Cuevas del Diablo y del Rey Garadén

The Devil's Caves are a museum-cave and tourist attraction in the historic center of Alcalá del Júcar (Albacete), located at Calle San Lorenzo, 7, on the rocky slope above the Júcar River. It is a private intervention on a cavity excavated in the rock, integrated in the troglodyte urban landscape so characteristic of the town. According to the sources consulted, its opening or construction dates back to 1905, when they were fitted out as spaces for domestic and support use, with the functions of corrals, dovecotes and storehouses. There is no record in these sources of a traditional monumental ascription or an earlier medieval or modern chronology; therefore, it should be understood as a contemporary heritage resource linked to the excavated popular architecture. Inside, there are galleries and rooms adapted for visits, as well as complementary tourist uses such as a cafeteria. The complex stands out for its subway route, the direct excavation in the rock and the views over the valley, elements that explain its value as an example of material culture linked to the cave habitat. Its patrimonial interest does not lie in a great canonical architectural style, but in the troglodyte architecture and in the reuse of a space excavated in the rock of Alcalá del Júcar, one of the most singular identifying features of the municipality.