Grutas de Cocona

Useful Information

Location:	5 km northeast of Teapa. Carretera federal (Hwy.) No. 195 from Villahermosa to the south, 53 km from Villahermosa. There is a shuttle service, combis marked ‘Grutas', from the center of Teapas. parking at the cave is possible and free.
Open:	All year daily 10-17. [2015]
Fee:	Adults MXN 35, Children MXN 15, Guide MXN 50. [2015]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	electric/bring your own.
Dimension:	L=492 m, T=28/30 °C.
Guided tours:	D=30 min, L=492 m.
Photography:	Allowed
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	J. Arroyo-Cabrales, O.J. Polace (1997): Gruta de Cocona, Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, Volume 59, December 1997, p.174.
Address:	Grutas del Coconá, Teapa, Mexico, Tel: +52-932-322-05-45.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1876	discovered by accident during a hunt by Romulo and Laureano Calzada Casanova.
20-JUL-1892	first exploration by the scientist and engineer Jose Narciso Rovirosa Andrade.
1940	closed because of damages to the formation.
1967	opened as a show cave.
1978	cave lights and corridors improved and equiped with a sound system.

Description

Gruta de Cocona was discovered by Romulo and Laureano Calzada Casanova while hunting in 1876. But it was not explored until 20-JUL-1892, when the scientist and engineer Jose Narciso Rovirosa Andrade lead a group of pupils from San Juan Bautista, which is today known as Villahermosa. They explored and surveyed the complete cave.

At the beginning of the twentieth century the cave became very popular and was visited by many peoples with torches. This, and the destruction of formations, lead to its complete closing in 1940.

On an initiative of the poet Carlos Pellicer Cámara and the county autorithies, the cave was developed as an show cave and opened to the public in 1967. In 1978 the electric light and the paths were improved and the cave was equiped with a sound system.

Cocona means "Deep Water" in the language of the Zoque (zoque lenguaje). The cave is a 492 m long passage with eight big chambers.

This is a rather exceptional show cave, at least the light system is noteworthy. The entrance fee is rather cheap, but every group has to pay the guide additionally with a low fee. The cave is electrically lit, but the guide turns the light only on while walking along, and carries a big lantern in addition. So if you visit the cave self guided, there will be no light at all. Be aware of that and bring your own light.

The cave river flowing along the trail, finally ends in a huge pool, an underground lake. Visitors are allowed to swim among stalactites and stalagmites, so bring your swimwear. Another lake which is reached after some crawling contains blind fish.

But the absolute highlight of weirdness is the face of Christ which can be seen in one of the formations. They say its absolutely natural.