Caving in Costa Rica

Imagine spending an afternoon crawling through caves and discover an unknown world beneath the earth's surface. Sound like something from an adventure movie? Nope – that's just another day spelunking in Costa Rica! Rent a car in Costa Rica travelers are invited to get out and discover a whole new side of the country during their upcoming visit, thanks to caving, or spelunking. This activity involves gearing up and traveling deep into the country's many caves and caverns. Rent a car in Costa Rica travelers will find a wide range of underground adventures in the country, so why restrict your travel itinerary to only the earth's surface? Start spelunking today!

The Venado Caverns - Caving trips for beginners

If you've never been caving before, don't worry – there are plenty of experienced guides in Costa Rica that can help teach you the proper techniques. First-time spelunkers are often taken to the Venado Caverns, just a few miles from the Arenal Volcano for their first caving experience. Discovered by the indigenous Guatuso, these caves offer plenty of exploring opportunities. Composed of calcium carbonate, a hard, rock-like substance, the Venado Caverns boast a thick layer of stalactites, stalagmites, and other unique cave formations. Rent a car Costa Rica travelers who venture into the Caverns will have the chance to climb up, crawl over, and scale rocks that are nearly five million years old – talk about an unforgettable journey!

What you'll find in the caves

Rent a car in Costa Rica travelers will find a multitude of strange and amazing things deep inside the country's caverns. Aside from the stalactites and stalagmites, you may also find seashells and fossilized sea life. Many of the caverns that are located in the country once rested below sea level and were flooded with underwater life. If you travel into the Venado Caverns, make sure you keep an eye out for the enormous brain coral fossil as you make your descent!

Bats are another common resident of Costa Rica's caves. There are four main species of bats that dwell in the caves. These include the insectivorous sword-nosed and mustached bats, the nectar-eating Pallas' long-tongued bat, and the greater naked-baked bat. These curious creatures can be found in nearly 50% of the caves that are open to the public for spelunking.

Finally, rent a car in Costa Rica travelers should anticipating finding plenty of water inside these caves. Most of the caves are traversed by small streams, and several feature falling water or low ceilings that require almost fully-body submersion in order to cross.

The best caving in Costa Rica

If you're a fan of caving, Avanti Rent a Car in Costa Rica recommends heading to the Barra Honda National Park. This protected area is home to the Santa Ana cave, which dips some 790 feet before sea level. In order to find the cave, rent a car in Costa Rica travelers must park their vehicles and hike for nearly two-hours through the forest. Professional guides will help lower you in the caves via a gigantic whole in the middle of the forest. Unlike many other spelunking locations, the Santa Ana cave has not been developed for wide-scale tourism. As a result, there are no man-made walking paths or handrails within the cave. This means that the caves in the Barra Honda National Park are exceptionally well-preserved. Just remember to dress appropriately and wear rugged hiking boats on the day you plan to tackle these caves!

Other caving opportunities

Rent a car in Costa Rica travelers will find a number of great caving locations in country. Avanti Car Rentals highly recommends the Ballena Marine National Park on the South Pacific coast. These caves can only be reached by kayak, which is almost as much fun as exploring the caves themselves!