Las Grutas Cacahuamilpa

The Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park in Guerrero, Mexico, is best known for the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa Caverns, which are one of the largest cave systems in the world. It is also home to the Grutas of Carlos Pacheco, a smaller system, as well as two subterranean rivers which have carved out tunnels in the rock. The park has outdoor pursuit attractions such as rappelling, and rock climbing in Limontitla Canyon as well as the two underground rivers to explore. It also has a small botanical garden, a pool and places to camp. It’s near Taxco.

The site is located in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains in the northeast part of Guerrero state. This section of the Sierra Madre del Sur is made of rock, mostly limestone, which formed under oceans millions of years ago. The caverns extend through the municipalities of Pilcaya, Tetipac and Taxco of Guerrero state over 2,700 hectares of land located southwest of Mexico City, near the silversmithing town of Taxco.

Cacahuamilpa is one of the largest cave systems in the world. A “live” cave system as groundwater still filters down into it, and that the formations there are still growing. Inside the cavern system are ninety large “salons” separated by large natural rock walls and connected to one another via a central gallery. Only about twenty of these are fully explored and open to the public. Most of these salons are located under the Cerro de la Corona, a limestone mountain ridge.

These salons average about forty meters wide, and vary in height from twenty to 81 meters. Most have names which reflect the major formations found in them such as the Goat Salon, the Throne Salon and the Cathedral Salon. All the openings numerous rock formations growing from both the ceiling and the floor. One of the drier salons has been dubbed the “Auditorium”. It has a large flat floor and has been outfitted with seats.

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