It took some digging to find the well-hidden Cueva de las Golandrinas (Cave of the Swallows), on the jagged coast near Arecibo. We made a wrong turn before getting some guidance from the ancient, toothless man with the machete to whom we had paid a few bucks "propina" (tip) to watch our car on the dirt road.

Tip: If someone is on the roadside or has a yard nearby and offers to let you park, or watch your car, for maybe $5, do it. It's good manners and pragmatic, and the cops in Puerto Rico are pretty vicious about writing tickets to unsuspecting drivers for infractions such as parking with your car facing the wrong direction, or parking with any part of your car blocking the roadway.

This man, whose Spanish was almost unintelligible, likely used that machete to clear branches on the roadside so our car wouldn't get scratched. He was lean and brown and muscular, despite appearing to be well into his 80s. He kept an eye on our vehicle while we were hiking, and kindly showed us the hidden trailhead without us even asking.

Then on to find the cave! It was very difficult to find, as the trails are not well marked. We were halfway there when we finally chanced upon a sign, the only one sign, plunked in the middle of a meadow. If you’re going to do this hike, wear water shoes and a swimsuit, because you have to wade into the water to get a clear view of the cave. It's gorgeous, and the beach is lovely. Definitely worth the walk.

LINKS:
Cueva de las Golondrinas: [ Ссылка ]
Map: [ Ссылка ]
Alltrails: [ Ссылка ]
The cave is at the very western end of this hike.

(If you have trouble hearing any part of this video, press the CC button just below the video to generate subtitles.)

-----
Why are we doing this? Because life is short and the world is big, and we’re navigating it with a messy suitcase as we explore as much as we can. Join us on the adventure!

Subscribe to our blog at messysuitcase.com!

Follow us on social media:
Facebook: facebook.com/messysuitcase
Instagram: instagram.com/messysuitcase
Twitter: twitter.com/MessySuitcase
Pinterest: pinterest.com/messysuitcase
Tumblr: messysuitcaseblog.tumbler.com

Reach us by email: info@messysuitcase.com

Editing: Beto Greenawalt
Titles and Design: Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt, Hammster Media LLC
Music: "Little Tomcat" by Josh Woodward. Free download at joshwoodward.com.

свернуть