Goikolau

Goikolau is a cave with prehistoric rock art located in Berriatua, in the Biscay province of the Basque Country. It sits in the Mereludi neighbourhood, on the slope of Mount Gaztelukoatxa, right next to the well-known Atxurra cave, together forming one of the most significant clusters of prehistoric sites in this part of the Basque Country.

What is inside the cave?

Goikolau contains rock engravings and archaeological remains spanning an unusually long timeframe for such a small cave: from the Magdalenian period (late Upper Palaeolithic) through to Roman times. Most of the engravings on the cave walls are non-figurative — series of lines and marks that researchers interpret as abstract signs — with a few exceptional animal depictions among them. Archaeologists have not been able to pin down a precise date for the engravings themselves.

The cave was first surveyed in 1935 by Telesforo Aranzadi and José Miguel Barandiaran, two of the leading Basque archaeologists and ethnographers of their time. That excavation uncovered a necklace made of more than a hundred beads of varied shapes, one of the more notable ornamental finds from the area, now on display at the Bilbao Archaeological Museum. Work resumed in 1962, when Barandiaran, supported by a team from the Bilbao Archaeological Museum and the Biscayan Speleological Group, identified the rock engravings themselves.

How do you get to Goikolau?

Berriatua lies in the Lea-Artibai region, inland from the Biscay coast, close to Markina-Xemein and Ondarroa. The cave sits on the slope of Gaztelukoatxa, above the Mereludi neighbourhood, reached via local roads and mountain paths typical of this terrain. The area is popular with hikers exploring the hills above the Biscay coast, where green pasture gives way to limestone ridges that hide numerous caves.

Like neighbouring Atxurra, Goikolau is a protected site because of the fragility of its engravings — it is not a show cave with a regular visiting schedule. Anyone wanting to check current access should contact Berriatua's town hall or the Lea Artibai Turismo office, which promotes the region's heritage sites.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

Berriatua itself is a small, appealing town on the Artibai river, known for its historic noble towers such as the Arantzibia tower, tied to the lineages that once vied for influence in the area. It's worth pairing a visit to the Goikolau area with a stop in Berriatua's town centre and a walk along the Artibai estuary. The Lea-Artibai region also makes a convenient base for exploring the nearby coast — the fishing port of Ondarroa and the cliffs toward Mutriku.

For anyone interested in prehistoric rock art in Biscay, the sheer density of engraved caves clustered here — Goikolau, Atxurra and others nearby — is itself telling: this landscape was intensively inhabited thousands of years ago.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the Goikolau cave on your own? There are no confirmed regular opening hours for visitors — it's a protected archaeological site due to the sensitivity of the engravings. Check with local authorities or the regional tourism office for current access.

What was found inside the Goikolau cave? Mostly non-figurative rock engravings, plus a necklace made of more than a hundred beads, discovered during the 1935 excavation and now held at the Bilbao Archaeological Museum.

Where is Goikolau in relation to Berriatua? In the Mereludi neighbourhood, on the slope of Mount Gaztelukoatxa, very close to the Atxurra cave.

Is it worth combining a visit with other sights in the region? Yes — Berriatua and the Lea-Artibai region offer historic towers, hiking trails, and easy access to the coast at Ondarroa and Mutriku, making it easy to plan a longer day trip.