The Great Cavern of Santo Tomás is the largest and most important cave system in Cuba. It has more than 46 km of galleries and consists of 7 almost superimposed levels.
Important fossils have been found in its interior and the study of its extensive area continues today. At the foot of the mountain that houses it, the National and International Schools of Speleology are located.
Part of the system is open to tourist visits accompanied by a guide. Only the less dangerous places are open to inexperienced visitors.
Before the beginning of the school year we decided to go on a tour of Viñales. On the way to our destination we found a sign with information about the place.
The cave is located a few kilometers from the town of Viñales. In a town called "El Moncada". In the Sierra de Quemado belonging to the Cordillera de los Órganos. In spite of having been in the area many times, we had never visited the cave.
We headed there. They immediately provided us with the necessary information. We rented a helmet with a flashlight to facilitate exploration and paid for the accompanying guide service.
The tour would only take us to levels 6 and 7, the highest ones. Their entrance is more than 100 meters above sea level. I was not wearing the appropriate footwear because this visit was not really in the plans, but I still decided to take the risk.
We climbed with a group of 10 people. Through the steep slope we climbed a path already made by so many years of use. Without any setbacks we reached the cavern. The view from the entrance is truly amazing.
Inside, the route became a little more complex. Rocks, slippery ground, narrow passages. We could not take many pictures. The place was dark and we only had our cell phone. In addition, the humidity of the ground made it necessary to stay focused on each step. However, I was able to take some in places where there was light.
It is amazing how nature adapts to any conditions. Trees grow leaning towards where the few rays of sunlight penetrate. Roots hang from the ceiling of caves and continue to grow in their relentless search for soil and water to cling to life. Birds make nests in the walls of these caves. Bats swarm. It is an ecosystem full of peculiar creatures.
In one part of the tour they all fell down! Only the guide and I with my inappropriate sandals survived. The ground was a humid plane inclined at more than 30°, difficult to walk on. Luckily it was only a few meters long and there were no major mishaps.
We reached the end of the route, literally the end. A narrow space completely enclosed and in total darkness. We turned off our flashlights and black flooded everything.
The return was easier. Our feet stepped where they were supposed to. They had memorized the path. We got out safely, thanked the guide for all the information he had given us and got ready to descend.
Beautiful place that nature gives us. The lower levels of this system are beautiful. There are subway rivers, remains of fossils that have been found, drawings of our ancestors on the walls. It must be a delight to visit such places.
For now we were only able to admire these one and we are grateful to have done.
The images are from my personal galery. The text are my own. I used DeepL for their translation because Spanish is my native language.