Għar Dalam Cave

In the southeast of Malta, just a few metres from St George's Bay, lies the country's oldest prehistoric site, the Għar Dalam Cave. This World Heritage-listed cave was home to the remains of animals that inhabited the island during the Ice Age for centuries.

The bones found at Għar Dalam date back to about 5500 BC. The "cave of darkness" consists of a 150-metre-long (492-foot-long) deep gallery filled with stalagmites and stalactites that have been formed over the centuries.

Although only a third of the cave can be visited, it's interesting to see the different geological layers of Għar Dalam and the remains of animals found in each of them. Among the most striking skeletons are those of dwarf elephants and hippopotamuses that inhabited Malta during the Ice Age.

The Għar Dalam Cave was opened to the public in 1933 and was used as an aircraft shelter during World War II.

The museum

Before visiting the Għar Dalam Cave, we recommend going to the museum at the entrance, which displays the finds recovered from the cave in two rooms.

In the first room, you'll find skeletal remains of species that inhabited Malta some 180,000 years ago. The museum displays almost complete skeletons of deer, foxes, brown bears, hippopotamuses and dwarf elephants. Many of these animals are believed to have come to the island from North Africa.

In the second room, you can learn all about the archaeological work carried out in the Għar Dalam cave and discover how this historic cave was formed.