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Cave country

Granada’s Altiplano: our life in cave country

We lived in the high plains of northern Granada, first in a cave house in Cuevas del Campo and then in a villa near Freila. This is our honest guide to the area, the caves and the winters nobody warns you about.

How we ended up in a cave

On a tight budget, we did what a lot of people do and Googled “cheap house to buy in Spain”. The cave houses of the Altiplano kept coming up, so Soph booked us three nights in a hotel in Baza with ten viewings lined up.

On the drive down we discovered the next day’s high would be 7 degrees. We carried on anyway, viewed properties in towns including Galera, and ended up buying a cave house with a pool in Cuevas del Campo. (The sellers turned out to be swingers, but that’s another story.)

What the Altiplano is really like

The Altiplano is the high plateau in the north-east of Granada province, around Baza and Huéscar. It’s a landscape of badlands, ravines and big skies, with Lake Negratín’s blue water in the middle of it all. The area is part of the Granada Geopark, recognised by UNESCO.

Life here is traditional Spanish village life. In our time there, very few people in the local shops and bars spoke English, which pushed our Spanish along nicely.

The winters: be warned

Summers are hot and dry, but the winters are properly cold, especially at night. The cave house was brilliant for this, because caves keep a steady temperature all year. When we moved across Lake Negratín to a villa near Freila, we found out just how cold a normal house can get.

If you’re thinking of moving here, visit in January before you buy.

Cave houses and the Altiplano

From people who actually lived in one

Thinking of buying a cave house?

The good

Low prices, a steady temperature inside all year, peace and quiet, and huge skies. We loved ours.

The not so good

Damp and ventilation need watching, rooms can be dark at the back, and the nearest big shops can be a long drive.

Our advice

Visit in winter, check the paperwork carefully, and read our guide to living in a cave house before you view.

Granada city: a day trip from the Altiplano

Alhambra, Sacromonte and Arab baths

Not sure how long to stay? Read how many days you really need in Granada.

Explore nearby

Altiplano FAQs

Where is the Altiplano of Granada?

It’s the high plateau in the north-east of Granada province, in Andalucía. Its main towns are Baza and Huéscar, with smaller towns such as Galera, Orce, Castril, Cuevas del Campo and Zújar around them.

Are cave houses warm in winter?

In our experience, yes. A cave keeps a fairly steady temperature all year, so it stays cool in summer and much warmer than a normal house in winter. Our villa near Freila was far colder than the cave ever was.

Is the Altiplano a good place for expats to live?

If you want quiet, traditional village life and low prices, it can be. Be ready for cold winters, long drives to big shops and hospitals, and very little English spoken locally.

Why did you leave?

We outgrew the cave’s small garden with three dogs, then found the villa winters too cold. The milder climate of the Vega Baja brought us to Catral.