The Quadiriki Caves (other spellings include: Guadirikiri Caves, or Quadirikiri Cave) are located in
Arikok National Park on the island of
Aruba. There are three caves, which tourists commonly explore. The caves are located at the base of a limestone cliff. They contain Amerindian
petroglyphs
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
. The name of the caves is of
Arawak
The Arawak are a group of indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. Specifically, the term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to the Lokono of South America and the Taíno, who historically lived in the Great ...
origin.
The first two chambers in the largest long cave are illuminated by holes in the cave ceiling, while the third chamber is damp and dark, filled with bat
guano.
The limestone cave contains
stalactites and
stalagmites
A stalagmite (, ; from the Greek , from , "dropping, trickling")
is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically co ...
.
A smaller long cave to the east from the main cave is especially rich in Amerindian petroglyphs.
A mythical folk tale relates to a daughter of an Indian chief who fell in love and was imprisoned in the cave as her lover was not acceptable to her father. Her beloved one was imprisoned nearby, in Huliba Cave (Tunnel of Love), but both lovers managed to meet underground. Both reportedly died in the cave and their spirit vanished into heaven through the holes in the roof of the cave.
References
{{Aruba-geo-stub
Caves of Aruba
Caves of the Caribbean