Explore La Cueva del Indio in Puerto Rico
The beautiful La Cueva del Indio is located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is an incredible place to visit. The Island of Enchantment can brag about its pristine beaches, a rainforest, bioluminescent bays, mountains, kind people, and pink salt flats. I remember a lovely moment while sitting next to these huge rock formations at La Cueva del Indio when I thought, “this place is THE coolest.”
I then wondered why there weren’t tourists flocking to the unique island of Puerto Rico and to this picturesque Instagram-worthy spot.
Maybe people haven’t discovered the magic of it yet.
If you are reading this, I hope you are lucky enough to be enchanted by Puerto Rico, and I hope you visit La Cueva del Indio.
If you are looking for adventure, history, and beauty, this is your spot.
La Cueva del Indio means “the Indian Cave” in English. It gets this name from the Indian petroglyphs that are etched into the side of a – you guessed it – cave. The caves were a meeting place for Taino Indians, and the drawings are thought to be from as early as 1200 AD.
When visiting, you get a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean. It’s no wonder that some movies were filmed here – think Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Because it is not overrun by tourists, it’s a beautiful spot to snag some photos.
Here I am thinking – This place is THE coolest.
How to Get to La Cueva del Indio
Getting to La Cueva del Indio is a bit strange. It is definitely off the beaten path, without much in the surrounding area. The coordinates are 18°29’34.1″N 66°38’31.4″W. You can googlemap it if you have the use of your cell.
La Cueva del Indio is 60-90 minutes from San Juan, and you do need a rental car for this trip. Luckily, rental cars in Puerto Rico are pretty cheap.
You have a couple options for parking once you arrive. You can park on the side of the road for free, which I wouldn’t recommend due to the thin road without pull-offs. Your 2nd option is to park in a lot and pay $5 per person to hike 5 minutes over to the caves. The lot is usually open 9-5.
Normally I’m super cheap and hate paying for parking/things I don’t HAVE to spend money on, but in this case I didn’t care. A guy collected money, gave a little info session on La Cueva del Indio, and told us where to go. He was super nice, and I did not mind giving him my 5 bucks.
Another stunning view
Disclaimer
There used to be a ladder that allowed you to climb down into the caves to see the petroglyphs. That ladder was removed in 2017 by the government due to safety concerns. This is ironic to me, though, because now people find their own ways to climb down, which makes it even more unsafe. The small group that entered La Cueva del Indio at the same time as us was set on making it into the caves. They asked the guy at the entrance how to do it, and he explained exactly where to climb down.
I was too afraid, but around 10 people, including my boyfriend, hoisted themselves down into the cave. It involved some strength, flexibility, and rock climbing moves. I am not graceful, so I quickly realized I would probably not make it without falling and injuring myself. The Nurse in me can’t recommend this to anyone, but if you are going to climb PLEASE be careful. Make sure you have someone else with you, and don’t attempt it if you aren’t confident in your abilities.
I was very content spending my time walking around the cliffs and taking in the views. If you have your heart set on seeing the petroglyphs, though, you might be disappointed. Also, if you have kids who definitely won’t be able to climb down, consider if it’s worth the money for the whole family to just view the cliffs.
Wander around La Cueva del Indio
Carefully walk on the limestone to see different views of the Atlantic Ocean framed by the cliffs. Wear sturdy shoes! If you have time, sit and take in the beauty that you are lucky enough to see. You can also make it a longer hike and walk further down the coastline.
I would recommend spending at least 30 minutes enjoying this area.
Hopefully you can take cuter photos than I did 😉
By being informed about the lack of ladder and not being able to climb into the caves, I hope you can enjoy your time at La Cueva del Indio for what it is – a beautiful sight of Puerto Rico’s rocky coastline.
Must Knows
More on Puerto Rico by Nurse to Nomad:
If you want to experience one of the coolest things you can do on this planet – swim in a bioluminescent bay.
If you are still iffy on whether or not you want to visit Puerto Rico, here’s 6 photos and 6 reasons to win you over.
For the best things to do in San Juan, head over here.
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Puerto Rico is the best to me because I always wanted to avoid traffic, and stuff so, I change my route, and it will help me on that.
I have read people jump off the cliffs? Is this true or safe?
We didn’t see anyone jump while we were there. The cliffs here seemed to be too high to jump safely, but I can’t say that no one has done it!