Venado Caves Near Arenal

One of the most interesting natural wonders that you may ever have a chance to explore is the Venado Caves of Costa Rica. Located just outside of Arenal Lake and Volcano in the town of Venado, this series of caves was created when years of water currents penetrated through the surrounding limestone of the area millions of years ago. The result is a fascinating tourist attraction which is of interest to those travelers who like to explore the outdoors, see unusual sites and get a little bit off the beaten path with their travels. Although the Venado Caves of Costa Rica are a popular natural attraction, they are not a major tourist spot because of the fact that they require a bit of physical activity to be enjoyed.

Be sure to check out these posts as well:
Tips for Visiting Arenal and La Fortuna

What to Expect

Visiting the Venado Caves of Costa Rica isn’t like visiting some of the caves that you might have explored elsewhere in the world. If you’ve been to caves that are well-lit and easy to navigate with your tour guide then you don’t know what to expect at a set of caves like the Venado Caves. These caves are not lit at all so you will be required to carry a flashlight and to wear a hard hat when you come to explore this site. You will also be required to do some stretching and some crouching to navigate through the different tunnels in the caves so this isn’t the right place for you if you’re not cut out for a bit of physical activity.

The Venado Caves are also not designed to attract people who are concerned about getting a little bit dirty. In addition to the general dirt and rocks that you’ll find in the caves, you are going to encounter some water and mud while you traverse the different rooms of the attraction. Most people love the little rivers and waterfalls that they’ll see on a tour of these caves but some people are hesitant about this part of the trip. And there’s something else that you should be aware of before you enter these caves; there are bats in here. They rarely bother anyone who is visiting the caves but they’re something to be aware of before you go.

Those people who are relatively fit and who have a great sense of adventure about them, however, will really enjoy visiting the Venado Caves. They are an impressive natural wonder with some rooms that reach as tall as twenty feet and others that are tiny little crawl spaces. The guides who will take you through these different areas of the caves are all passionate in their love for this natural wonder and they’ll have a lot of educational information to share with you about how the caves formed and why they do tours of the caves now.

Tips for Visiting

If all of this sounds like something that is worth checking out, you’re right. To do this, you will want to choose a good group or individual to give you a guided tour of the caves. After selecting the group, you can book an appropriate tour through the caves. The exact times and length of the tour can be set up with your tour guide but give yourself at least a few hours of exploration to really enjoy this attraction. Do your research in advance to see if there is anything specific that you want to keep an eye out for (such as fossils or certain rock formations) and then inform your guide of that desire before your tour begins. Once you’ve started your tour, simply enjoy the opportunity to explore a natural wonder that formed over fifteen million years ago!