If you're fascinated by the most remote history, there's an original, little-travelled themed route for a motorhome trip: dolmens and megaliths. Spain is dotted with prehistoric structures (dolmens, menhirs, cromlechs) and cave art thousands of years old, much of it out in the middle of nature. Exploring them is a journey into humanity's deep past. Here are the ideas.
The great megalithic complexes
- The Antequera Dolmens Site (Málaga): a World Heritage Site, with the impressive dolmens of Menga, Viera and El Romeral.
- The dolmens around Huelva (Soto, El Pozuelo) and Extremadura.
- The megaliths of the Basque Country, Navarre and the Pyrenees (mountain cromlechs and menhirs).
- The Antequera dolmens and those of Catalonia (l'Empordà).
Cave art
Besides the megaliths, Spain has extraordinarily rich cave art: the Levantine rock paintings (a World Heritage Site), rock shelters along the Mediterranean, the caves of the north (though the most famous, like Altamira, are visited via replicas to protect them). A journey into the oldest art of all.
Why it works in a motorhome
Many of these sites are out in the middle of nature, in peaceful rural areas perfect for a motorhome. You combine deep history with landscape and solitude. Some have visitor centres; others are simply out there, in the countryside (see hiking to reach the most remote ones).
Practical tips
- Check opening times and access: some require a guided visit or booking.
- Respect the sites: they're fragile, thousand-year-old heritage; don't touch or alter anything.
- Combine with the natural surroundings and nearby villages.
- Use the area's designated sites (see stopover areas).
In summary
The dolmens and megaliths route is an original, fascinating idea: prehistory and cave art thousands of years old, often out in the middle of nature. The step you can take today: start with the Antequera Dolmens Site (a World Heritage Site), check the opening times and combine it with its surroundings; you'll discover a journey into the deep past that few people take. Combine it with the routes through Spain.