Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park, Cave system and national park in Guerrero, Mexico
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa is a network of limestone passages in the state of Guerrero that runs for several kilometers underground. The corridors are wide enough to walk comfortably, and the chambers open into spaces with high ceilings where stalactites and stalagmites emerge from the darkness.
Manuel Sainz de la Peña Miranda hid in the caves in 1834 to escape Spanish authorities, which led to a thorough search of the area. In 1866 Dominik Bilimek and Maximiliano von Habsburg made the first biospeleological visit. The national park was decreed in 1936 by President Lázaro Cárdenas.
The name Cacahuamilpa comes from Nahuatl: cacahuatl (cacao), milli (sown field) and pan (on or over), usually translated as "over the cacao field". The caves were earlier called Salachi, and the present name comes from a spot near the entrance. The Chontal people, successors to the Olmecs, used the caverns for ceremonies, and pottery fragments have been found inside.
Guided tours run hourly from morning until afternoon and last about two hours, walking through lit sections of the network. The floor can be slippery in places, so solid shoes and a light jacket help with the cool temperature underground.
One of the larger chambers occasionally serves as a concert hall, where musicians take advantage of the natural acoustics inside the cave. Concert-goers sit on benches and listen as sound bounces back from the curved walls.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,117 contributors worldwide.
