CAVES OF SOUTH AMERICA
Visiting caves in South America is not a prime tourist item, and many of the caves have not been developed at all. Some of the caves are very technical and only for professional spelunkers. The below listed caves are more approachable, but still many times local guides are required to find them (particularly in Colombia). There are many more caves that have not made it into this summary list. In 2014 a Spanish caver was trapped for 12 days in a Peru cave called Intimachay that went down some 320 meters. Both cavers and governments tend to be secretive about cavern locations, distrusting the public with such delicate to dangerous environments. There is little to nothing in the geological literature about caves in the Andes despite these features making a useful way to date mountain uplift and canyon incision.
The longest cave in South America is in Brazil, at Toca da Boa Vista. The deepest cave is Simi Pumacocha in central Peru. The highest cave in South America is at Qaqa Machay in central Peru.
We have only visited the Cueva de las Lechuzas in Peru. This post in part represents a wish list of places to see given the opportunity. If anyone has more information to add about these caves please leave comments so we can update the information.
ARGENTINA
Caverna de las Brujas
Cavernas de las Brujas is about 70 km south of Malargüe at -35.80065, -69.82046. The cave has 5 km of passageways. Guided tours are available. The cave is accessed by a short drive north from the famous Route 40, near the town of Bardas Blancas.
Cueva de Tigre
This relatively short, undeveloped, cave is only 270-m long, and located about 40 km south of the city of Malargüe.
BOLIVIA
Uma Jalanta cave
Located in the Torotoro National park, the Uma Jalanta cave is 4.6 km long. The entrance is at -18.11445, -65.8115, which is at 2,837 m elevation. This is the longest cave known in Bolivia. It has many wide low passageways that can be flooded.
BRAZIL
Caverna Pontes do Sumidouro is bridge like long archway located at -10.07449, -40.75402, and part of the karst field in Bahia, located east of the two below listed much longer caverns.
Toca da Barriguda is located in Bahia, near the cavern described below, and it has 28.7 km of passageways hosted in dolomite. Entrance is very approximately 2 km east of Boa Vista at about -10.14117, -40.85249. With further exploration it is possible this cave system connects with that of nearby Boa Vista.
Toca da Boa Vista cave, in Bahia, is the longest cave to be mapped in South America. Palmer (2007) presented a cave map and reported 120 km of passages. This is the longest cave in the southern Hemisphere. Despite this, the cave only reaches a depth of 60 m. The cavern is part of a large karst field produced from sulphuric acid interaction with the host rock of dolomite. Palmer also states that Brazil has over 2,000 caves- more than we can post here! Toca da Boa Vista is located 11 km east of Lage dos Negros, Campo Formoso, at -10.16011, -40.86093 in flatland arid scrub.
COLOMBIA
Given the mountains of Colombia and the high rainfalls, caves are bound to be plentiful, yet few have been developed, or visited by tourists. Remote jungle caves apparently were used as secret hideouts by the FARC rebels.
Cuevas de Los Guacharos, Huila
In the National Park with the same name, the area has numerous caves; the Cuevas de Los Guacharos has organized tours. The national park is in the Eastern Cordillera of the Huila Departamento, southern Colombia, located west of the town of Florencia and south of Pitalito. The entrance area is accessed by going through the town of Acevedo, where the national park system has an information office for directions. Approximate location: 1.630812, -76.09442.
La Cueva del Esplendor
La Cueva del Esplendor (5.63993, -75.80972) is located north of the pueblo of Jardin, in the Antioquia Department. This jungle cavern features a rather photogenic waterfall that drops straight through the cave ceiling.
Tuluni caves, Tolima
These little visited caves are located near the town of Chaparral in Tolima Department of south central Colombia. The caves are about 8 km south of the town (very approximate 3.650019, -75.47688 location). The caves require a hike into them. One of them has a large room earning it the name La Catedral.
Cueva del Eden, Tolima
Cueva del Eden is located well southwest of Bogota, and south of the city of Melgar. It is 8.5 km southwest of the small town of Cunday, Cueva del Eden is reached by an uphill trail hike from the road. The 940 m long cave is located at approximately 4.011863, -74.75504.
