Jumilla's Hoya de la Sima fossil site takes a big step toward official cultural protection

ARCHIVED ARTICLE -

This new status will help safeguard and showcase one of Europe’s most extraordinary fossil footprint sites

Jumilla's Hoya de la Sima fossil site takes a big step toward official cultural protection

Jumilla is marking a huge milestone as the remarkable paleontological site of Hoya de la Sima begins its journey to becoming a recognised Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) (an Asset of Cultural Interest). This means the site will be able to access important funding that will help protect and bring new life to this unique treasure, thanks to a master plan driven by the local ayuntamiento.

At around 6.2 million years old, Hoya de la Sima isn’t just Spain’s largest collection of fossilised footprints, it’s one of the most treasured across Europe and even Asia. What makes it truly special is the presence of Miocene camel footprints, something you won’t find anywhere else in Europe.

Mayor Seve González shared the excitement: “This is wonderful news for our town and the scientists who study it. Having this status means we can now seek the support needed to enhance and promote a site that’s truly one of a kind worldwide.”

For the man who discovered these ancient tracks back in 1997, Cayetano Herrero, the site holds a very special place in his heart. He says, “This site is like a child to us. Over the years, it has become known well beyond our region, taught in universities across Spain, and featured in many international science papers.”

Patricio Sánchez, who oversees Cultural Heritage in the Murcia Region, also praised the site’s significance. “What makes Hoya de la Sima unique is not just its size but the sheer number and variety of footprints. It’s an international point of reference for studying Miocene-era animals and geology. Protecting it means preserving an irreplaceable window into the distant past of this land.”

As the official recognition process rolls forward, the site already enjoys some protective measures. For example, no new building work can happen nearby while it awaits the final decision, which could take anywhere from six months to three years.

This push for protection is part of a bigger plan to promote sustainable tourism. The ayuntamiento has developed a detailed plan to guide the care, study, and sharing of Hoya de la Sima with visitors and locals alike. During this, experts realised just how urgent it was to get the BIC process started, which began in earnest last June.

One of the guided tours held in Jumilla during June 2025 gave visitors the chance to see these ancient fossilised footprints up close in the countryside of Hoya de la Sima. The prints date back to the Late Miocene, between 5 and 11 million years ago, a time when sabre-toothed tigers and other large animals roamed this landscape. Located in the mountains of Sierra de la Pedrera in the north-west of Jumilla, the site sits along a path starting at kilometre 9.8 on the MU-403. Now sheltered by a protective roof, it is the only known European site preserving tracks of 'Ventian' mammals from this era.

Spanning almost 28,000 square metres, the site holds footprints from an incredible range of prehistoric animals, from three-toed horses and sabre-toothed tigers to antelopes, bears, mastodons, and the extinct camel species Paracamelus jumillensis. Once a salty lagoon, this land tells the story of a vibrant and wild landscape from millions of years ago.

With this new chapter of official protection unfolding, Hoya de la Sima is set to continue as a shining example of Jumilla’s rich natural history and a source of pride for the whole Murcia community.

For more local events, news and visiting information go to the home page of Jumilla Today.

Images: Ayuntamiento de Jumilla

Address

Plaza del Rollo, 1 30520 JUMILLA

Tel: 968 780237 / 663 300779

Oficina de Turismo Jumilla

The tourist office in the centre of Jumilla is easily found by driving straight into the centre of the town along the Avenida de Murcia and following the signposts. The tourist office is alongside the Parque de Don Albano Martínez Molina, where there are a number of parking spaces.

Jumilla, in the north of the Region of Murcia, has become internationally famous over recent decades due to the quality of the wines produced in the municipality, and wine tourism has begun to attract visitors from other parts of Spain and the rest of Europe.

The tourist office is happy to provide a range of maps and leaflets showing the different bodegas which can be visited within the municipality. Some of these form part of the Rutas del Vino de Jumilla, the Jumilla wine route, and can either be visited as a guided tour or sell their produce directly to the public.(see feed below for more details)

However, the town and the surrounding countryside have plenty of other attractions for visitors, and the popularity of Jumilla wines is leading more and more people to discover other facets of the tenth largest municipality in Spain.

Jumilla Tourist Office

These include the spectacular countryside and birdlife in the Sierra del Carche, the historic remains which range from cave paintings and a Roman mausoleum to the castle, the Iglesia de Santiago, the Town Hall and the Teatro Vico, and the gastronomy: rich stews are accompanied not only by the wines of the area but also by Jumilla pears, which also enjoy Denomination of Origin status.

Tourism in Jumilla is not as seasonal as it is in the coastal areas of the Region of Murcia, but the town is at its liveliest during the fiestas in Holy Week and the August Fair, which incorporates the grape harvest celebrations and the Moors and Christians parades.

The Altiplano of the Region of Murcia, which consists of the municipalities of Jumilla and Yecla, is only just over an hour by car from the Mar Menor, Cartagena, Mazarrón, Torrevieja and Alicante, and anyone wishing to visit real inland Spain and world-class wineries is advised to include Jumilla in their schedule.