CubaPLUS Magazine

Sixty-seven percent of the Cuban archipelago is made up of karst formations, making the country a true paradise for nature tourism, especially for those interested in trails and excursions to explore cave ecosystems—both terrestrial and marine.

Some caves treasure formations unique in the world, such as the mushroom-shaped speleothems of Santa Catalina Cave, known as the “Zinolita Mushrooms.” Declared a National Monument in 1996 for its importance, it welcomes hundreds of visitors each year, always accompanied by specialized guides.

This wonder of Cuban karst is located in Matanzas, close to its international airport. Yet it is not the only one in Cuba’s “Athens.” Just five kilometers away lies Saturno Cave, where visitors are invited to take a refreshing dip in its crystal-clear waters. It also offers an underwater trail through karst formations, giving cave divers a privileged and otherworldly view as they venture into its dark waters.

Bellamar Caves represent Cuba’s oldest tourist attraction (1862). Legend has it that their discovery came after a worker dropped his tool into a deep hole which, upon exploration, revealed an immense karst treasure.

Since then, uninterruptedly, visitors from around the world have come to admire the crystalline beauty of what has been dubbed “The Queen of the Caves of the West Indies.” Inside, one finds every kind of secondary formation: stalactites, stalagmites, columns, helictites, crystal mantles, calcite waterfalls, and even butterfly wings.

Between 1910 and 1917 the cave was electrified, and a solid building was constructed at the entrance. The astonishing variety of formations sparks the imagination of visitors who believe they are seeing carrot gardens, religious chapels with the Twelve Apostles, owls, the hand of a woman, the Nativity of Jesus, or the cloak of Christopher Columbus, among many other shapes.

It is the largest of its kind in Cuba and part of a cavern system that connects to El Gato Jíbaro, Garibaldi, and El Jarrito— the latter filled with crystalline formations. Together they extend for 23 kilometers.

Yet the largest caves are found in “The Capital of Cuban Karst,” Pinar del Río. Palmarito Cave spans around 60 kilometers, while Santo Tomás—known as “The Princess of Cuban Caves”—boasts a system of more than 45 kilometers. Both are nestled within the stunning mogote landscape of Viñales, a must-visit destination for those seeking unforgettable sunrises.

Those who travel to Viñales should not miss a boat ride along the calm river that flows through the Cueva del Indio, always in the company of expert guides ready to explain its fascinating passageways.

Not all Cuban caves are easily accessible. In the Guamuhaya Massif (Escambray Mountains), 57 kilometers from the city of Cienfuegos, paths lead to the “Cueva de lo Superlativo,” Martín Infierno. Its name derives from a popular legend about a runaway slave who, rather than be captured by trackers and their dogs, hurled himself into the cave’s depths. Access requires.alpine ropes, and inside it holds the world’s second-largest stalagmite, measuring an impressive 67 meters in height.

In the province of Sancti Spíritus, the Caguanes National Park protects a peninsula home to some 35 notable caves, each different in terms of fauna, karst features, and historical value.

Access is possible by land or sea, with boats departing from the Playa Vittoria pier. Highlights include Humboldt Cave, with wide galleries and small areas covered in “pinolitos” (floor formations resembling tiny pine trees).

El Pirata Cave, slightly off the main trail, features narrow crawlspaces and galleries with shapes that look like melted ice cream, tridents, and unusual lamps. Its gours (water-holding cave formations) can reach depths of one meter. The tour ends in the Hall of Wonders, with stalactites over two meters long covered in delicate helictites—a striking combination.

Caguanes’ Great Cave shelters a large population of fishing bats. True to their name, they feed on small fish snatched mid-flight as they skim over water surfaces. It is also the park’s largest cave, with three kilometers of passages. Nearby, Lago Martí connects to the sea through one of its openings and shelters a wealth of freshwater life, including freshwater cave sponges—once thought extinct but recently rediscovered.

Ramos Cave contains pictographs—prehistoric drawings left by Indigenous peoples—in the shapes of leaves and nets. Such motifs are common in caves across Cuba and the world, but here the figures are colossal and striking in detail.

Other caves offer unique encounters: Tres Dolinas serves as a daytime refuge for a large colony of butterfly bats, the third-smallest species in the world, while Cueva de los Chivos allows camping for those wishing to spend the night underground.

In eastern Cuba, within the Desembarco del Granma National Park, lies a system of marine terraces. The most outstanding feature is the Hoyo de Morlotte, a massive vertical sinkhole over 70 meters deep and 55

meters across, with a water mirror and an evergreen forest within.

Holguín is home to Cuba’s largest flooded caves: Tanque Azul de Caletones, with about four kilometers of galleries, and Cristalitos de Papaya, impressive yet difficult to fully explore, with only two kilometers charted so far. Both belong to the Caletones cave-lake system and hold the most extensive flooded networks in the karst of Gibara, Cuba’s “White Town.”

Also noteworthy is the most developed cave-lake system in Cuba, located in the Zapata Swamp. Its southern region is literally filled with sinkholes, such as XXXV Aniversario (70 meters deep), Ilona, Cuba-Magyar, and Cueva de los Peces, where visitors can safely swim in a 30-meter-deep lagoon, surrounded by tourist amenities.

Even the Isla de la Juventud has remarkable karst sites, such as “The Sistine Chapel of Cuban Cave Art,” named for the magnificent pictographic murals preserved in Punta del Este Caves.

Despite the intense work carried out by the Cuban Speleological Society— founded by geographer and Rebel Army Captain Antonio Núñez Jiménez, together with other specialists—there is still much to be explored and discovered within Cuba’s fascinating subterranean world. As the popular saying goes: “Cuba is a cheese.”