The caves in Puerto Rico belong to the third largest underground cave system in the world. As they are only a short drive (about 1 ½ hours) from San Juan, they are a very popular place to visit.
Exploring the Camuy Caves of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
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Where is the Río Camuy Cave Park?
The Camuy caves location is in the Northeastern part of Puerto Rico, close to the shore. The Rio Camuy Cave Park is also known as the Parque Las Cavernas del Rio Camuy. It is named after the town of Camuy and is one of the largest cave networks in the world.
While I was staying 3 ½ weeks in Puerto Rico, I had plenty of time to travel around and check out all the best places in Puerto Rico and this special cave in Puerto Rico.
The Rio Camuy Cave Tour
When you enter the Rio Camuy Cave Park you will receive a parking ticket. This is where you pay your parking fee. At the ticket center you will get your admission ticket. Be sure to bring your parking ticket with you.
You will then receive a ticket with a number. When you’re number is called out you can head over to the trolley.
To get to the caves you sit in an open air trolley, feeling like being part of a Jurassic Park tour. (We haven´t seen dinosaurs but huge spiders along the way. Yikes!)
The trolley ride takes you up and you will get an audioguide that is available in English as well as in Spanish.
After leaving the trolley there are a few steps to take to arrive at the entrance of the the Camuy Caves in Puerto Rico.
When entering the caves it gets colder, so you might want to bring a light jacket or sweater with you. Also be sure to wear shoes with a good grip. Some parts of the concrete walkways can be wet.
You will enter the cave system through cave Cueva Clara.
During the tour you have access to 4 of the 16 known caves and to the Tres Pueblos, the famous sinkhole.
It is 650 feet wide and 400 feet deep. When I saw it I was thinking about the guys who jump into those sinkholes. Scary.
We were told that many of the caves are over several hundred feet deep. While walking around the caves on concrete walkways, you can enjoy the sight of beautiful flowers and nature inside the park.
Inside the cave system and the park the third longest underground river in the world flows gently along. You cannot directly go to the river but you will catch some glimpses of it during the cave walking tour.
You will also see Puerto Rico’s largest stalagmite, as well as other stalagmites and stalagtites.
If you like nature, caves and geological treasures the Camuy Caves in Puerto Rico are a great spot for you. I liked the place a lot.
Tips And Things To Know For Visiting The Caves in Puerto Rico
- be there as early as possible
- take your time: you will probably like to spend 1.5 hours in the cave
- bring good shoes and a lightweight jacket or sweater
- there is no toilet at the caves
Parking fees start at $2. The general admission for the park for adults is $18.
As for the opening hours. To be sure they are open for a visit you can check out this page.
Apart from the Rio Camuy Caves you can as well visit the cave Cueva Ventana which is located nearby.
Visiting The Camuy Caves and Arecibo Observatory
When visiting the Rio Camuy Caves I can highly recommend checking out the Arecibo Observatory as well. The Rio Camuy Caves are close to the Arecibo Observatory. You might recognize it from one of the James Bond movies.
You can check out the latest prices and book a tour to the Arecibo Observatory here.
Map with the location of the Camuy River Cave Park and other Things To See in Puerto Rico:
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zuletzt aktualisiert am August 3, 2023
We’ve visited a few caves but the Rio Camuy Caves are the best ones we have ever seen. The rock formations of the caverns are truly amazing to see.
So true, Carmen. It´s something different. I liked the caves in Gibraltar too but as I mentioned the Rio Camuy Caves are different and special.
Sounds like a beautiful natural place :)! Haven’t been to Costa Rica yet, but Ill keep it in mind!
The caves are in Puerto Rico if you want to visit them. 😉
Awesome photos Christina, those caves look great!
Thanks, Jon.
Very cool!! Love your photos and description – it’s so nice when you get to REALLY explore a place you are visiting.
That´s how it should be. Having time enough to explore and to enjoy a place.
EEK! The spiders……just EEK!
These are some gorgeous photos. This place just looks heavenly.
The caves look fantastic! I always love exploring caves!