Candelaria Caves
National park in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala
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Geology
Amongst the attractions of their huge karst caverns are speleothems like stalactites, stalagmites, stalagnates and flowstone drapes. Pit caves, caused by collapse of the ceiling, light the inside of the caves. The main gallery has a length of 22 km, of which 12.5 km follows the underground passage of the Candelaria River. The total length of the cave system, including coulisses, secondary and upper passages, is estimated to be 80 km.
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History
The Great Western Trade Route of the Classic Maya, which connected the Guatemalan highlands to the Petén lowlands, went through the Candelaria Caves area. Pottery artefacts and rupestral paintings evidence the use of the caves for ceremonies. The Popol Vuh of the K'iche' people considers the Candelaria Caves an entrance to the underworld. Some of the caves are still used for Mayan celebrations. Even though, the caves now are opened to the public.
Administration
The government of Guatemala declared the Candelaria Caves national park in 1999. After long battles with the government the local Q'eqchi' people gained the management of tourism in the caves through their “Association Maya Q'eqchi Development and Tourism of Candelaria-Camposanto”. There are several entrances to the caves, managed by different Q'eqchi' communities like the association Bombilpek El Porvenir. They charge a small fee to visit the caves with a guide and use this fund to support the economic life of the village in the most equitable way possible.
The following table synthesizes the morphological, speleological, and socio-archaeological features across the Candelaria Caves system: