Valley of the Neanderthals in Pinilla del Valle, Madrid’s Oldest Human Remains
The Valley of the Neanderthals in the Upper Lozoya Valley holds Madrid’s oldest archaeological sites, where human remains up to 90 000 years old have been unearthed.
Location & Geology
- Setting: near Pinilla del Valle, 90 km north of Madrid.
- Calvero de la Higuera: rocky promontory with caves and rock shelters facing the Lozoya River.
- Environment: high valleys and forests preserving Paleolithic sediments.
Key Discoveries
- Neanderthals: remains of three Homo neanderthalensis individuals.
- La Niña de Lozoya: four teeth of a 2.5-year-old child, the region’s first Neanderthal child (40 000 years).
- Fossil Fauna: mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and a rhinoceros skull (2015).
- Exhibition: materials at the Regional Archaeological Museum in Alcalá de Henares.
Guided Visits
Since 2015, the site is accessed only with a guide to protect the finds. Tours last 90–120 min.
- Booking: mandatory via the official website.
- Access: small groups, trail among caves and shelters.
- Tips: mountain shoes, warm clothing, water.
Step into Madrid’s deep past and follow the traces of our Neanderthal relatives in a landscape revealed after 90 000 years underground.
How to get there
Coordinates:
Decimal: 40.924444°, -3.818611°
DMS: 40°55'28" N, 3°49'07" O
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