Cueva de Saturno

Useful Information

Location:	Carbonera. From Carbonera foloow road to the airport, after 1.2 km on the left side. (23.070850, -81.436610)
Open:	All year daily 9-. [2022]
Fee:	Adults CUC 5. [2022]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided, D=30 min.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Cueva de Saturno, Carbonera.
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 stalactite filled Cueva de Saturno is located only 30 m asl and 2 km from the sea. The groundwater is rather high, and so the lower part of the cave is water filled. The site is a popular bathing, swimming and scuba diving spot. The water is salty, or better brackish, because so close to the sea the groundwater mixes with the sea water flowing into the cave. The huge blue pool is 2 m deep at the platform, and 22 m deep at the far end. Especially in the hot summer the cool cave water is quite refreshing and very popular.

The site is a huge doline. From the entrance, a very long staircase leads down to the ground of the doline on a heap of debris in the center. You are surrounded by the remains of the cave ceiling of the huge chamber which collapsed. There are stalactites on the ceiling all around you, and numerous trails on the floor leading into side branches. But most visitors stay on the trail and follow it to the end where a platform protrudes over the blue cave lake.

Some call this cave a cenote, and actually it looks rather similar, but strictly speaking, it is not a cenote. The scuba diving in the cave lake is offered by the local diving company Vara Diving, but currently they are discontinued, we guess due to Corona.