What began as a teenage strop over a tracksuit ban escalated into a six-year engineering project, resulting in a fully-fledged underground hideaway dug by hand in a Spanish garden.
From Sulk to Subterranean Sanctuary
Andres Canto was just 14 years old when a seemingly ordinary argument with his parents sparked an extraordinary endeavour. The dispute ignited after they forbade him from walking to the local village wearing a tracksuit. Fuming, he stayed home and, seeking an outlet for his frustration, picked up his grandfather's pickaxe and started hacking at the earth in the family's back garden in La Romana, Spain.
That initial act of defiance in 2015 quickly transformed from a momentary sulk into a dedicated, long-term fixation. By 2021, after six years of persistent effort, the teenager had carved out his very own secret subterranean den, complete with distinct living and sleeping areas.
The Mammoth Digging Operation
The project evolved from a solo venting session into a more serious operation. Andres found the physical labour strangely calming after school. The pace accelerated significantly when a friend, Andreu, joined him, bringing a pneumatic drill to the task. Together, they committed up to 14 hours per week to the excavation, eventually burrowing nearly 10 feet below the surface.
Construction was not without its challenges. "Sometimes I came across a big stone and it could be frustrating after hours of digging that I had done almost nothing," Andres explained. He started by manually removing earth with buckets but, as he dug deeper, he researched proper techniques. He ingeniously engineered a pulley system to hoist debris and carefully designed arched doorways and vaulted roofs supported by reinforced pillars to prevent collapses.
A Fully-Fitted Underground Retreat
Remarkably, the entire venture is estimated to have cost Andres just £43 (€50). His underground haven now boasts two separate chambers, a heating installation, and audio equipment. He even has Wi-Fi, courtesy of a mobile signal captured from the cave's entrance.
"It's great, I have everything I need," Andres remarked. "It can be tiring to work here as it is wet and there is not much air going around, but I have found my own motivation to keep on digging every day." He attributes the project to a lifelong passion for building, recalling how he used to construct little huts from abandoned wood in the countryside.
Now pursuing a career as an actor, Andres has grand plans to expand his unique subterranean creation even further, proving that a teenage rebellion can sometimes dig up truly impressive results.
