Window Cave PR

I went to Window Cave (Cueva Ventana) located in Arecibo, close to the Arecibo/Utuado border, just off of Route 10. It is amazingly easy to get to. Before you get there, there are a few things you will  need.

• Sneaker or close shoes are advisable.

• Flash light (I forgot mine but I used my sidekick, AKA my cellphone)

• A bottle of water

• Cash

  • Optional:

    • Extra pair of shoes (When I finished the tour and went back to my vehicle, my legs and shoes were covered in mud so, if you don't want to waste your drinkable water on cleaning as much as your can your shoes, bring an extra pair or a gallon of tab water to clean up a little)

    • Hand sanitizer (Cave= Bats = Guano)

Getting to window Cave

The entrance to the caves are located right next to a PUMA gas station. You will see signs that will direct you to the free parking space lot for the visitors. Once you park and head towards the registration table you will pay $22 if tourist or $11 if local (Bring Puerto Rico's ID). From there, you will walk up a hill that will take you to the meeting point tent where you will pick a helmet and a flash light. Also, the place where you will wait for the tour guide instructor.

The Tour

As you walk towards the caves, the tour guy will talk about the vegetation surrounding the caves, the history of the taínos (indigenous people), the bats and insects that live in the cave and a whole lot of information regarding the caves. I have to add that even tho there are a lot of bats in the caves, the smell was not overwhelming and the overall state of the caves were clean. You'll probably find some graffiti on some of the hidden spots of the caves and hieroglyphics from the taínos that lived on the caves a long time ago.Following the trail, you will encounter the first cave, called St. Clair, this cave is small but carefully exploring it, you will find lots of hieroglyphics. Exiting the cave, you will find the entrance to window cave. You will have to be careful as the steps are quite tall and tricky to step down. I went when it was lightly raining and it was extremely slippery so I had to be extra careful.Entering the cave, you will notice the big difference in size from St. Claire's. It has longer parts of darkness but it is a great time to see the bats. As I mention before, I went there when it was raining so, there were part of the caves that were dripping water and big puddles along the cave. Lucky for me, I did not step into any large puddle but I did slipped and fell on my behind as we were approaching the window site. LOL! Moving on to the VIEW, it is as beautiful and amazing as you imagine it and even better because you are seeing it live. I got to catch a flock of birds flying close to the window view and it looked unreal, almost movie like. You stay there for about 10-20 minutes, depending on your group and the tour guide. Overall, you could spend from 1-1.5 hours inside the caves. I'm sure you will enjoy the tour more if you go in a group, as you will probably have someone to talk to and enjoy the tour with. The more the merrier, right? When you visit please be sure to tag me on your Instagram post @atypicaldrifter or let me know about your experience down below. Happy exploring! =D