Cuevas Las Cabachuelas
| Cuevas Las Cabachuelas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Morovis and Ciales, Puerto Rico |
| Nearest city | Barahona, Morovis, Puerto Rico |
| Area | 1,000 acres (400 ha) |
| Established | February, 2012 |
| Website | http://www.lascabachuelas.org/ |
| Part of a series on |
| Tourism in Puerto Rico |
|---|
| Tourism Regions |
| Beaches |
| Caves |
| Cays and islets |
| Convention centers |
| Culture |
| Islands |
Cuevas Las Cabachuelas (Cabachuelas Caves) is a large cave system in Puerto Rico which is located between the municipalities of Morovis and Ciales, Puerto Rico,[1] in the Cabachuelas Natural Reserve, established in 2012[2] and is of natural, cultural, archaeological, hydrological and geomorphological importance to Puerto Rico.[3] Guided tours are offered by the Diógenes Colón Gómez Cultural Center in Morovis.[1]
History
The caves have been studied in depth by Roberto Martínez and Ovidio Dávila.[4] Martínez pushed for designating the cave system as a national park system.[5] There are 60 caves in the Cabachuelas zone, which was declared a natural reserve on February 29, 2012, with the signing of law 129 by then governor, Luis Fortuño.[6] Since then a process of identifying the land around the cave system-what needed to be purchased from private owners began, and it was decided that there were 16 privately owned properties which should become part of the reserve.[3] In February 2019 the park opened to the public. Guided tours for groups of up to 15 people are coordinated by the Diógenes Colón Gómez Cultural Center in Morovis and the cost is $20 for children and $30 for adults.[1]
Future plans
Once the final 75 acres, which need to be purchased, are purchased by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), then the park will be properly established as Parque Nacional Las Cabachuelas.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Nueva opción al turismo para explorar cuevas en la isla" (in Spanish). Primera Hora.
- ^ "Nuestras áreas naturales protegidas: tesoro ecológico de Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). DRNA. 13 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Atractivo de clase mundial la Reserva Natural Las Cabachuelas" (in Spanish). 26 September 2013.
- ^ Oficina Estatal de Conservación Histórica. "Sitios Arqueológicos de Puerto Rico" (PDF). agencies PR Gov (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ http://www.lascabachuelas.org/history.html
- ^ "Las Cabachuelas son reserva natural". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 13 November 2012.
- ^ "Morovis ofrecerá recorridos por cuevas de Las Cabachuelas, en centro P.Rico". EFE (in Spanish).