All about Grutas de Calcehtok on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico

The Grutas de Calcehtok, also known as the Calcehtok Caves, are located in the state of Yucatán, approximately 55 kilometers southwest of Mérida in the municipality of Opichén.

With an explored length of over 4 kilometers, the Grutas de Calcehtok are considered the longest dry cave system on the Yucatán Peninsula. The cave is home to impressive stalactites and stalagmites, shimmering quartz fields, ancient Maya artifacts, and a thriving bat population.

In the past, the Maya used the caves on the Yucatán Peninsula as religious sites and as a refuge during the caste war when they rebelled against the rule of the Spanish colonisers. The caves are are part of the Ruta Puuc.

Near the Grutas de Calcehtok lies the archaeological site of Oxkintok, which is also worth visiting and offers insight into the pre-Columbian history of the region.

Origin of the name

The name Calcehtok means "deer neck stone" in Mayan (cal: neck, ceh: deer and tok: stone) and comes from a stone depicting a deer neck found at this site when a well was dug nearby.

Guided tours

The Calcehtok caves are very extensive and three different routes are offered, with ascending difficulty and duration from one to seven hours. The most important places in the cave are included in each tour, but the route differs.

In any case, it is not a leisurely family excursion, but a little adventure. Accordingly, there are not so many visitors. Especially the most difficult and longest tour leads through narrow caves that can only be mastered by crawling on the stomach.

There are no toilets, no vendors or stalls in front of the cave. There are no stairs, almost no railings and no lighting in the cave. It is a very natural place. Walking in on your own is strongly discouraged. The tour guides provide headlamps.

The tour prices are agreed on site. They depend on the desired tour and start from around 200 pesos.

The world of archaeology

Some interesting figures about Mayan archaeological sites on the Yucatan Peninsula:

A few tips

Even though the temperature and especially the humidity in the cave is very high, you should wear robust clothing (e.g. jeans) and sturdy non-slip shoes. You should also take a bottle of water with you.

For the longest tour, an electrolyte drink and something to eat may be useful. All items should be carried close to the body. On the longest and most difficult tour you will get very dirty, your clothes will be torn and you will get some scratches and bruises.

If you have claustrophobia or a fear of darkness (or bats, spiders...), you might want to reconsider visiting the caves. However, there are no dangerous animals inside, and the tours are generally considered safe.

On the longer tours, however, a few bruises or minor scrapes are almost inevitable. There are no restrooms available on-site, so it's best to plan accordingly. However, at the end of the tour, you’ll at least find a place to wash your hands.

How do you get to Grutas de Calcehtok from Mérida?

Travelling by public transport is possible, but not recommended. By car, you first drive southwest from Mérida on highway 180. The last stretch to the cave is very poorly developed, but there is at least one car park.

If you want to take a public transport, you can take the collectivo "Merida - Opichen" from Mérida at Parque San Juan, get off at Calcehtok and walk the remaining 3km to the caves.

Alternative: Grutas de Lol-Tún

Like the Grutas de Calcehtok, the Grutas de Lol-Tún (which are located about 75km to the southeast of the Grutas de Calcehtok) were also used by the Maya as religious sites and as a refuge during the caste war.

Grutas de Lol-Tún is the largest and most important cave system in Yucatán, 110km southwest of Mérida at the end of the Ruta Puuc. The earliest human settlement in Yucatán was at Loltún.

Inside the cave there is evidence that humans occupied it at some point in history - such as fossil bones of mammoth or bison from the Ice Age.