Costa Rica caves
The amazing Venado Caves are made of wonderful limestone rocks, stalactites, stalagmites and corals, and they are located at Costa Rica, only 35 minutes from La Fortuna of San Carlos. Strange stone formations are shaped by the forces of an underground river. The caves first formed during the Miocene Period, about 10 to 30 millions years ago. After their formation, the caves remained below sea level for an extended period of time before tectonic movements brought them to the surface. At this time, the Guatusos aborigines became the first people to stumble upon their discovery. Located just south of La Fortuna, the gateway to The Arenal Lake and Arenal Volcano, are the Caves of Venado. Dating back over 7 million years, the Venado Caves are the direct result of water currents penetrating and passing through the surrounding limestone rocks. The caves contain four different species of bats and numerous types of spiders, many of which are endemic to the area. Some of the spiders have extremely long feelers, designed to assist them in total darkness. The bats fly endlessly above, sometime clustering in groups of a hundred or so. It is more common to find them attached to the ceiling above than along the walls. When your footing is secure, shine the light above and you should find them looking down on you below.
The continual flow of water opened crevasses and forced sediments to flow throughout the caves, leaving on its way an endless network of deep tunnels. So complex and deep, absolutely no light penetrates these caves, except for a few isolated incidents which are located in one of the quarters. As a result, it is mandatory that you carry a flashlight with you during your trip. The guides experience and in depth knowledge of the numerous paths can dramatically improve your experience in the caves. Depending on your physical fitness and sense of adventure hours can be spend crawling from one section of the caves to another, challenging the most fit and adventurous.
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