Las Monedas is the cave that took its name from a handful of small coins, and the story says a lot about the place. Monte Castillo, at Puente Viesgo in Cantabria, has been known as a prehistoric hill since the early twentieth century, and visitors have been coming here for centuries, leaving behind bits of themselves. The coins were found in the cave, and the name stuck.
Las Monedas is different from its neighbours. Most of the paintings here are black, drawn in charcoal or manganese, and they show horses, bison and deer in lively, confident outline, including a reindeer, which is a rarity among Spanish cave art and a reminder of how cold this region once was. The cave has a series of chambers decorated with great skill, and the guides who take small groups through are used to being asked how it was done. The answer, as best anyone can tell, is simply by hand, with torches or lamps and a lot of patience.
The valley below is the land of the pasiegos, the cattle-herding people of the Pas valley, whose summer huts dot the hillsides and whose butter-rich sobaos and quesada pastries are sold in every bakery. The cows grazing the steep meadows are a main feature of the landscape, and the green of the grass is almost startling. It rains here a lot, and the mist often clings to the ridges well into the morning.
The roads of the Pas valley rank among the best in northern Spain. They wind up from Puente Viesgo through oak woods and villages of stone houses with wooden balconies, climbing toward the Puerto del Escudo and the high pastures. Gradients are steady, bends are open, and traffic is usually light. Wet roads are the rule rather than the exception, so tyres and caution matter more than speed.
Los Corrales de Buelna, about nine kilometres away, has fuel and larger shops, and Puente Viesgo has a small selection of cafés and places to eat. Reserve your cave visit well ahead, particularly at weekends.