Peruyal Glacier Cave

Peruyal glacier cave on the map

Latitude: 43.3347855 Length: -4.9526267
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It's worth clarifying that in the town of Avín there are two options related to glacial fauna . One is the cave/museum , which offers an educational tour through a very accessible grotto, equipped to house reproductions of glacial fauna—and is well worth a separate visit. The other option, which we're referring to here, is a more rugged cave, the Cueva de La Peruyal . Inside, in a small and fascinating chamber, the skeleton of this prehistoric rhinoceros has been preserved for 45.000 years ; a species that fed on grass like modern rhinos and was occasionally hunted by Neanderthals.

The baby of this animal found in Avín was long ago nicknamed the "Osorrino ." It was the children who gave it this name, with their knack for simplifying things and the theories that arose about the origin of the skeleton.

In search of the "Osorrino"

Experienced guides await us after we've booked the activity. Groups are limited to a maximum of eight people. We slip into our jumpsuits, and with our helmets already on, we walk purposefully toward the cave we're about to explore. It's not every day you get to get within inches of an Ice Age rhinoceros . That's our ultimate goal.

A metal staircase leads to the entrance; from there, another staircase (this one spiral) takes us into the depths. We turn on our headlamps. Experienced and passionate guides explain that the animal remains found in this cave are mostly herbivorous and omnivorous mammals. They are the most prone to falling in this type of cave because they lack peripheral vision. They also explain that the first explorers of La Peruyal were British researchers in 1973. Expert geologists who pioneered the exploration of part of the vast karst network that lies beneath the Picos de Europa mountains.

The English initially thought the skeleton found at La Peruyal belonged to a small donkey . Locals who began frequenting the cave claimed it was a bear . Years later, when the find was scientifically dated, it was discovered to be the remains of a steppe rhinoceros calf . Experts theorize that the animal fell into the cave and then wandered through it, searching for another way out. Its remains were thus found near the cave's only water source. And thanks to its location in a permanently waterlogged area, the skeleton was perfectly preserved, coated with calcium carbonate by the water.

The excursion through the Cueva de La Peruyal

The underground route is easy , although ropes are needed in two specific areas to overcome the difference in elevation. It's not particularly difficult, but the ropes add a touch of adventure that children usually love. The temperature underground remains constant throughout the year at around 13 degrees Celsius. There are small galleries and larger ones, but all are breathtaking and possess a powerful magnetism. La Peruyal is full of impressive endokarst formations: stalactites and stalagmites that have been forming for millions of years.

When we finally arrived at the promised fossil, the feeling was a little overwhelming, as it seemed incredible to have it so close, nestled in a small natural niche; a kind of cave sanctuary. The guides' explanations of this fascinating animal were lengthy. They clarified, for example, that it was in the year 2000 when archaeologist Ana Pinto decided to study what some believed to be a bear and others a donkey. After analyzing the shape of its skull and the age of the remains, she concluded that it was a very primitive rhinoceros (45.000 years old) that was only between 18 and 24 months old when it died. It had eaten a lot of earth in its last days, which caused its intestines to solidify and now be clearly visible.