The Caves at La Angostura

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Archaeological sites

Passing over the bridge of La Angostura towards Santa Brígida via Meleguinas, there is a large settlement of man-made caves known as the La Angostura Caves. They can be accessed from above, by going up Llanos de María Rivero, although actually getting there can be quite tricky for the amount of wild vegetation growing over its hillsides.

It is a group of artificial caves laid out on a series of ledges, linked up to eachother by pathways and steps. These were mainly worked out of the volcanic tuff rock that acts as natural support for these caves. They are of all shapes and sizes: a high percentage of them are made up of a central area with two or three adjoining rooms. There are also pantries and shelves dug out of the hollowed walls. 

Another significant aspect that can be seen in the Caves of La Angostura is the presence of round cap-like shapes of varying sizes on the floor. One of the most sensible explanations that justify their presence is their use as support brackets for posts that held light structures together, these serving as space dividers around the caves. It has even been pointed out that their irregular distribution all around is due to the many changes made to the rooms' dimensions over time.

Some of the caves also have evidence of silos in them, indicating the presence of domestic storage areas within the rooms. 

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