As we left Granada, Spain, our tour guide Pascal told us he had a surprise for us. “We are going to visit my friend, Paco,” he said. “And we have been invited into his home.”
Wonderful news for me, for sure. I’ve mentioned before that I always welcome the chance to go inside people’s homes as I travel and going to Paco’s house had an added twist: his home was built inside a mountain cave! I couldn’t wait!
Purullena is a small town in Andalucia where many people reside in cave dwellings built into the mountains. The entire population of the town is only 2260, and until recently, all inhabitants lived in cave homes. Now, about 1100 residents still do.
When we stopped to visit Paco, his children were eating their breakfast, seemingly immune to the 45 strangers filing through their house to hear more about this unique way of living.
“My family is 6th generation,” Paco explained. The original cave dwelling was dug in 1876 and Paco’s family has since expanded with two more caves on top of the original since the only place to build is up.
The second-story cave has been turned into a museum and contains relics from the previous generations that lived there. We saw old bicycles, family portraits, tools and plates. I couldn’t stop snapping pictures of all the adornments inside this simple, but cozy cave. For all intents and purposes, it seemed like any other house to me. Any house, that is, that remains a constant 17-21 degrees Celsius and has no windows or doors other than in front.
Once we’d finished touring the caves and another tour group arrived to visit the museum, we spent some time browsing through the shop where the family sold ceramics they’d made. Each was unique. All were beautiful. My daughter and I were happy to come away with two small bowls as a reminder of our visit with Paco. Though, honestly, it was not a visit I’d ever forget.
Could you live in a cave?
Browsing The Atlas 
That’s so cool! Admittedly, I’m not much of a cave dweller so I’d probably just stick with being a visitor. I’ve been in Barcelona for the last few days and am heading back to London tomorrow, but nice to know we were both in Spain at the same time! 🙂
I think I’d love living in a cave in the heat of summer, but I do also love windows, and those are lacking.
Hope you had a great trip!! I did!
I’ve heard about the cave houses in Grenada, it’s so interesting. I love the city of Grenada, it might be one of my favorite place sin the world. I haven’t yet made it to the caves though! I’ll look for Paco next time!
So very interesting! I would have LOVED to have visited a local’s house and especially as unique as being in a cave! This happened to us in Morocco…our tour guide took us to his mom’s house where we met her and talked with her (through our guide serving as translator) and she made us local food. What a cool experience. And those bowls are awesome, I would have had to come home with those too!
Wow, what an experience! To be welcomed into someone’s home — and a cave, nonetheless — is incredible. The pottery they’re selling looks beautiful too, especially with all of that blue! I’ll keep an eye out for this when I’m in Spain next summer!
This is just so cool – how lucky are you!! I wish I could’ve been to Paco’s cave house, too. I remember when I was in Cuenca, Spain there was a similar thing. At the bottom of the city centre there were a bunch of houses and a restaurant built into the side of the cliff face.
How exciting! Spain has been on our list for ages. I love those porcelain plates and white walls. I know what you mean about cramming a lot on one day. 🙂
Purullena is definitely a unique place to visit. What I really learned throughout my trip to Spain was that you can’t go wrong choosing a place to explore in Spain. Hope you make it there soon!
This is really cool, I have herd of it, but never had the chance to visit! What a cool experience. The inside looks so much different than one would imagine, its cute even. I think I could handle cave life..just maybe not the 45 tourists over breakfast LOL
I’ve always thought living in a cave would be fine, Julianne, assuming of course, it was a comfortable cave. 🙂 Fun post. –Curt
Cave home? I couldn’t believe that there are people in this world still live in caves with no window! It is interesting how they made that possible with electricity, flooring and all that! Their ceramics look so pretty and colorful!
These ceramics are beautiful! How cool that you not only got invited into someone’s home but that they live in a cave! What a lovely addition to a Spain trip.
They have some of these homes in France and I have always been fascinated by them! I’ve even stayed in a cave hotel in Loire Valley. On a permanent basis I don’t think I could live that way – too humid!
Ooohh My God. I wish to see and experience…the way of living in caves
I hope you get to!!