Grutas de Cacahuamilpa Trip

We had a great trip yesterday. It was well worth the visit and here's some info.

Estrella Blanca bus fare to the Grutas from Cuernavaca was $66. Entrance fee to the Grutas is $75. After a two hour guided tour of the caves, we paid $200 for a taxi to Taxco, a half hour drive. (Combis are also available.) Bus fare for the return trip to Cuernavaca from Taxco was $90. 

Also recommend the trip up to the Cristo Monumental in Taxco: an impressive statue, and beautiful views of the valley below. 

Shops, restaurants and parking

Cave entrance

These amazing caverns are located 52 Kms. from Taxco on highway 166 in the State of Guerrero. The Grutas de Cacahuamilpa or cacahuamilpa Grottoes make for a fascinating excursion.

The Caverns were discovered in 1834 by Manuel Saenz de La peña and were decreed as a national park in 1937. Only 10 of the estimated 70 kilometers of passages have been explored so far. The highest of the explored chambers measures some 80 meters in height. The average height of the chambers is 40 meters. The cavern’s mouth measures 21 meters in height and 40 meters in width.

The park opens at 10:00 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m. everyday. The tour is throughout approximately 2 kilometers of the underground labyrinth and each tour lasts about 2 hours. I really recommend that you carry some water with you and comfortable shoes. At the visitor’s center there are restaurants, snack bars, and souvenir shops.

The Voices of Chichinautzin

This is the story of Chichinautzin, a natural protected area on the southern border of Mexico City. Supported by local scientists and park rangers, the people of the Chichinautzin risk their lives to protect their biodiverse forests from illegal logging armed gangs and strong development pressures. In an increasingly urbanized world, how can this region and its people survive against the growing hunger for space and natural resources?

The Chichmautzin Biological Corridor is located in the Sierra Norte in the state of Morelos, in the region south of the Federal District and southeast of the state of Mexico. It was created in 1988 as a biological corridor to connect Lagunas de Zempoala and El Tepozteco National Parks.

These parks were created in 1947 and 1937 respectively. Chichinautzin was also established to: (1) secure the biological processes and evolutions in the zone; and (2) to form a natural greenbelt boundary for the population growth of the Federal District and the city of Cuernavaca. The biological corridor itself is 37,302 hectares, but also incorporates Laguna de Zempoala National Park (4,790 hectares) and El Tepozteco Park (24,000 hectares). In this way, the total area of protected by the corridor and two national parks is 66,092 hectares. This region is important for rainwater filtration and is a very important factor improving air quality of the states of Morelos and the Federal District (Mexico City).