San Sebastián de las Grutas

Grutas de San Sebastián

Useful Information

Location:	80 km south of Cuilapan on Route 131, 10 km north west of El Vado. From Oaxaca follow federal highway 131 south, turn right in El Vado, to San Sebastián de las Grutas. After the village turn right on single lane dirt road to the Centro Ecoturístico San Sebastián de las Grutas. From the spring take paved road steep uphill. (16.631602, -96.970959)
Open:	All year daily. [2024]
Fee:	Adults MXP 60. [2019]
Classification:	Karst Cave River Cave Karst Spring
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	L=400 m. Ask for a guide at the Agencia Municpal, next to the church.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Centro Ecoturístico San Sebastián de las Grutas, Paraje Ojo de Agua, San Sebastián de las Grutas, Tel: +52-951488-4636, Tel: +52-9512776649, Tel: +52-9512164421.
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

Description

The small town of San Sebastián de las Grutas was named after the caves, Grutas de San Sebastián. However, the people seem to call the caves now also San Sebastián de las Grutas. Both are named after the patron saint San Sebastián Mártir. There are a number of caves in the area, but only this fossil branch has been opened up for visitors.

The cave is entered through a short artificial entrance tunnel. Above the entrance there are skylights in the ceiling through which the first explorers had to descent into the cave. The passage is quite sacious and about 400 m long, with a series of five chambers, between 20 m and 70 m high. The cave is a through-cave, the opening at the other end is far more spectacular. The cave is left walking up a long stone staircase on the debris formed by the collapse of the cave roof.

In the middle of the tour, a cave river can be seen. This river reappears outside in a small karst spring at the foot of the hill, named Oyo de Agua (Eye of the Water). The amount of water depends strongly on the season, but the small river makes the valley of San Sebastián de las Grutas fertile. The spring is surrounded by a small forest, many trees grow just in the middle of the river. The area is a public space with trails and benches. It is also the starting point for the trail to the cave entrance.

Legend has it that a shepherd was walking with his flock through the countryside when an animal fell into a deep hole. The locals entered the hole to rescue the animal and discovered the galleries that are now open to the public.

The caves are famous for being the largest in all of America, with a depth of over 1,000 meters and a length of over 60 kilometers.

This statement is so absurd, it's actually funny. And it's a complete mixup, they are talking about the Sistema Huautla, which is also in Oaxaca, but 160 km to the north. This cave system is vast, and while it is only 1,560 m deep, the deepest caves are more than 2 km deep, it is nevertheless the deepest cave in the Americas. It is currently [2024] the tenth-deepest cave of the world. And Sistema Huautla is actually 100 km long, but that's not long enough to reach San Sebastián de las Grutas.