Grutas de Cacahuamilpa: in Nahuatl, cacahuatl, peanut or cocoa, milli, seed and pa, locative "in peanut seed." These caves are one of the largest and most spectacular in the world. Inside you can find two underground rivers: the Chontalcoatlán and St. Jerome, whose lengths are eight and 12 km respectively, which are bordered by sandy beaches in the dark. They are located in a mountainous area of the Sierra Madre del Sur, where calcareous marine rocks abound formed over millions of years. They were discovered in 1834, when he hid in them Manuel Saenz de la Peña, wealthy owner of Tetecala, who disclosed his existence after he came out of hiding. They are located from north to south, west of longitude 99 ° 30 'and north of latitude 18 ° 39' east of Pilcaya (municipality to which they belong), 52 km from Taxco, deviating at Km 99.6 of the Mexico-Acapulco highway and 36 km from Ixtapan de la Sal. The entrance is on the Limotitla canyon, under the hill of La Corona and south of the town of Cacahuamilpa. The mouth of the cave is 21 meters high and 42 wide. Baron Gross, Secretary of the French Legation, organized in 1835 the first scientific expedition for exploration, formed by Baron Deffaudis French minister; of Prussia, Frederick Geroldt; Velazquez de la Cadena, and Ignacio Serrano cartoonist. The caves were opened to the public in 1920 and 23 April 1936 were declared a national park by the Government of Mexico, under the leadership of President Lazaro Cardenas, with an area of 1500 hectares. Since March 1992 they are under the responsibility of the State Government.

The beautiful caves are formed by whimsical figures whose rooms, which are more than 90 have received the names assigned to them by visitors; for example, according to the National Geological Institute, which made the plane, if a room is called El Chivo it is because there is a stalagmite that resembles the form of a goat. To the north there is a space of 100 meters long pavement in which water is deposited in the rainy season, separated from the previous by a thick stalagmite 25m height that seems alabaster whiteness; this second section has been called the confectionery industry, the large number of spherical concretions of carbonate of lime around an air bubble, a grain of sand or organic body (eggs of Corixafemorata and Notonecta unifasciata) .The 25m long walls of the third gallery, are covered with figures and culminating in an amphitheater supported by a truncated pyramid base of 11 m; The lounge is called Aurora because back toward the entrance dim light that penetrates far simulates the dawn of the morning. The fourth gallery, 103 m long, 47 wide and 60 high, has in its first half a stalactite and bright white, like a canopy and a chair stalagmite, it was called Throne Hall or Pulpit lounge. Follow the north galleries of Pedregal for the many boulders that have fallen from the dome and the most spacious (400 m long, 40 wide and 60 high) divided into three sections: the Hall of the Dead, because in it a human skeleton was found, with the head crystalized; Salon de las Palmas, and Los Organos, called because its walls are bulk cylinders as cactuses to which after hit them with a rock produce sounds.

Another gallery is called La Fuente because of two superimposed cups appear to emerge jets of frozen water. The Marchioness Calderon de la Barca (1806-1882) in her book Life in Mexico cited the caves and discloses General Santa Anna. Antonio Garcia Cubas, in the book of my memories, Mexico, Editorial Patria, 1969, relates that the Empress visited the caves and left the inscription "Maria Carlota came here." Over time, the author accompanied President Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada, who did register the phrase: "Sebastian Lerdo step forward." Other distinguished visitors are Porfirio Diaz and painters José María Velasco and Eugenio Landesio. The state government built inside a corridor four meters wide and two kilometers long, with lighting. It took its hollow building a platform where symphonic band plays, usually in the conference Alarconianas, music of different authors is placed. Opposite is the stands, comfortable place to hear music performance. Note that the Federal Government, within the general guidelines that sets the Six Year Plan, is required to keep the sites of national interest that bring benefits to the regions where they are; They should improve, therefore, the natural conditions of these places to make them more accessible and attractive to tourism as a means and promote the interest of the people for the environmental beauties that encloses the territory. The only activity that takes place in the grottoes is the tourism. Among the most frequent recreational activities in the area include picnics and hiking related. In the area, scientists conduct geological tests and caving explorations. It should also be said, though it seems obvious that this place has a tourism infrastructure and services, with tables, benches and toilets, also available transport services, sales of food and crafts. The park has extreme sports attractions such as rappelling, and rock climbing in Limontitla Canyon, it also has a small botanical garden, a pool and places to camp.

