|
An hour west of San Juan, on Route 129 at km 18.9, RIO CAMUY CAVE PARK (Wed-Sun 8am-5pm; US$10; tel 787/898-3100) is one of the largest cave systems in the world, with some seventeen entrances into its 268 acres of tunnels, sinkholes, stalagmites, stalactites and underground rivers. Known as "karst country", the strange landscape in this region was formed as rivers originating from the rainforest of the Cordillera Central carved their way to the ocean through porous limestone, creating vast networks of sinkholes and tunnels. The standard tour of Rio Camuy, which lasts about two hours, begins at the vis-itor centre. A trolley from here runs through palm and banana trees into Clear Cave Junction, a 200-foot-deep sinkhole. You then proceed on foot past enormous boulder-like stalagmites, rocks that fold like drapery or drip like candles, and bats that flit overhead, under ceilings as tall as 170 feet. In places, the River Camuy is visible rushing past, far below. The second part of the tour takes you by trolley to the Tres Pueblos sinkhole, a vast chasm that measures 650 feet wide and 400 feet deep - large enough to accommodate El Morro. Adventurous visitors can rappel down a rock wall to view the newly opened Cathedral Cave featuring 42 Taino petroglyphs, or descend hundreds of feet into sinkholes and body-raft through an underground river; contact Aventuras Tierra Adentro in San Juan for details (tel 787/766-0470). At US$85 to US$100 per person the trips aren't cheap, but the experts who lead them have the highest regard for safety. The park can be reached easily by car, or on an organized tour from San Juan; ask at your hotel
Your Tip for Rio Camuy Cave Park
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Rio Camuy Cave Park - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Rio Camuy Cave Park - visit the main Rio Camuy Cave Park forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Rio Camuy Cave Park webguide section below! Thanks.
| 
