Cavernas de Jumandi

Cuevas de Jumandi - Jumandy Caves

Useful Information

Location:	Archidona, Ciencia. Nearest village Archidona 14 km away. From Archidona follow E45 north, on the right side. (-0.875422, -77.791640)
Open:	All year daily -16:30. [2022]
Fee:	Guided tours $2 / person
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	L=1,900m
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	The Lonely Planet, Ecuador p 296 ”you must bring your own lights and equipment„. Jackie Yuill (2001): Under the Jungle, A Visit to a Show Cave, Ecuador Style. The Grampian Speleological Group Bulletin Fourth Series Vol 1 No 1 October 2001 pp 20, 25-26. Sket Boris (1979): Favna jame Cavernas de Jumandi, Nase Jame, 20, pp 86-91. Pete Lancaster (1983): Two Caves in Chile and Ecuador, Cambridge Underground 1983 pp 40-41 online P. Brown, P. D Brown (1981): The Jumandi Cave of Ecuador, BCRA Caves and Caving 14 (Nov. 1981) pp 26-28
Address:	Complejo Turístico Cavernas Jumandy, Archidona 150350, Tel: +593-97-949-2712. Cavernas Jumandy en Humanti Turismo Comunitario, metros del complejo turístico, Calle Teniente Hugo Ortíz Ubicado a 150, Archidona 150350, Tel: +593-98-560-9219. Turismo Comunitario Ruku Jumandy Kawsay, Archidona 150350, Tel: +593-99-099-9095.
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 Cavernas de Jumandi (caves of Jumandi) are three different caves. One of them is an river cave. This part of the cave is regularly visited with tourist groups. The visitors have to walk through the bed of the river, over boulders and rimstone pools. Fortunately the water is very warm.

The caves were named after the cacique Jumandi, who was a resistance fighter against the Spanish conquistadores.

In the cave river a white cave fish lives.

The cave is situated at a small leisure complex with snack bar, swimming pool and flume. The cave entrance is some 4 to 5 meters wide by 6 to 7 m high, a modest stream flows out of the entrance. It is necessary to wade through pools and climb waterfalls until the dry series is reached. Here the passage, often less than 2 m high twists and turns, passing through small chambers, almost filled with stalactites. Eventually the upper entrance is reached. A steep, tricky, muddy climb aided by tree roots leads to the surface. The way back to the leisure complex is just as difficult. A muddy slide down through the jungle.

Text by Tony Oldham (2001). With kind permission.