Cueva de La Vaca, Santander
Approached from the town of San Gil, local tour agencies in the town of Curiti (6.604566, -73.073531) provide guides. Guided tours can go for 2, 4 or 10 hours. Part of this cave is flooded, and to see some of the more impressive rooms requires swimming underwater a ways. Another cave in the region is called Cueva de Yeso, which is supposed to have a length of 1.8 km.
ECUADOR
Cueva de los Tayos
This remote cavern along the eastern foothills, elevation 539 m, in the Ecuadorian Andes has an involve approach. It is 39 km SSE of Santiago de Mendez, approached from small settlement called Yukiantza. One has to cross the Rio Santiago or Rio Zamora on wood suspension bridges, and then go south towards the village of Coangos. The cave entrance is approximately at -3.051053, -78.216676, at 539 m elevation; plus/minus 3 km. Exploring this cave requires permission from the Federación Interprovincial de Centros Shuar (FICSH); they have an office in Sucúa. The cave was first discovered in 1860. It presently has 17.9 km of mapped passageways. The entrance requires rappelling down a vertical chimney of 63 m, following by another rappel of 49 m. The largest room comes in a 50 m wide by 2.9 km long formed in an area of slabbed horizontal bedding. The cave has several parallel rectilinear branches.
PERU
In Peru’s Quechua language the word for cave is machay. Peru has the highest explored caves in South America, and the world. For more detailed account of Peru caves, including maps and descriptions of caving expeditions, see the website: cuevasdelperu.org
Parjugsha Grande cave
A long cave located in northern Peru to the southeast of the city of Chachapoyas, 4.6 km south of the very small settlement of Soloco (-6.3019, -77.7375). This cave has 4 km of mapped passageways, making it the longest known cave system in Peru. The entrance is at 2,900 m elevation. A steep decline leads down to a horizontal level at 247 m depth.
Intimachay
Intimachay cave was recently discovered in 2013 by a Spanish expedition to northern Peru. It is located in the Chachapoyas province, about 6 km south of the town of Leyembamba (-6.7622, -77.7873) at an elevation of 3,150 m. The cave is still being mapped, with a presently survey extent of 959 m and a depth of 320 m. At least twenty other shorter caves are in this region.
Cueva Palestina
Located near the town of Nueva Cajamarca, San Martin Region, this is the second longest cave in Peru with 3.4 km of passageway. From the town La Union, follow the dirt road Carretera Palestina west about 4 km to its end. A short hike south goes to the cave entrance at an elevation of 905 m.
Cueva del Higuerón
This 3.1 km network of passageways is in the San Martin region of northern Peru (-5.675128, -77.635454). The cave lies 16 km northwest of the town of Naranjos, and is just north of the Ruta 5 road. The cave entrance is at an elevation of 1,010 m, and the cave is relatively horizontal, ascending about 37 meters over its length. The passageway is very straight and unbranching.
Cueva de las Lechuzas
Cueva de las Lechuzas is in the mountain jungle a short distance northwest of the city of Tingo Maria (entrance at -9.3291, -76.0271). The cave is in the Parque Nacional Tingo María. A major river issues from the cliff face, and a trail and stairway leads up to the yawning entrance twenty meters above this. The very broad entrance is where most people stand about and see the nesting birds called guácharos. One can explore farther back into the cave, working through piles of guano and a carpet of large cockroaches, the pass through a narrow arch and descend a bit to the back room where large crab-like bodies of large albino spiders feed on the cockroaches. The cave has five main rooms. The first three rooms are 65, 60, and 85 m in length. The wooden footpath only extends halfway through the first room. Passage from the 3rd up to the 5th room requires some climbing and an ascent of 100 m. Some reports indicate up to 400 m of the cave has been explored but cavern maps suggest a distance less than that.
Huagapo Cave
Huagapo cave lies west of the town of Tarma in Central Peru. The lower entrance to the cave (elevation 3,614 m) where the public can go a short ways in at the river exit is located at -11.26809, -75.78707, which north along route 580 from the small town Palcamayo. The deep section of cave is called Simi de Racas Marca. This cavern is steeply inclined, averaging a descent at 30 degrees. The cave is 402 m deep and 2,141 m long. The cave entrance is at 3,932 m elevation (-11.249393, -75.794707). Parts of the cave are flooded and have swift currents making it very dangerous.
