the caves

Robert672015

The swimming feature in the advertisements is a bit overrated. Not really suitable for elderly people

jnbmn

This is a convenient and enjoyable excursion from Cabarete or Sosua. It is easy to reach by car or taxi. You can swim around in the first cave and the third is basically a plunge pool. They offer life jackets if you're a weak swimmer or just a little scared. (I was both.) If you're not going to swim, there's not a whole lot to it. There are lots of steps in the first cave, but only a few in the others. The walks between caves are short and the guide (We had Cesar.) provides interesting information about the caves, plants, and local area. This is the only place near Cabarete where we noticed mosquitos. Be sure to use bug spray! Definitely worth a visit!

nadca2

We stopped here with our local friends. The cave are quite fascinating. But going into such closed places can be very hot. Bring a bottle of water with you while doing the tour. But water/beer is available after.

Roby_509

Probably I can't have an objective point of view on caves because I've seen really cool caves in my life, but still we saw 2 out of 3 (we have a baby and chose to visit only the closer ones) and they were interesting but really really small and I payed 1,200 RD pesos which is a lot of money for the tour. We loved swimming uderground. For less money it probably is worth the stop.

MaryPChicago

For $20, a guide (hired on the spot) walked my husband around, telling him the history of the caves and pointing out nature, features (and safety concerns) along the way. A great way to get out of the heat and experience some of the nature the DR is known for.

824dennisd

Very eccentric and beautiful. We as a four were very pleased we visited but no bats, LOL. There's not much to purchase there so I would recommend to bring your own water, etc.

paco_gato

Tourist trap and exploitation. There are three (3) tiny "caves" which could easily be seen in 5 minutes or less. You are forced to pay 20 dollars a head for a nice but ignorant local guide which cannot offer much in the way of environmental or geologic knowledge. If you have ever visited a cave anywhere in the world, this will be a letdown. Additionaly, the local guides will deny you passage beyond their checkpoint on the callejon if you do not pay them...so essentially they are closing a public road which sounds an awful lot like extorsion. I would strongly suggest you avoid the whole scene.

1to3sold

This out of the way attraction is just outside of Cabarete and is well worth the time to experience. It only costs $20 and takes about 90 mins to go through. Make sure you take your swimming gear and go for a swim in the under water cave. I would recommend taking either water shoes or running shoes that you don't mind getting wet. The dirt there is red, so don't wear anything that would be ruined by red mud.

GoldenTreasures

The caves of El Choco offer a glimpse at the island`s past, and a chance to trek into jungle, dive in water holes, see rare cave species and breathe the cleanest air on Earth. Search online for the official guide to El Choco caves, It`s a must see in Cabarete.

Christinertrips

I liked the short history about the flowers and plants in the region. The three caves you see are interesting and you can swim in two of them and cave jump into the water in one. Really fun!

Z4751OXlauras

I came here on my honeymoon and found this excursion online. It was not advertised through the resort where we stayed. We found it to be a beautiful natural area. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable about local plants and history. We wish we would have found it sooner during our stay as it was actually in Cabarate and it has a range of things you can do from horseback riding, a boat tour, scuba and hiking. I accidentally dropped my camera in the cave, and the battery pack and SD card fell out. The guide sent someone to look for it, and they found all 3 pieces before we returned to the resort! When they learned we did not have a rental car, they even picked us up on motorcycles and returned us to the resort when we finished!

420MichaelS

Cabarete caves are located at the end of Callejon de la Loma ( ally to the hill) educated Dominican guides will teach you about the plants and wildlife and show you several caves formed in a 300 million year old fossil coral reef that is now well above sea level. There are cenotes with underwater caverns that have been mapped at over a mile in length. Google Cabarete cave diving and see the amazing world in Cabarete caves. Any taxi driver will drive you there and once there the guides will take good care of you. You can also hike well up into the hills of the. 70 square mile El Choco National Park.

TioBruno

Well worth the $20 to meander into the Caves and natural campos. Our guide was very informative , explaining a lot of the naturally growing plants and their medicinal properties. And towards the End a thrilling 20 ft. jump into a deep piscina was breathtaking

AlphaReindeer

We were surprised that this lovely little excursion was not better publicized - we thought that the 90-minute hike, learn and swim was one of the best bangs for our buck on our week long trip. Wilson led our group of four adults, a seven year old and a two year old. As many other reviewers have experienced, we never felt rushed during our entire trek. We asked lots and lots of questions and Wilson gave us a lot of information about the flora, geology and history of the area as well as current use and future plans for the area. It was lovely to see that an old tourist trap could be put to such good educational use, with funds supporting care of the park. The caves were pretty darn cool. Stairs in the first cave are very steep and somewhat slippery. All of the mud is red - do not wear your favorite white pants. All but the two year old swam in both caves (so refreshing!) and half of us dove from the high jump in the last cave. Definitely fun for the whole group.

Nadolax

My girlfriend and I took at 25 minute walk from our hotel to El Choco national park, where our guide began a tour of the caves and jungles in the area. It was $20 a person, and while that does seem like a lot for DR, it was totally worth it. The caves are really cool looking and the guide takes you through the area and points out plants, animals, and history. Also, keep in mind the money goes towards keeping the area clean, because as was explained to us, some of the locals dump their trash all over the place.If you're in Cabarete and want to do an easy hike with some cave swimming, go here!