Cueva de las Caldas | |
| Location | Nalón Valley |
|---|---|
| Region | Asturias |
| Coordinates | 43°19′45″N5°55′38″W / 43.32917°N 5.92722°W /43.32917; -5.92722 |
Las Caldas Cave and the surrounding partial nature reserve (Reserva Natural Parcial de la Cueva de las Caldas) is a protected area covering 45 hectares within theNalón Valley in the Municipality ofOviedo in the vicinity of the towns ofLa Piñera andLas Caldas.
The cave itself has a length of about 600 m and has three entrances. The main cavity is around 5 m high and contains asubterranean river. The cave has no particular geological significance but it is important for the wildlife and archaeological sites from theSolutrean andMagdalenian periods located there.[1]
Bats living in the cave include the mediummouse-eared bat,cave bat,greater horseshoe bat,lesser horseshoe bat andNatterer's bat.
Archeological excavations in the cave have become one of the most importantUpper Paleolithic sites in theAsturias region. Finds from the cave are of exceptional quality[2] and include amongst others: