Molino del Santo to the Pileta Caves
Summary
We are very lucky to have the Pileta Caves so close by. They are wonderfully preserved, and the guided tour is well worth it. The car drive is about 15 minutes, but the walk is a lovely alternative. Please ask Reception to book you in in advance.
The walk
- From the main gate, turn right uphill and after 5 metres turn left onto an earth vehicle track. After 100 metres, arrive at a gate. The main gate is usually locked, but there is a small gate on the right-hand side for pedestrians. There is public access to this path beyond the gate
- Follow the main track, ignoring a left fork after a further 100 metres.
- After approximately 1.5 km, you’ll see the gates of the property ahead of you. Forty metres before you reach it, fork right up the bank to pass through a gap (or rudimentary gate) in the fence and follow the dirt path heading diagonally upwards.
- Immediately cross a gully, then continue along the path, making an ascending traverse of the hillside, with the property down below on your left.
- Once the property is out of sight, cairns become more frequent. Follow this path uphill, looking out for cairns and ignoring any small ways off. Make sure you’re always ascending.
- After nearly 1 km, with the road just above you on your right, you should be able to see the barrier. You reach the top of the climb where the gully ends. You’ll see that there is a telegraph line above on your left. You may find an old section of fence in front of you; if so, you should be able to pass round the left side of it.
- Bear right up the short steep section of path to pass a small boulder and reach the road.
- Turn left up the road, almost immediately passing the 4 km marker.
- In 500 metres, you’ll find the turning to the Cueva de la Pileta on your right.
- After passing through the car park area, climb the steps to the cave entrance.
- Return by the same route.
