Gruta do Escoural
Portugal · Europe
Portugal's only decorated cave, hidden beneath the olive groves of the Alentejo
Age
~17,000 yrs
Period
Solutrean–Magdalenian
Setting
Cave
Art form
Paintings
Discovered
1963
Status
Open (Limited Guided Visits)
Portugal's only known decorated cave, discovered by quarry workers in the Alentejo in 1963. Faint black-painted and engraved horses and aurochs mark its chambers, which later served as a Neolithic necropolis — a rare deep-cave outpost of Ice Age art in southwestern Iberia.
Gallery
Notable Features
- ◦ Portugal's only cave art
- ◦ Painted and engraved horses
- ◦ Later Neolithic necropolis
Depicted Subjects
HorsesAurochsSigns
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
BookingAdvance booking required — places are limited
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.