Discovering this cave was a happy accident. I had seen it in pictures many times in the past but I actually thought it was somewhere else on the Island. In February of 2013 I was exploring the western corner of the Island with a friend and I we at a gas station to ask for directions.
I was looking for a certain spot on the Tanamá River. The attendant didn’t know where that particular spot was but he said in a casual tone “if you’re interested Cueva Ventana is right next to us”. I wasn’t looking for “Cueva Ventana”. What’s more, I had no idea of what a magnificent view I was about to enjoy.
I followed a trail about a quarter of a mile up a mountain. When I arrived at a fork in the trail I went to the left for a couple of more minutes. Then we went down several stone steps and —all of a sudden— I was inside this dark damp cave. And I DO mean dark.
Since I hadn’t planned to go caving I didn’t bring a flashlight. Big mistake! Instead I had to light my way with my smartphone. The cave was so dark that I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face if I turned off the light. And yes, there were bats. Hundreds of them were hanging from the cave ceiling. But I guess they’re used to having visitors because not one of them was disturbed by our presence.
Fortunately the passage was short and we soon arrived at the scene that you see above. Of course this is nature, wild and beautiful. Wild because there are no safety measures whatsoever. If you fall you will surely die. Beautiful… well, you can see why!