Grutas de Cacahuamilpa

About this place

The Grutas de Cacahuamilpa are a vast cave system in the national park of the same name in Guerrero, Mexico, about 16 km northeast of Taxco in a straight line. It is the best-known cave system in Mexico and one of the largest in the world, visited by about 350,000 people a year. The park lies in the Sierra Madre del Sur and covers about 2,700 hectares of limestone formed under the sea millions of years ago. The cave is still live, meaning water still filters in and its formations are still growing. It holds ninety large chambers separated by rock walls, of which only about twenty are explored and open to visitors. The park also has a smaller cave and two underground rivers that have carved tunnels through the rock. The open section is a level passage about 2 km long linking chambers that average 40 metres wide and range from 20 to 81 metres high. The chambers are named after their formations, such as the Goat Chamber and the Throne Chamber. Huge stalactites hang from the ceilings and stalagmites rise from the floor in strange shapes. The visit starts at a wide entrance hung with plants, then follows the passage through the chambers. The park also has a small botanical garden, a pool, campsites, and activities such as rappelling and rock climbing in Limontitla Canyon.