Cova dels Cavalls

Cova dels Cavalls is a rock art shelter in the Barranc de la Valltorta gorge, in the municipality of Tírig, in the Alt Maestrat region of the Valencian Community. It stands out as one of the most important Levantine art sites in Europe.

What will you see?

The centerpiece is a monumental hunting scene: a group of archers shooting arrows at a herd of deer made up of one adult stag, one young deer, five does and two fawns. The composition is among the most widely reproduced illustrations of prehistoric hunting anywhere in the world and is often cited as the single most recognizable image of Levantine art. The figures were painted with iron oxide mixed with animal fat, giving the shelter its dominant red tones. Both human and animal figures show remarkable naturalism, especially the animals, whose proportions, motion and herd arrangement are rendered with striking precision for their age.

The story behind the discovery

The shelter was discovered in 1917 by Albert Roda. That same year, Hugo Obermaier and Paul Wernert carried out the first scientific study of the paintings. The site was declared a historic-artistic monument in 1924, and in 1998 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the wider listing covering Mediterranean Basin rock art on the Iberian Peninsula. The paintings date back to the Neolithic period.

How to get there?

Cova dels Cavalls sits within the Valltorta gorge, in the municipality of Tírig, Castellón province. The natural starting point for a visit is the Museu de la Valltorta, an interpretation center where visitors can find out about access rules and any guided routes to the shelter. Because the paintings are fragile, access to the cave itself is often restricted and regulated, so it's worth checking current visiting conditions at the museum beforehand.

When to visit?

The Maestrat region has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers, so spring and autumn are the best seasons for exploring the gorge and its rock art sites, when temperatures are milder and the hiking trails more comfortable. The shelters are open-air and unroofed, so weather conditions have a direct effect on the visiting experience.

Why visit?

Cova dels Cavalls is not an isolated site but part of a wider cluster of shelters in the Barranc de la Valltorta that together form one of the richest concentrations of Levantine art in Europe. For anyone interested in archaeology and prehistory, it offers a chance to see paintings that have served as a reference point in the study of Iberian rock art for over a century.

Frequently asked questions

What is Levantine art? It's a style of rock painting characteristic of the eastern Iberian Peninsula, depicting hunting scenes and everyday life through dynamic, red-toned silhouettes.

Can you enter the cave on your own? Access to the interior is often restricted to protect the paintings — visiting rules and any guided routes are managed through the Museu de la Valltorta.

What does the shelter's most famous scene show? A group of archers hunting a herd of deer — a composition regarded as one of the most iconic images in Levantine art.

When was the site added to the UNESCO list? In 1998, as part of the listing covering Mediterranean Basin rock art on the Iberian Peninsula.