Grutas del Palacio

The Grutas del Palacio is a low cave whose roof is held up by dozens of irregular stone pillars, formed when groundwater dissolved softer material out of a sandstone bed and left the harder columns standing, over a period running back some seventy million years. The name comes from the resemblance to a hall of columns. It gives its name to the Grutas del Palacio UNESCO Global Geopark, the first in Uruguay, declared in 2013.

The landscape

• The pillar cave - a low chamber held up by dozens of irregular stone columns.
• The formation process - groundwater dissolving softer beds and leaving the columns.
• The geopark - the first UNESCO Global Geopark in Uruguay, declared 2013.
• The surrounding plain - the Flores grassland the cave sits under.

When to go

March to November is most comfortable. Guided visits run at set times and should be checked. Gravel roads are difficult after rain.

Good to know

The cave is low and visitors stoop through much of it. Guides are compulsory and visits run to a schedule. A Global Geopark is a different UNESCO designation from World Heritage and the site is not on the World Heritage List.

Nearby

Trinidad is east, and Chamanga is southeast.

Key facts