Cavernas del río Nus, Cave system in Caracolí, Colombia.

Cavernas del Río Nus is a cave system near Caracolí consisting of interconnected underground chambers shaped by water and stone. The interior features marble formations including stalactites and stalagmites that create distinctive structures throughout the passages.

The cave system was discovered in 1932 when a local resident named Adolfo Jaramillo Muñetón entered through the rocky opening with a worker accompanying him. Prior to this discovery, the caves remained unknown to the broader world beyond the immediate region.

The main chambers bear names such as El Colombiano, Neptuno, La Mazorca, Los Senos de Eva, El Concierto, Las Chocolatinas, El Libro, Las Cortinas, El Púlpito, Las Campanas and El Salón de Blanquita. Blanquita Jaramillo López, daughter of the discoverer Adolfo Jaramillo Muetón, managed the caves for decades and recounted the tense first entry. A guide can be arranged at the Caracolí town hall.

Reaching the caves involves several hours of travel from Caracolí, starting with motorcycle transport to Virginias village and continuing by horseback along the Nus River valley. Visitors should prepare for physical exertion and rugged terrain, as the journey is demanding.

The cave called Cueva de los Guácharos, less decorated than the Nus chambers, shelters oilbirds (Steatornis caripensis) that leave at dusk to feed on fruit and return at dawn. Their regurgitated seeds and droppings, worked by cockroaches and beetles, build a thick floor layer that feels like a spongy carpet underfoot.