The caves of Arguedas emerged towards the end of the 19
th century as places that could serve as homes for local people who could not afford to buy somewhere to live.
The lay of the land meant that these caves could be dug in the rock, along the front of the rock face to make use of natural light, as only the better-off had electricity supplies in their homes. There were no corridors and you passed directly from one room to another. Many of the homes had a grain store and a yard, as the majority of their owners were small farmers.
In 1940 the number of cave-homes reached 52, but they were gradually abandoned in the 1960s due to the construction of social housing.