Grutas de Cacahuamilpa

I was very excited to visit the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa after having heard about them for years. They have been compared to the caves within the entrance to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. Naturally, being a Disney connoisseur, I knew I had to see them in person. Luckily, I was able to go for my birthday last year.

These caves are located in Cuernavaca, a little over an hour south of Mexico City. As you approach the caves, you will be shocked as to how large and towering the entrance-way, itself, is. That gave me a little insight as to how massive these caves were. And, it was true.

As you walk down into the chilling, stale air of the cave, you can hear every step you take echoing all around you. And the details of the stalagmites and stalagmites fall and form all around you, creating shapes that you can almost make out into characters or animals with shadows that dance around the walls of the caves.

The most mesmerizing part of Cacahuamilpa is how tall those natural caverns are. It is one of the largest cave systems in the world, and it is still live, meaning water still trickles into the structure and continues forming the caves to this day. The top of the caves tower from 100 to 230 feet above you as you walk down the dark paths. That means that the cave is up to twenty stories tall! The natural formations show figures and stories that your imagination can surely have a good time with. And there are areas were natural crystals hang, as well. The cave of wonders from Aladdin played in my mind as the natural formations showed light-play and produced shadow characters around us as we walked through the tunnels. It’s definitely a place to visit if you have a large imagination.

Perhaps the coolest part of this experience was finding out that there is an amphitheater down there that still plays live shows. The acoustics are so perfect that artists are thrilled to use that space to put on concerts. I’m not going to lie, I tried it out and sang some Phantom of the Opera down there, and it’s pretty amazing hearing your voice bounce off of the walls of the cave.

If you want to see the greatness that nature has created on its own, the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa are a must-see. However, if you do make the journey down there, you will be guided to the back of the cave. On the way out, however, you are on your own. You’re free to walk through and take photos, but if you take too long, the lights will shut out on you, as they are on timers to conserve energy down there. So, if you’re not careful or quick enough, you can actually get stuck down in the blackness of the cave, so be sure to keep your pace on the way out. Still, it’s one of the greatest cave formations that you can see around the world.