Cueva de los Portales, Natural cave in Pinar del Río, Cuba
Cueva de los Portales is a limestone cave in Pinar del Río with a large natural bridge through which the Caiguanabo River flows. The system contains multiple chambers reaching heights of 30 meters (98 feet) with interconnected passages.
The cave served as a military command center during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, housing operations for several weeks. This underground location became an important refuge and operational base during the Cold War standoff.
The site preserves furniture from the 1960s, including a military cot, tables, and chess equipment left in the cave chambers. These objects show how people lived and worked in this underground space during a tense period in history.
Bring your own flashlight to explore the cave system, as there is no permanent lighting installed throughout the formations. Proper equipment helps you move safely through the different chambers.
The cave system shelters colonies of nocturnal bats living in its connected chambers. These bat populations have adapted to thrive in the different rooms of the formation.
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