The Cave of Wonders
Cuevas de las Maravilla is often referred to as the Cave of Wonders. The caves were discovered in 1926, yet only opened to the public back in 2003. Although the cave system is around 800 metres in length, visitors are only able to explore around 200 metres into the cave structure.
The cave system is decorated with hundreds of Taino Indian Cave paintings. The Taino are the indigenous people that once greeted Columbus’ arrival back in 1492. The caves are very significant in Taino mythology, with petroglyphs etched on both the walls and stalagmites in the cave.
Visiting Cuevas de las Maravilla
The caves are located in Carretera San Pedro, and depending on where your Dominican Republic vacation rental, should be easily assessable. Once inside the cave, the clever lighting system shows up the wonderful array of stalactites, stalagmites and geological columns. There are even coral formations which are much rarer than normal rock formations.
Many types of bat also have made residence in the natural underground spaces, and you may also find snakes, millipedes, centipedes, toads, spiders and lizards, however these tend to stay well out of the way of cave visitors.
The Area
If your villa in the Dominican Republic is a distance away from the caves, you may want to make a bit more of a day of your trip. In the area you will also be able to find Catalina Island, which is a protected Natural Park with no building allowed. It is a truly beautiful place with the beach protected from the sea, causing a completely calm sea.
You will also be able to find Naufragio del Capitan Kidd Shipwreck, although you will have to be able to dive in order to find it. The wreck has now been deemed an underwater museum, laying only 2 or 3 metres deep. It became famous due to its discovery by a tourist, and is now one of the most famous diving spots in the country.
This area of the Dominican Republic is best reached if you have a Caribbean villa in La Roman, with tours leaving from the various towns located there.
