The Grutas de Cacahuamilpa are some amazing caves in Central Mexico that are relatively unknown to foreign tourists.
We discovered them by just clicking around on Google Maps while visiting Taxco. With over 17,000 Google reviews, we thought it must be worth visiting!
We were blown away when we visited. The sheer size of the caves is mindblowing. Pictures will never do it justice. You must be there in person to appreciate these caves’ vast and beautifulness.
So, let’s dive in and find out about visiting these fascinating caves, a few hours south of Mexico City.
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What is the History of Grutas de Cacahuamilpa
The word Cacahuamilpa translates to “fertile peanut planting field.” It is a Nautl word, one of Mexico’s Indigenous cultures. The area was named because it is a good place to grow peanuts.
In pre-Hispanic times, many Indigenous tribes did not enter the cave system. They believed that the rock formations in the caves were evil spirits, and it was considered bad luck to enter.
The cave’s modern history started in 1834 when a rich man from a nearby town was hidden in the caves during a dispute with another local man. He returned to his hometown and told everyone about the amazing caves he had been hidden in.
After this point, people started to visit the caves. They opened for tourists in 1920, and the Mexican government declared the area a National Park in 1936.
How to get to Grutas de Cacahuamilpa
The cheapest way to get to Grutas de Cacahuamilpa is to take a bus. I recommend taking the direct bus from Mexico City to Taxco and staying the night.
Taxco is a super beautiful town that you have to visit. It is conveniently located only a 30-minute drive from the caves.
How To Get From Taxco to Grutas de Cacahuamilpa
The most convenient way to get from Taxco to Grutas de Cacahuamilpa is to take a taxi. A taxi should cost about 250 Pesos or 13 USD each way.
It is pretty cheap, considering the long drive. The caves are 52 kilometres from Taxco. If you travel in a group, it is even cheaper.
If you are on a tight budget, the best way to get from Taxco to the caves is to take the Flecha Roja bus. A ticket costs 46 Pesos, or about 2 USD, and can be purchased at the bus station in Taxco.
It departs at 7:20 a.m., 8:50 a.m., and 10:20 a.m. I recommend catching the earliest or second bus because taking the 10:20 bus may risk missing the last bus back to Taxco.
The bus will not drop you at the entrance to the caves but on the side of the highway. You will then need to walk a few hundred meters down the hill to the caves.
Tickets & Tours for Grutas de Cacahuamilpa
When you arrive at the caves, you must purchase your ticket at the entrance and wait for your tour to start.
Entrance to the caves costs 100 Pesos or 5 USD per person. You can only enter the cave with a tour guide, which is included in the ticket price.
The tours leave every hour on the hour, so if possible, try to arrive close to the hour. Otherwise, you will have a long wait for your tour to start.
The tours are only available in Spanish, and the group size depends on the number of people who attend. You must organize an English tour in advance if you would like one.
An English tour guide costs 500 pesos or just under 30 USD. To organise an English tour, email [email protected].
If you are not on a tight budget and your Spanish is not good, I recommend getting an English guide. The Spanish explanations dragged on, and we struggled to understand some parts.
Entrance to the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Entering the Caves
The tour starts by following the tour guide for 10 minutes from the entrance to the caves on the other side of the valley.
Instead of walking, you can use the zip line to the other side of the valley. This costs additional, and you can pay on the spot if you want to do it.
When you arrive at the entrance, you can already see the scale of the caves. The entrance is enormous and much more significant than any other caves I have ever visited.
Inside Grutas de Cacahuamilpa
After entering, the tour guide will discuss the caves’ history and point out features. Many of the descriptions mainly describe what the formations look like.
So you are not missing out on too much if you are on the Spanish-speaking tour and cannot understand what they are saying!
The guide turns on lights at each section, making it visible to what lies ahead. It is always mind-blowing how huge the caverns are and how deep they go inside.
The cave is 70 meters high and 150 meters wide at the highest points. It feels like an entire city could fit in the caves.
We did not realize before arriving at the caves that the walk through the caves is 2 km (1.2 miles) each way!
You will walk 4 km (2.4 miles) inside the caves, which is crazy. Whenever we thought we were near the end, the guide would turn the lights on to another seemingly endless cavern.
Even more fascinating is that the section you walk is only part of the caves open to the public. Two rivers are part of the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa system: The San Jeronimo River goes 12 km (7.4 miles) underground, while the Chontalcoatlan River goes 8 km (5 miles) underground.
It is not just the size of the caves that are impressive; the patterns created by all the stalactites and stalagmites are also very beautiful.
Seating within the cave for concerts and events
At one point of the tour, you will arrive at a concert area deep within the caves. This area is used for special events, and famous opera singers like Andrea Bocelli have performed here, as the cave has very good acoustics.
I am not an opera fan, but attending a concert deep underground in an enormous cave would be a fantastic experience.
About halfway through the tour, we discovered toilets deep within the caves. After seeing a concert venue and toilets, we were unsure what else to expect in the caves!
Once you finish the tour, you can walk back to the entrance at your own pace. This was our favourite part because you can appreciate the caves independently without any noise.
The caves are so enormous that everyone on the tour spreads out, and you can often be in a football-field-sized cavern alone.
On the way back, the lights will also be off in most sections. Once your eyes adjust to the darkness, the shadows and shapes created by the caves will seem extra magical.
Tours from Mexico City to Grutas de Cacahuamilpa
If you do not like organizing your transport, you can book a tour on GetYourGuide. For 160 USD per person, an English-speaking guide will show you around the caves and Taxco.
The tour includes pick-up and drop-off from Mexico City. It is a good option if you are short on time and want to see as much as possible.
It is also a private tour as long as you have four people in your group, so you won’t be stuck in a giant tour bus.
Chontalcoatlan Tour
If you want more adventure, you can visit the Contalcoatlan River section of the caves. This section goes deep underground, and you must repel down ropes and do some canyoning.
We didn’t get the chance to tour this part of the caves, but it looks awesome. Multiple tour companies can take you, but only one offers an overnight trip.
During this tour, you will go deep into the caves and sleep the night on a sandy beach.
The beach is near a huge opening in the cave’s roof. You will be awoken by sunlight streaming through the hole, which looks like a fantastic experience.
The tour costs 215 USD per person from January 1st until April 30th. The website and tour are in Spanish, so you must speak at least a decent level of Spanish.
Photo courtesy of Extremers
Where to Stay while Visiting the Caves
While visiting the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa, I highly recommend staying at Taxco. Taxco is a beautiful colonial town located on the side of a rocky hill close to the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa.
Taxco was once a prosperous silver mining town and is still known as the capital of silver in Mexico. The wealthy silver mine owners built many beautiful churches and buildings in Taxco.
During the weekends, Taxco is overrun with local tourists from Mexico City. But it is not well known to foreign tourists, so you will not see many gringos around town.
For a quieter experience, I recommend visiting during the week. The streets of Taxco are very narrow, so when it is busy, you are sandwiched between traffic and the buildings.
We loved visiting Taxco, one of our favourite colonial towns in Mexico. One thing that makes Taxco unique is that most taxis in town are white old VWs rumbling down the streets.
Enjoy visiting the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa!
I hope you enjoy your trip to Taxco and the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa. They are an underrated natural attraction and one of our favourites in Mexico.
Author Bio
Allan and Katharina are an active travel couple from New Zealand and Austria. They share their adventures and budget travel tips on their blog, Happy Healthy Nomads. Check out their Instagram and Pinterest for more travel inspiration.
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