TAÍNO ROUTE: CUEVA DEL ARCO EXPERIENCE
Utuado
In this new version of The Taino Route, we combine two of our greatest passions, archaeology and river trekking, to bring you a unique experience you will never forget. We visit the barrios of Caguana and Ángeles in Utuado, where we find the most important sacred taino sites, The Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Center and the Tanama River with its famous tunnels and arches which the river runs through. Nestled in the central mountain region of the island, Utuado is blessed with an espectacular natural landscape. Plus, it´s one of the most important regions when it comes to Borikén's indigenous past. In this experience we will visit the Indigenous Ceremonial Center and Cueva del Arco located in the Tanama River.
The Experience includes:
• Tour guided by an archaeologist
• Challenging hike through a rainforest
• Visit Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Center
• Visit Cueva del Arco
• Sandwich and fruit lunch
What you need:
• Water canteen
• River shoes recommended
• change of clothes
• towel
The Full Experience:
We depart early, 8am, from San Juan to Utuado. Our first visit is the Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Center (ETA 930am), where we will learn about our indigenous past and how it's still alive in our modern Puerto Rican culture. Then we head to the Tanama river (ETA 1030am) where we take a 30min hike through the forest to reach the river and one of its most famous features, Cueva del Arco. The hike is of intermediate level, it can get very muddy, river shoes are a must. This natural arch carved out by the river. is about 70 feet tall, with stalagmites and other structures you find in caves. At river level there is a huge rock which has a few rock carvings done by our ancestors. We´ll explore the area and check out some petroglyphs. Then we have a sandwich and fruit lunch at the river. On the hike back we take a slight detour to visit a cave that is located on the top of the arch itself before heading back out to the car. The ride back to SJ is about 1hr30min. Arrival ETA 330pm.
Utuado