Barra Honda Caves
Climb down into a limestone cave in the dry hills of Nicoya
Barra Honda rises out of the Nicoya plains as a cluster of limestone hills riddled with caves. The headline experience is a guided descent by ladder into the Terciopelo cavern, where formations have names like the organ and the popcorn.
Above ground, a dry forest trail climbs to a lookout over the Gulf of Nicoya. Most beach-bound visitors drive straight past the turn.
Getting there
From Nicoya take the road towards the Tempisque bridge and follow the signs to Barra Honda. The final stretch is gravel.
Local tips
Wear closed shoes and clothes you do not mind getting dusty. Start early to avoid the midday heat.
Travel lightly
Never touch cave formations: skin oils stop them growing.
Photo: Lutz Maertens, public domain. Forest photo: Panegyrics of Granovetter, CC BY-SA 2.0. Both via Wikimedia Commons.
Shared by Offbeat team
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