Actún Kan

The entrance to the caves Actún Kan identify the names of weird formations.

Actún Kan is a cave system with low difficulty of exploration. In fact it is a perfect place for beginners caving (spelunking).

Its name means "cave of snakes, but there is no danger of snakes found in these caves. It is said that the caves were discovered by local children, other hunters say they were around 1920.

Like every cave has a religious-mystical significance to the Mayans, who during certain times of the year come to perform rituals or celebrations. This is very characteristic of the local culture, who since ancient times in the caves were an entry into the bowels of the earth, the underworld or doors to sacred sites.

Its labyrinth of subterranean formations is lit for the benefit of tourism.

Unlike other cave systems, the soil is mostly rocky, but on earth. Its main attractions are the formations of stalagmites and stalactites and curious given names of the forms they represent.

Bats and strange formations

Within Actún Kan you see all sorts of groups like the Ku Klux Klan hood, the God of rain, the Face of the Lacandon, the Stone Rose, the Virgin dela Grotto, The Cathedral of the Times, The Dreamer and more. Of course, like all rock-forming mineral, it requires little imagination to make sense, but the truth, some are very obvious, as made by an artist.

Actún Kan, as any cave is home to bats. These are very shy and rarely manages to take a photo as you see here, since they are located atop the roof of the caves, but we had luck.

These animals are guided by sound waves invisible to us. These waves bounce off objects and return to your ears, your brain interprets this information to form a kind of radar image. Handled well in the dark and do not depend on your eyes to it.

Surprisingly very quiet to fly.

Getting to the caves of Actún Kan

Of course, to be first must place you in Petén, north of the City of Guatemala (CA9 arrive via highway or "Road to the Atlantic"), to Izabal and then north without danger of losing. You can also get from Coban Sayaxché also following the path north, not get lost.

And located in Flores, Petén, is so easy and so close that any motorcycle taxi (or "tuc tuc") flowing through the streets of Petén you there.

If you prefer your own, you can reach by car or bicycle, Get situated on the bridge that goes to the island of Flores, find the Hotel Maya International takes every 8th Avenue, straight towards the south.

At the entrance of Kan Actún find parking, shop with snacks and refreshments and holiday lights. We recommend you take yours and preferably halogen headlamp. All LED light is impoverished by the humidity of the caves and very little light. The halogen work best in humid air.