Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy
This park comprises part of the world's third-largest cave system, Cavernas
del Río Camuy, which has more than 220 underground caverns. One of the
chambers is so large, it could swallow a 30-story building. Spotlights illuminate
fantastic stalactites, stalagmites, and other dripstone formations, some of
which are etched with pre-Columbian Taíno motifs. Bats flit about overhead,
tarantulas crawl underfoot, and a blind endemic fish species swims in the
underground river, Río Camuy. These caves were only discovered in the 1950s
and are today under the care of Puerto Rico's Compañia de Parques Nacionales.
Top 10 Features
1 Cueva Clara de Enpalma
2 Taíno Pictographs
3 Dripstone Formations
4 Trolley Ride
5 Tres Pueblo Sinkhole
6 Bats
7 Río Camuy
8 Tarantulas
9 Cueva Catedral
0 Visitor Center
A walkway to the caves
The walkways can
get slippery, so wear
comfortable shoes
with good grip. A
sweater or light
jacket can come in
handy against the
chill of the caverns.
!
Cueva Clara de
Enpalma
This massive cavern soars
170 ft (52 m) high and
extends lengthways for
more than 1,970 ft (600 m)
to a vast sinkhole - the
Sumidero Enpalma
(below)
.
Concrete paths snake along
the cavern's floor, providing
a fascinating loop trail.
The visitor center
has a snack bar and
the gift shop sells
snacks. A campsite in
the park has toilets
and showers.
@
Taíno Pictographs
Ancient indigenous
people daubed symbolic
spiritual figures onto the
cave walls using mixtures
of charcoal, bat droppings,
and animal fat. These have
survived millennia thanks
to the natural humidity and
coolness of the caverns.
• Map D3
• Carretera 129 Km 20,
Camuy
• 787 898 3100
• Open 8am-3pm
Wed-Sun
• Adm $12 for adults; $7
for children (4-12 years)
£
Dripstone
Formations
Many of the stalactites
(right)
, stalagmites, and
other calcite formations
in the caves resemble
familiar shapes, such
as animals and church
organs. Visitors will have
fun identifying the forms,
some of which are floodlit.
20
An hour-long guided tour takes visitors to 16 of the caves.
