Cuevas de Jumandy

Underground river caves you wade through by headlamp

The Cuevas de Jumandy are a network of underground river caves near Archidona, about 15 minutes north of Tena. You enter through a park with a swimming pool (popular with local families on weekends) and then follow a guide into the caves themselves, wading through waist-deep water in near-total darkness. The experience is somewhere between spelunking and swimming — bring clothes you do not mind getting soaked.

The caves extend several hundred metres and contain formations of stalactites and bats. A guided tour takes about an hour. The park charges a small entrance fee and guides are available on site. Go on a weekday to avoid crowds.

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A story
The caves are named after Jumandy, a Quijos chief who led one of the earliest indigenous uprisings against the Spanish in 1578. He used the caves as a staging ground before attacking the colonial settlement at Archidona.

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