Mouth of a cave at Cuevas Candelarias

Candelaria Caves National Park is a protected natural area featuring one of the largest cave systems in Central America. It is a karst system formed by the Rio Candelaria, which flows through the underground limestone, carving out mammoth chambers along its path. The cave and its surrounding area constitutes a Guatemala national park.

Understand

Seven caves make up the caverns. The caves are connected by underground rivers (part of the Rio Candelaria). The main gallery is 22 km in length and the total length of the cave system is about 80 km. Along its path, the river continuously carves out new routes and expands existing chambers. Some of the chambers have ceilings as high as 60 meters. Features such as stagmites, stalactites and flow drapes (cave bacon) are found throughout the caves.

History

The caves have a long history with the local Maya civilization, whose communities used the caves for ceremonial purposes many centuries before the Spanish invasion. Guatemala formally incorporated the caves into the national parks system in 1999. It is officially known as Parque Nacional Cuevas de Candelaria.

Flora and fauna

The only animals you're likely to see in the caves are bats.

Get in

By bus

From Guatemala City, Fuente del Norte (FDN) operates daily buses that pass through the nearby town of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas. From there, a taxi to the nearest cave entrance will take about 20-30 minutes.

Cave entrances

• 1 Cuevas de Candelaria: B'omb'il Pek (Bombil Pek), Chisec. Access to the caves requires a hike of about 30 minutes. Local Mayan guides are professional and patient with foreign visitors, though don't expect to find one who speaks English. There is also river access here and it may be possible to rent inner tubes for a float trip. 

• 2 Cuevas de Candelaria: Mucbilhá Raxruha, Mucbilhá. Daily 07:00 - 17:00. Nighttime tours available with reenactments of ancient ceremonial rites. A guesthouse called Hospedaje Peña Tigre is on-site with rooms available for travelers. 

• 3 Cuevas de Candelaria: Jul Iq', Xuctzul. Daily 07:00 - 17:00. The hike is about 45 minutes to get to the cave entrance. You can rappel down to the bottom of the cave if you have the nerve. Restrooms and camping is available near the road. 

Fees and permits

The park is managed by local Mayan communities in cooperation with the federal authorities. There are at least three formal entrances to the park, each of which charge an access fee. Visitors are required to hire a local Maya cave guide.

See

Cave bacon in Cuevas de Candelaria

Do

• Float - In some sections, the river is wide and deep enough that visitors can float through the subterranean rivers in inner tubes.

Sleep

Lodging

• 1 Hotel Candelaria Lodge, Raxruha, ☏ +502 5352 9276. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Beautiful country lodge with on-site restaurant. Clean, spacious rooms. Cash only (no credit cards, no payment apps). (updated Jul 2024)

Go next

• Semuc Champey
• Tikal
• Mixco Viejo