Talgua Caves

In 1994 explorers in a cave outside Catacamas found chambers full of human remains, placed there around three thousand years ago and since coated in calcite by dripping water, which is why the site is known as the Cave of the Glowing Skulls. The bones catch a torch beam and shine. The ossuary chambers themselves are closed to visitors for their protection, but a guided route runs through the lower cave, and a small site museum covers what the excavation found.

The main sights

• The lit lower cave - the visitable section with formations and a walkway.
• The calcite coating - the mineral crust that gives the site its name, visible on the rock.
• The site museum - finds and interpretation from the 1994 excavation.
• The valley setting - the cave mouth above the Talgua river outside Catacamas.

When to go

November to April is the drier season, which matters because the cave takes water and parts close after heavy rain. Tours run to set times through the day. Torches are provided.

Things to know

The famous ossuary chambers are NOT open to visitors and never have been; what you see is the lower cave and the museum. Anyone selling you the glowing skulls themselves is misrepresenting the site. The visit takes an hour.

Nearby

Catacamas is five kilometres southwest, and Sierra de Agalta rises north of the valley.

Key facts