The Grutas de Cacahuamilpa are Mexico’s largest caverns and are one of the longest cave systems in the world. There are 15 large chambers that stretch out over about 12 km.I LOVE caves. Seriously, I think I must have been a cave(wo)man in a previous life.  Every time I am in large tourist caves, I get this feeling of awe and wonder and peace, similar to what I imagine some may experience in a really amazing cathedral or other religious site. I was excited to visit these caves which we had only just learned about a week or two before.

We arrived at the parking lot mid afternoon, and once again, total chaos; cars arriving, cars leaving, tight spaces, people everywhere. We were both tired from a crappy sleep on the volcano the night before, and, I, for one, was CRANKY. Somehow, the men who acted as car ushers were able to find us a place to park the truck (it involved moving some barricades and having us drive up onto a sidewalk, but at least it was a level spot). We got out of the truck and immediately were approached by a variety of vendors…did we want ice cream, did we want to buy necklaces, did we want ice cream from a different vendor. No gracias, no gracias, no gracias, I kept saying over and over again, trying really hard to be polite and friendly, while Derek and I discussed whether we were going to stay here for the night or try to find somewhere else to camp.

We decided we didn’t really have any other option; it was getting late in the afternoon and we did want to see the caves in the morning. So we pulled out our lawn chairs, found a spot of shade in the lee of our truck, and hung out in the parking lot.  Eventually the place cleared out, and we had the place all to ourselves.

After a peaceful night, we woke in the morning, our headaches from the volcano cleared, and waited for the caves to open. We decided, before the crowds arrived, to move the truck into a location that would make it easier to leave.  We ended up parked next to a stall were they were making ice cream. They hand turn the metal containers for two hours in order to make the ice cream. After our cave tour we bought some and it was delicious…more like a sorbet than ice cream and made with fresh fruit.

Derek asked if a photo was okay and they seemed really pleased to oblige. I love the colours.

The cave tour was about 2 hours long and took place all in Spanish, and we didn’t catch a lot of it, but one interesting fact that we did get is that the waters that carved out the cave originated at the top of Volcan Toluca, where we had spent the prior evening.

And so we went from 13,000 feet plus to a subterranean cave system, in less than 24 hours.

The entrance to the cave. You can see two workers heading into the cave down on the pathway.

The pictures really don’t do the cave justice. It was stunning, and the rooms were huge…one had a ceiling height greater than 80 metres.

Detail of the tiny pool edge deposits on a rock beside the pathway.

Heading out of the cave.

Ficus tree, or something like it, clinging to the rocks outside of the caves.