The Candelaria Caves are a large natural
cave system in the highland-lowland transition of
Alta Verapaz
Alta Verapaz () is a Departments of Guatemala, department in the north central part of Guatemala. The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered to the north by Petén (department), El Petén, to the east by Izabal ...
in
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
between the municipalities of
Chisec
Chisec is a town and municipality in the north of the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz that was founded in 1813. It is situated at 230 metres (755 ft) above sea level. The municipality covers a territory of 1244 km². Approximately ...
and
Raxruha. The caves are famous for their peculiar
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
phenomena and significance to
Mayan history.
Geology
Amongst the attractions of their huge karst caverns are
speleothems like
stalactites
A stalactite (, ; from the Greek 'stalaktos' ('dripping') via
''stalassein'' ('to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble an ...
,
stalagmites,
stalagnates and
flowstone drapes.
Pit caves, caused by collapse of the ceiling, light the inside of the caves. The main gallery has a length of 22 km, of which 12.5 km follows the
underground passage of the Candelaria River. The total length of the cave system, including coulisses, secondary and upper passages, is estimated to be 80 km.
History
The Great Western Trade Route of the
Classic Maya, which connected the Guatemalan highlands to the
Petén lowlands, went through the Candelaria Caves area.
Pottery artefacts and rupestral paintings evidence the use of the caves for ceremonies. The
Popol Vuh of the
K'iche' people considers the Candelaria Caves an entrance to the
underworld. Some of the caves are still used for Mayan celebrations. Even though, the caves now are opened to the public.
Administration
The government of Guatemala declared the Candelaria Caves national park in 1999. After long battles with the government the local
Q'eqchi' people gained the management of tourism in the caves through their “Association Maya Q'eqchi Development and Tourism of Candelaria-Camposanto”.
[Del Cid, García 2003] There are several entrances to the caves, managed by different Q'eqchi' communities like the associatio
Bombilpek El Porvenir They charge a small fee to visit the caves with a guide and use this fund to support the economic life of the village in the most equitable way possible.
References
Bibliography
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Caves of Guatemala
Limestone caves
Wild caves