Camuy Caves

By: Dianne Lee
Parque De Las Cavernas Del Rio Camuy, or more commonly known as the Camuy Caves was the highlight of our Wednesday tour on May 23. It is the third largest cave system in the world. The cave was en route from San German to San Juan. It was mid-morning when we reached our destination. The caves were located deep in the middle of the forest, about 200 feet down where a trolley would shuttle us to the cave’s entrance. We waited for nearly an hour before hopping onto a trolley, which descended through the narrow winding roads carved out in the forest.

The moment I stepped into the Camuy Caves, I was squeezed through a narrow passage. Droplets of water from the numerous stalactites protruding from the ceiling fell on my head. After a brief maneuver through the passage to avoid the droplets, the entrance opened up to reveal a dimly lit cave as tall and as wide as a Carnival Cruise Lines ship. Of course I would have known the measurements of the caves had I been standing near our tour guide, Minerva. However, my hands were already slipping into my purse to pull out my faithful Canon SD600. I stood still and absorbed the majestic beauty of the caves. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, tiny hills sat on the uneven ground and sunlight streamed into the cave from the two huge opening. A thong of people past me, but I was rooted to the ground, as I attempted to hold the camera still for a couple of seconds to allow as much light to filter into the camera.

A view of the opening from inside the cave.

A couple of pictures of the same spot later, I was satisfied and proceeded slowly through the slippery ground to catch up with my tour guide where I soon learned that the caves are homes for bats and blind fish. The tour guide led us out of the second opening and we were greeted with a heavy downpour of water falling out of a blinding bright light – the sun. Nearby, a stream of pristine water flows over a sharp but bumpy slope where tourists humored themselves trying to find the best way to drink the water. I cupped the water in my hands and brought it to my mouth, only to have it spill all over my cheeks and chin. In the end, I only managed to gulp down a small amount of water with a taste of hand sanitizer that I had rubbed on my hands earlier. I decided to forgo the water experience and instead, captured silly pictures of others in the middle of their water quest. A short while later, the group retraced our steps out the first entrence and left the wonders of the caves behind as we returned to the real world.