Discovered in 1926, this cave is well known for showing the history of the country, and it's located in La Romana: The cave features ancient Dominican history in the form of Taino Indian cave paintings. The caves are significant in Taino origin mythology. Distinctive petroglyphs made by the early Taino are etched on rocks around the island and on stalagmites in caves across the island.

 

You will be able to see some good stalactites, stalagmites and geologic columns in reef limestone. tanding out from the rest, there are the coral formations and animals which lived in the place at the end of the Pleistocene. You’ll also find hundreds of petroglyphs, pictographs, and engravings by Taínos Indians, who inhabited these caves between 800 and 500 years ago. Despite this, diggings have shown archeological and human remains from between 4000 and 5000 years ago.

Three different kinds of bats live in these natural spaces, being the most characteristic fauna inside the cave. Moreover, inside the caves, there can also be found snakes, millipedes, centipedes, toads, amblypygids, spiders, worm and lizards among other animals. You can visit too the nature museum at 25 meters deep which was created from the underground water activity!

How to visit:

Visits to the cave are strictly controlled, in small groups with a guide. Tours take about an hour.

You can go on your own by public transportation, rent-a-car, or just try to find a tour in town.

If you're looking for an emersive big tour, here it is:

https://www.viator.com/La-Romana-attractions/Cueva-de-las-Maravillas/d4176-a13492

Since you're here, you can also visit Catalina Island and the Naufragio del Capitán Kidd Shipwreck.

Happy journeys in Dominican Republic!