- Head downhill from the Molino main gate, follow the lane to the left and cross the bridge over the stream. Turn right.
- Cross the railway level crossing and keep heading downhill on the main track. Ignore a road going to the left between buildings and reach a vehicle bridge over the river.
- Turn left after crossing the river bridge and follow the concrete track with the river on your left.
- On your left-hand side, look down on the weir and stepping stones across the river. Don’t cross the river, but continue on the track.
- Pass under the road bridge.
- Arrive at Hotel Molino Cuatro Paradas. Skirt around the hotel, keeping the main building on your left-hand side. This is a narrower pedestrian path, not like the vehicle track that you have been following to this point.
- Keep following the path with the river on your left for a kilometre until you arrive at Hotel Cueva del Gato. The cave is opposite, accessible via the bridge.
- There is a footbridge crossing the river at this point to enable you to reach the cave and the pool.
- Return to Molino via the same route. The alternative is the road from Ronda to Benaoján, but this is a fast road with no footpaths and is not recommended.
The cave is the end of a subterranean system which begins on the far side of Montejaque: approximately 4 km of underground passages. A guide is essential if you would like to undertake this challenge. Ask for more information at reception.
The name of the cave comes from an imaginative interpretation of the mouth of the cave as a cat’s mouth, with two smaller caves higher up in the mountain being the eyes. It is easier to visualise from the road from Ronda to Benaoján.
Hotel Cueva del Gato is sometimes open for drinks — it can be worth checking if you fancy one. There is also a venta (bar/restaurant) called Venta Cueva del Gato, accessed via the road that climbs behind the Cat Cave hotel. In the summer, there is a bar in the evenings accessible from the path called “El Gato Verde” (only open in the evenings).