This vast complex of caves in the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa open daily with ninety-minute guided tours 10am–5pm. This network of caverns, extends for some 70km. The ninety-minute obligatory tour obviously takes in only a fraction of these, passing evocative rock formations, all illuminated to better illustrate their names: “the hunchback”, “the bottle of champagne” and others. As already said you’re shown a rather prim note from the wife of Maximilian: “María Carlota reached this point”. Alongside, Lerdo de Tejada, who became president in 1872, five years after Maximilian’s execution, has scrawled “Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada went further”. There’s a restaurant and several food stalls by the entrance. Buses running between Taxco and Ixtapan de la Sal pass within 1km of the entrance: ask to be dropped off at the junction and walk down the hill for fifteen minutes. Colectivos to the caves also leave hourly from opposite the Estrella Blanca bus terminal in Taxco. At least parts of the cave system have been known for centuries, and parts have been occupied since pre-Hispanic times. Excavations in the caverns have produced fragments of pottery. This area was home to the Olmec people, and later the Chontal tribe. Both peoples used the caves for ceremonial purposes. The original name of the caves was “Salachi.” The current name, “Cacahuamilpa,” comes from a location near the cave entrance and means “peanut field.” After the Conquest, the existence of the caves was kept hidden from the Spaniards by the indigenous peoples. Credit for the “discovery” of the caves is given to Manuel Sainz de la Peña Miranda, who used the caves in 1834 to hide from Spanish authorities, which prompted a thorough search of the area. In 1866, Dominik Bilimek and Maximiliano von Habsburg made the first biospeleological visit to the cave. F. Bonet surveyed and mapped the cave up to 1,380 meters in 1922 and it was opened to the public during that decade.

In one of the salons is a gravesite. The story behind this grave is that an Englishman got lost exploring the cave and eventually died of starvation. He was accompanied by a dog, which he sent to get aid. However, no one on the outside paid any attention to the dog, so it returned to the cave to die along with its master. When the remains were found, they were buried there with rock and a simple cross.[6] These majestic caves are located in the Sierra Madre del Sur, covering the states of Guerrero and Morelos. They were discovered in 1834 and in 1936 declared a protected nature reserve. Inside, the Caves of Cacahuamilpa guarding a vast strange figures that evoke the imagination of visitor’s series: some faces around here, some animals over there. More than 90 rooms are open to the public; it is covered in about 2 hours. The hike, about 2 kilometers, is a little tired but very rewarding; the guide shares with the public details and anecdotes that further enrich the visit. Guided tours start at 10 am. Some tunnels reach a length of up to 10 kilometers. The height of the caves is 30 meters in the lower parts up to 70 meters at the highest and spacious lounges. Since they are quite dark, these rooms are illuminated with natural and artificial light, highlighting the bizarre stalactites (limestone formations hanging from the ceiling) and stalagmites (the amount that the ground). These natural formations, according to the popular imagination, make faces, faces and figures as goats, thrones, fountains and even a cathedral. In this park, a protected area of 2700 hectares comprising forested areas, besides visiting the majestic caves can make picnics, hiking, walking and observing flora and fauna. Among the species that inhabit the place are the raccoon or badger, the rattlesnake, the green iguana, cougar, lynx and ocelot.

The walls of the cavity in which it flows are up to eighty meters high. It is possible for visitors to explore this river, which requires about seven hours to do so; however, it is the easier of the two to explore as it is more level. The waters of the Chontalcoatlán originate from the Nevado de Toluca. Its descent underground has carved out an entrance fifty meters high. It is also possible to visit this natural tunnel although it is necessary to get to the entrance by vehicle. It is relatively easy to travel to a point called La Caraboya or La Ventana. However, after this point, the river descends steeply and those not in good physical condition are not advised to continue. Just after the two rivers reemerge above ground, they join to form the Amacuazac River, which is a tributary of the Balsas River.Rock climbing in this park is highly recommended by the Squamishrock rock climbing club. They describe it as having “collapse followed by several long, full of tufas, stalactites and Chorreras. There are 45 rock climbing routes with grades from 10b to 13d of. Route types are desplome and techo and the rocks are mostly limestone with stalactites. The Limontitla Botanical Garden exists to demonstrate the native flora that exists in this subtropical, mostly deciduous forest. Tours of the garden can be done alone or with a guide to explain the species on display here. The best time to visit the garden is during the rainy season (approx. June to October) when everything is green and in bloom. The park also has a large swimming pool located in a point that overlooks the place where the San Jeronimo and Chontalcoatlán Rivers meet to form the Amacuazac.

The Grutas de Carlos Pacheco are located 400 meters to the south of the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa. They were named after Mexican General Carlos Pacheco, who fought against the French Intervention in Mexico. Just beyond the entrance the cave divides into two branches. The infiltration of water into these caverns is minimal and parts are entirely dry. For this reason, this is considered to be a fossilized cave. The stalagmites and stalactites here stopped forming hundreds of years ago. However, a number of these formation are very uncommon and some seem to defy gravity. These caves can be visited by arranging a tour separate from the tour of the Cacahuamilpa Caverns.The two underground rivers the Chontalcoatlán, which is eight km long, and the San Jeronimo, which is 12 km long and the tunnels that have been formed by these rivers are still completely active, as the water continues to cut away little by little at the rock. Both have areas with rocks and sandy beaches on each side and the darkness is complete in much of the tunnels’ lengths. The San Jeronimo River has its origins in natural springs that lie in San Pedro Zictepec, Mexico State.