c (summer logbook)
Entrance picture : yes, including April 2023
Underground picture(s): yes : April 2023
Video : 14Mb wmv file (Archaeology and formations 2010)
Detailed Survey : 1:1000 : from the 2010 archaeology project - 1:500 : 1:100
Line Survey :
On area survey :
Survex file : yes (Amended magnetic declination December 2013 to align with Eur79 grid and coordinates altered to fit ETRS89 datum, April 2014.) : for the archaeology project