Altamira caves are going to be reopened

Altamira is a cave in Cantabria famous for its Upper Paleolithic cave paintings of wild mammals and human hands.It was the first cave in which prehistoric cave paintings were discovered. It is near the town of Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain, 30 km west of the city of Santander. The cave with its paintings has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
In the past the paintings were damaged by the carbon dioxide in the breath of the large number of visitors. Altamira was closed to the public in 1977, and reopened to limited access in 1982. Very few visitors were allowed per day.. A replica cave and museum were built nearby and completed in 2001.
Now the government has announced that the caves will be opened towards the end of 2011.