El Chupadero
An undeveloped 770-meter long cave that is at an elevation of 4,623 meters, making it one of the world’s highest caves. El Chupadero is the headwaters of Rio Cañete, located 6.2 km ENE of the very small settlement of Vilca (-12.0971, -75.7716) in central Peru. It has at least six major branches. The cave’s depth goes to 91 meters. Note, most of the high and deep caves in this part of Peru are hosted in limestone of the Cretaceous Jumasha Formation.
Qaqa Machay
Located in central Peru, it is the highest recorded cave at 4,930 m elevation and with a depth of 125 m (-12.433818, -75.67252; approximate). This is a vertical shaft and can only be explored by professionals using ropes.
Sima Pumacocha (Yauyocos, Lima)
Some report this as being the deepest cave in South America. The cave is in the Yauyos Province, central Peru, near the small town of Laraos. The cave entrance is just west and downstream of the lake Pumacocha (-12.390816, -75.69933). The word Simi means mouth in Quechua. This cave system has technical and dangerous entrances, consisting of shafts that require rappelling skills to enter. One of the three shafts has a vertical distance of 282 m. Total depth of the cave is 639 meters, which Palmer (2007) highlighted as being the deepest cave on the continent. The cave entrance lies near 4,369 meters elevation. The Andes have peaks well over 6,000 meters, and much of the mountain divide averages at 4,000 meters. Therefore the deepest cave found to date encompasses about 16% of the average Andean relief.
VENEZUELA
La Cueva del Guacharo
Cueva del Guacharo (10.171662, -63.553841) is located west from the town of Caripe in northeast Venezuela, and is the heart of the Parque Nacional Cueva del Guácharo. It is the home to some 15,000 Oilbirds, or Guacharos. The cave entrance is at an elevation of 1,103 m and has 9.5 km of passageways.
Cueva Imawari Yeuta
Discovered in 2013, this cave measures at a minimum of 15.4 km of passageways. The cave is located Auyan Tepui, Canaima National Park in southeast Venezuela, which is famous for its Salto de Angel waterfall. It is one of the very rare caves to have formed in a host rock of quartzite. The cave was first spotted in 2011 by Freddy Vergara from the air, and then explored in 2013. The cave entrance is reported at 1,500 meters elevations on a cliff that faces the Kamarata Valley (very approximately at 5.765664, -62.452845). The cave is tabular along horizontal beds, mainly showing dissolution features; cave formations here are rare. Few people have been into this cave.
Cueva El Samán
Located in the Sierra de Perija in the extreme northwest Venezuela, Cueva El Samán has 18.2 km, making it the longest cave system in the country. To approach the cave head west from Jesús Enrique Lossada, Zulia, go to the El Diluvio reservoir, and then continue up the canyon and cross the divide (Las Nubes), and descend to the canyon and cave (approximately at 10.704136, -72.492734). The cave is forming along the bed of the Rio El Socuy.
CAVERN WAYPOINTS
Caverna de las Brujas, -35.80065, -69.82046
Uma Jalanta cave, -18.11445, -65.8115
Caverna Pontes do Sumidouro, -35.80065, -69.82046
Toca da Barriguda, -10.14117, -40.85249
Toca da Boa Vista, -10.16011, -40.86093
Cuevas de Los Guacharos, 1.630812, -76.09442
La Cueva del Esplendor, 5.63993, -75.80972
Tuluni caves, 3.650019, -75.47688
Cueva del Eden, 4.011863, -74.75504
Cueva de La Vaca, 6.604566, -73.073531
Cueva de los Tayos, -3.051053, -78.216676
Parjugsha Grande cave, -6.3019, -77.7375
Intimachay, -6.7622, -77.7873
Cueva Palestina, -5.927159, -77.352091
Cueva del Higuerón, -5.675128, -77.635454
Cuerva de las Lechuzas, -9.3291, -76.0271
Huagapo Cave, -11.26809, -75.78707
Simi de Racas Marca, -11.249393, -75.794707
El Chupadero, -12.0971, -75.7716
Sima Pumacocha, -12.390816, -75.69933
Qaqa Machay, -12.433818, -75.67252
La Cueva del Guachara, 10.171662, -63.553841
Cueva Imawari Yeuta, 5.765664, -62.452845
Cueva El Samán, 10.704136, -72.492734
Jim put a lot of work into this post, as always we encourage you to leave us a comment if you have more information about any of these caves, or if you have visited a cave in South America we will like to known about your experience.
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South America seems to refuse to show its inexhaustible creative force.
