Exploring the mystery of the caves
Tourists travel for many reasons: because they love history and want to see great civilizations, because they are attracted by nature, or because they are passionate about extreme sports. However, there is another group: the explorers of caverns or caves, who are able to enter a mysterious world through potholing.
In Peru, the Huagapo Caves (Tears of the Mighty), close to Tarma City (Junín), are those that allow the inquisitive to enter a world of stalagmites and stalactites, with subterranean rivers of up to 2,000 meters deep. The cave has a 20-meter high access portal, and neighbouring people attribute a series of names to certain rock formations, including the Weeping Virgin.
The Lechuzas Cave (Owls Cave) in Huánuco, 545 km north-east of Lima, unfolds its mystery at the base of the hill known as the Sleeping Beauty, and is considered one of the main attractions of the Tingo María National Park. The cave is thus called because it is the habitat of the guácharo bird, otherwise known as owls. Inside the cave there inhabits a wide range of fauna, flora and rock formations, particularly bats, swallows, enormous spiders and various species of flowers. Only 400 meters of the cave has currently been explored.
