Candelaria Caves

The Candelaria system runs for many kilometres through limestone in northern Alta Verapaz, carrying a river through a sequence of chambers, some of them very large, with skylights where the roof has collapsed letting shafts of daylight fall onto the water and vegetation growing down into the openings. The Maya used the caves, and pottery, hearths and ceremonial deposits have been found through the system. Several entrances are managed by different communities and by a private operation, each offering something different: dry walks through chambers, or floating stretches of the river on rubber rings through the dark, which is what most visitors come for.

History

The Great Western Trade Route of the Classic Maya, linking the Guatemalan highlands with the Petén lowlands, passed through the Candelaria area, and pottery and rock paintings show the caves were used for ceremonies. The Popol Vuh of the K'iche' people describes the caves as an entrance to the underworld, and some are still used for Maya celebrations (Wikipedia, Candelaria Caves).

What's there

• Floating the underground river - drifting through the chambers on rings.
• Skylights and light shafts - daylight falling where the roof has collapsed.
• Very large chambers - the scale of the main passages.
• Evidence of Maya use - pottery and ceremonial deposits in the caves.

When to go

January to April in the dry season; water levels in the rains can make the river sections unsafe or impossible. Half a day. Different entrances are run separately, so ask what each includes.

Things to know

Which sections are open depends on water levels and on which entrance you use. Operations vary in quality and safety standards. Floating the river is cold and dark and not for everyone. Getting there needs a vehicle or an organised trip.

Nearby

Raxruha is east; Cancuen lies north-east.

Key facts