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Gabinarraca`s Caves

The Most Exciting Tour, Ideal For Team Groups, Students, Co-workers,  Fun For Family.!!
(Team Activities, Dynamic Activities for Groups, Special Tours for Companies)

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The amazing Venado Caves (Cavernas de Venado, Gabinarracas´s Caves) are made of wonderful limestone rocks, stalactites, stalagmites and corals, and they are located at Costa Rica, only 35 minutes from La Fortuna of San Carlos (Alajuela). Strange and amusing stone formations are shaped by the forces of an underground river. The caves first formed during the Miocene Period, about 10 to 30 millions years ago. After their formation, the caves remained below sea level for an extended period of time before tectonic movements brought them to the surface. At this time, the Guatusos aborigines became the first people to stumble upon their discovery. Located just south of La Fortuna, the gateway to The Arenal Lake and Arenal Volcano, are the Caves of Venado. Dating back over 7 million years, the Venado Caves are the direct result of water currents penetrating and passing through the surrounding limestone rocks. The caves contain four different species of bats and numerous types of spiders, many of which are endemic to the area. Some of the spiders have extremely long feelers, designed to assist them in total darkness. The bats fly endlessly above, sometime clustering in groups of a hundred or so. It is more common to find them attached to the ceiling above than along the walls. When your footing is secure, shine the light above and you should find them looking down on you below.

The continual flow of water opened crevasses and forced sediments to flow throughout the caves, leaving on its way an endless network of deep tunnels.  So complex and deep, absolutely no light penetrates these caves, except for  a few isolated incidents which are located in one of the quarters. As a result, it is mandatory that you carry a flashlight with you during your trip. The guides experience and in depth knowledge of the numerous paths can dramatically improve your experience in the caves. Depending on your physical fitness and sense of adventure hours can be spend crawling from one section of the caves to another, challenging the most fit and adventurous.

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ARE THEY LOOKING SCARED ?

People Enjoy into the Venado´s Cave

People Enjoy into the Venado´s Cave

People Enjoy into the Venado´s Cave

People Enjoy into the Venado´s Cave

People Enjoy into the Venado´s Cave

People Enjoy into the Venado´s Cave

Venado´s Caves

Venado´s Caves

Venado´s Caves

ARE THEY LOOKING SCARED ?

A hard hat is also mandatory as the walls and ceilings are comprised of hard, porous limestone; traveling within the caves without a hard hat would be foolish and asking for problems. Within the caves one can find five thousand year old rock formations, such as the “papaya” which is a vertical formation formed by the union of two different rock types; the name is derived from it’s shape, which you guessed it, looks just like a papaya. The rock face within the cave grows approximately 3 cms every 10 years. At the same time, there exists in the caves the formation of coral, which if touched will retard the growth process. Covering approximately 2 1/2 km (1.5 miles) in length, the caves contain 10 separate quarters (salas in Spanish), however, the area limited for tourism use is only 600 meters (1,800 ft). Throughout the caves water is in continually flows along the floor of the caves, at times a few feet high. In fact, during the height of the rainy season visitors are prohibited from entering the caves due to the current flowing through them. The ever present water creates a moist, if not humid climate within the caves, therefore, the caves remain quite cool as a result. For the most secure footing we recommend that you wear hiking boots for your visit, although a good pair of sneaker will do just fine. While guides commonly use sandals, the footing can be very tricky due to the pitch black surroundings. Expect to get wet and dirty, particularly if you plan on discovering the more intimate places within the caves. A normal tour normally lasts approximately 2 hours; there is really no limit of time you spend within the caves. Video cameras and photographs are prohibited from being taken into the caves, post cards are sold outside for US $1.50 per card. The entrance fee is 1100 colones to enter, approximately US $20. You pay outside the caves, and after will receive your hard hart and flashlight. Boots are provided, however, if you have large feet don’t count on it happening. On the Venado Cave Tour, we walk through the river and waterfalls at the upper portion of the cave. Then we will make our way into the dark caves and seek to discover interesting marine fossils, bats, spider, crickets, and other insects. The tour is led by a bilingual guide (English-Spanish,) and it runs for about 1.5 hours.

Gabinarracas´s Caves