If you should find yourself near Arenal Volcano, I recommend you visit the Venado Caves — officially known in the cave registry as Caverna Gabinarraca, as this was the original name given by the local indians — which are located about a 45-min van-ride south of La Fortuna. The cave system (well, what has been explored so far) consists of over 2,700 meters and is believed to have been formed about 20 million years ago. Believe it or not, these caves were not discovered until 1945, although it was almost 30 years later before any extensive exploration was done. Even to this day there are still unexplored portions, as you can see when you look at the close-up of the map below.
Any of the local hostels / hotels / resorts / excursion companies can arrange it for you once you are in town. Hell, they will all be fighting for your business, so don’t waste time and money and extra fees pre-booking ANY excursions online. We booked through our hostel Arenal Backpackers Resort and paid $50/person, but from looking online some people said they were being charged as much as $70 (although one blogger reported that they took a pirate taxi and managed to get supplies and a guide for $30 total, although he did have to translate for the rest of his group).
The drive up there is only 15 miles or so but can take up to 45 minutes, as the final segment of road is slow going and the very last stretch dirt and thus super-slow going. It goes up through farm country and you get the chance to see many small houses and farms. But, it’s worth it.
After arrival — well, technically upon signing of the waiver — you are provided with rubber boots and a hardhat with attached light. Just a forewarning: those who have a shoe size above 12 may have some difficulty here. I am a size 13/14 depending upon brand and only with water to help lubricate and the assistance of an employee were we finally able to force my boots on. They were uncomfortable as shit the whole time too. From there it is a brief hike past the cows and on down the trail into the valley and the first cave entrance, all the while listening to the history of the cave system.
Before entering we paused to listen to the basic introduction and warning from our guide, as well as information on what type of creatures we could expect to see once inside. Basically the usual spiders, bats, and bugs, but thanks to the water there is also an assortment of fish, crabs, frogs, and assorted.
Once we entered is was basically non-stop amazement. I’ve explored a couple cave systems before but this one by far was the best! First off, they fail to mention just how much water you really see. From the start you are standing in 6-12 inches, and the water level only goes up from there. Several times you are fully submerged and swimming to the next cavern. It is pretty damn awesome, to say the least.
The whole thing took about an hour-and-a-half and included lots of waterfalls, stalactites, bats, and other interesting shit. The guide showed us some cool rocks that appear solid but are actually luminescent when hit with a flashlight, as well as others that sounded like metal when tapped (if only I could remember what they were called).
But there are also several crawl spaces that you need to make it through, so I will warn you with this: if you are taller than my 6’2″ and/or weigh more than 200-225 lbs, you probably should avoid this excursion. Provided you can even make it through all the spaces, it will not be an enjoyable squeeze.
Additionally, the caves do close periodically due to high water levels, primarily after heavy rainfalls during the wet season.
Parent Category: Central America Category: Costa Rica
