Inside the Venado Caves
By the Casa Venado team
The Venado Caves are the closest real adventure to Casa Venado — about a five-minute drive down the road. They're a network of limestone caverns formed over millions of years, carved out by an underground river that you'll be wading through.
This isn't a paved, lit-up tourist cave. You'll get a helmet, a headlamp, and a guide, and then you'll squeeze, wade, and occasionally crawl through eight chambers full of bats, stalactites, fossilized shells, and rock formations with names like "the papaya" and "the angel."
What the tour is like
Tours run about 2 to 2.5 hours and are led by local guides — most grew up in Venado and know every corner. You'll get rubber boots, a helmet with a lamp, and a wetsuit-style top. Bring a swimsuit to wear underneath and a towel for after.
There's a small waterfall inside one of the chambers that you can shower under (it's freezing, in the best way), and a tight passage everyone calls "the birth canal" that's optional if you'd rather skip the squeeze.
Cost & booking
About $30 per person, paid in cash at the entrance. No need to book ahead — just show up between 8 AM and 3 PM. Kids 8 and up can do the full tour; younger kids can do a shorter version that skips the tightest passages.
What to wear & bring
Swimsuit, old t-shirt and shorts you don't mind getting muddy, water shoes or sandals with a back strap, a towel, and a change of clothes for after. Leave your phone in the car or in a dry bag — there's water everywhere and the chambers are pitch black.
The cave operator has hot showers, lockers, and a small soda on site for lunch afterward.
Good to know
If you're claustrophobic, the early chambers are open and easy — but a few sections do get tight. The guides will tell you what's coming and there's no shame in turning around.
Pregnant guests and anyone with serious back or knee issues should skip this one. Otherwise it's safe, well-run, and one of the most unique things you can do anywhere in Costa Rica.
Most of our guests do the caves on their first or second morning here — it's a great way to shake off the travel day and remember that you're somewhere genuinely wild.
