Vela Spila hike - Ice Age on the Mediterranean

Starting from the center of Vela Luka we'll pass thru the old part of town and quickly enter pine forest's pleasant shade. On the southern slopes of Pinski rat hill, overlooking the town and the bay of Vela Luka, we will find one of the most important prehistoric archeaological sites in Europe. Layers of findings in Vela Spila cave reveal details covering a period of over 25 000 years of human inhabitance. Pots, tools, artistry, animal bones and burial grounds offer insight into changes in human lives during climate and geological turmoils that marked the end of Ice Age. The distance we will cover is about 3.5 kilometers, with 150 meters of altitude gain (about 2.2 miles and 500 feet of elevation gain) which usually takes a little bit over an hour. The terrain we'll walk on is paved road in the town, gravel road and trail on our way to the cave and paved stairway on the descent back to town.