{"id":16054,"date":"2023-07-10T14:35:19","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T12:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glutendtrotters.com\/?p=16054"},"modified":"2026-10-03T09:43:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T07:43:43","slug":"el-soplao-cave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glutendtrotters.com\/en\/el-soplao-cave\/","title":{"rendered":"El Soplao Cave: Cantabria’s Hidden “Sistine Chapel” of Geology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Between the municipalities of Herrer\u00edas, Vald\u00e1liga, and Rionansa, about 85 km from Santander, lies the “Sistine Chapel” of geology, <\/span>the El Soplao Cave<\/mark><\/b>, one of Cantabria\u2019s famous mining caves.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An impressive cavity located in <\/span>Cantabria<\/b> that was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century during the operation of the La Florida zinc and lead mines. However, it wasn’t until 1975 that local Cantabrian geologists began to explore it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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Its peculiar name, <\/em><\/span>El Soplao<\/em><\/b>, comes from the term used to describe the draft of air felt when connecting one gallery to another with less oxygen.<\/em><\/span><\/pre>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\n    \"Glutendtrotters\"<\/picture><\/picture>\n    Before your visit to El Soplao Cave<\/strong>\n  <\/div>\n
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\ud83d\ude97 The cave is in a rural area, about 85 km from Santander, so the easiest way to get there is by your own or a rental car: compare options at Discover Cars<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udee1\ufe0f We never travel without IATI travel insurance<\/a> (5% off for Glutendtrotters readers), a must for any trip.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcf6 And if you’re coming from outside Spain, a Holafly<\/a> eSIM (also 5% off for you) keeps you connected from the first minute to check schedules and maps.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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