GOING UNDERGROUND

EXTREME athlete, Beatriz Flamini (inset right), recently caught Spain’s attention by spending 500 days in a cave in Los Gauchos, near Motril. Her idea was to write about the troglodyte lifestyle and attempt a world record for solo cave-dwelling.

Living 70 metres below earth, unable to differentiate between day from night, Beatriz journalled about living in isolation.

It wasn’t glamorous. There were no mod cons, no bathroom facilities and she emerged on April 14 saying that she ‘needed a shower’. While being confined in a dark space isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, everyone can enjoy the benefits of living in caves, in smaller doses… particularly in the heat of summer, or ironically, little known to most people, in the cold of winter.

For cave houses maintain an all round annual temperature of between 14C and 19C degrees, which is decidedly cool in summer and liveable in winter, with a jumper..

In various parts of Andalucia, you can rent your very own cave, to test out the lifestyle.

The options range from bijoux dwellings bedecked with traditional, Moorish-style soft furnishings to fully serviced ‘demi-caves’ (partially underground), and more luxurious hosted options with swimming pools and hot tubs.

Subterranean style might be a trend this summer!

Where are the caves?

You’ll find cave houses, cave hotels, and even cave restaurants in famous towns like Setenil de las Bodegas, in Cadiz, while many areas of Granada province, including Guadix, Orce, Huescar and Baza, also feature them. Meanwhile in the city of Granada, the Sacromonte area is famous for its cave homes, originally inhabited by gypsies.

According to National Geographic, cave dwellings were first adopted by inhabitants of southern Spain to shelter from storms and predatory animals and, later, religious and racial persecution.

The idea of ‘shelter’ still applies today, with some people deliberately living off-radar in the caves of Sacromonte.

Some people were born in the caves and have remained there all their lives, sometimes cohabiting with animals.

Traditionally, cave houses were fa-

LOOKING TO BUY?

voured by the Gitano community, as mentioned. Today people of various nationalities invest in them because of the low impact on the environment and cool (literally) vibe. Many cave-owners report a strong sense of community and heritage, not dissimilar to the houseboat community in the UK, or Amsterdam, say. Some older caves are decked out with flamenco memorabilia and are strongly linked with gypsy culture.

Why would I rent a cave?

While Flamini described her time underground as ‘excellent’, most of us would prefer a few mod-cons in our cave. A subterranean paradise has its own bathroom!

A big advantage of cave houses is that they maintain a cool temperatu- re in the summer. In winter, this drops to between 14 and 16 degrees, and for the coldest days, some caves are equipped with wood-burners and even central heating or underfloor heating. With silent and dark bedrooms –traditionally without windows - caves encourage peaceful sleep. This is certainly a compelling reason to choose a cave over a ‘hostal’ or cheap hotel.

CAVE houses can be a real bargain, and the good news is that there’s an option to suit every buyer’s budget.

Specialist agency, Rusticom, based in Baza, has sold over 1,000 caves to date.

For just €37,000 you can snap up a two bedroom rural cave home located outside the village of Los Laneros. This is furnished and includes a second, four-room cave next door for full renovation. (photo 1)

Increase your budget to €65,000 and you can bag a cosy, mid-range cave house in Galera, Granada. (photo 2).

Getting towards the higher end, €150,000 will buy you a business opportunity, with a cave to live inside, and another to rent out. you can get

1 2 3 in a cave house is incredible. The purchase price can be 20-30% less than for a standard build home and they make wonderful places to live.”

Especially in summer months, the city streets can be noisy. Even if your hotel room has double glazing, some light and noise pollution will creep through. Silence, in your cave, is golden. One incredible cave hotel, in Orce, north Granada, has 12 bedrooms. The amazing retreat, Casas Cueva el Mirador de Orce (www.andandoporelmundo.com), run by a Frenchman, even has chandeliers in some rooms and provides a mean breakfast. Meanwhile, at Cuevas Al Jatib (www.aljatib.com) , near Baza, you will find the most stylish cave hotel imaginable with an amazing pool, giant, warren-like suites and even with its own restaurant, once selected by the Olive Press in its popular section, Dining Secrets of Andalucia Longer

stays?

The Olive Press spoke to Amelia Michaelson, a British cave-dweller of Sacromonte, who lives there permanently. She enjoys life underground.

“It’s a great feeling, being inside the earth,” she explains. “A different kind of silence and a special, intimate space.”

She continues: “How much light you have depends on the size of the cave, where the windows and doors are positioned, and the material. The caves are all constructed with domed ceilings and archways, so they don't collapse. They must be ventilated, like any other house.”

Her cav is handily located on the doorstep of Granada’s thriving tourist centre, just a 15-minute stroll from Plaza Nueva and the cathedral.

There are guided tours of the main attractions in the caves of Sacromon te and tourists come from all areas, and many hikers and cyclists too. Lots of walking trails go from Sacromonte, up the valley, or across to the Alhambra area of Granada.

Pros and cons of cave living

PROS

9 Traditional cave areas, such as Sac- romonte, are steeped in history and tradition.

9 Being on the side of mountains, some of the cave neighbourhoods have stunning views.

9 Cool and tranquil.

9 Be a hobbit!

9 Resistant to earthquakes! CONS

8 Some caves don’t have mobile phone coverage inside, although rental caves will provide WiFi for tourists.

8 Some cave rentals are a long walk from the nearest parking (especially in Sacromonte). This isn’t suitable for people with mobility problems.

8 You might have to walk uphill after vis- iting tourist attractions.

8 Not ideal if you’re claustrophobic.

EVOCATIVE: Cueva al Jatib gives a flavour of times gone by

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 1 Snag, 4 Boston, 8 Clowns, 9 Damson, 10 Demolish, 11 Core, 12 Meets, 13 Enemy, 17 Spew, 19 Exorcise, 20 Twilit, 21 Isobar, 22 Trashy, 23 Last.

Down: 2 New South Wales, 3 Gossip, 4 Buddha, 5 Semi-conscious, 6 Odour, 7 Fleece, 14 Mislay, 15 Gentry, 16 Social, 18 Power.

Dear Jennifer:

Feel Secure

Have you protected your family in the correct way?

THE first question should be – have you taken out Life Insurance? You may have a Mortgage Protection policy, which means on your death the mortgage will be paid.

But of course, this has nothing to do with providing your family with some financial security when they really need it, whereas life insurance provides a payment to your family, to cover funeral costs, inheritance taxes, etc. Mortgage Protection is a good policy to have, as it will pay off any mortgage you have on your house, keeping your family secure in their home.

For example, Mortgage Payment protection, up to €100,000 of cover for a 50-year-old, can be as little as €305 per year.

But for fuller coverage you should look into a life policy. You can tailor a policy to your own requirements and create a bespoke life insurance – whether to cover the initial costs incurred on your death or provide your family with a lump sum to provide for their future.

For example, life cover of €50,000 for a 50-year-old, can be as little as €155 a year.

You do need to be resident in Spain for these policies and there will be a simple health/medical questionnaire that you will need to complete online.

These policies are available with monthly direct debit payments, and our policies will be in English.

I understand that when you go to the bank, they will try to sell you life insurance, both for yourself and your mortgage. Be careful as they tend to be more expensive and you are unable to tailor these policies for your own particular needs.

Alongside the life policies, we can provide various Accident Policies to give you protection throughout your life and provide support should you sadly experience a life changing accident.