At the Guacaras de Comedero, you’ll encounter a range of archaeological features: carved petroglyphs, paintings depicting animals and people, and an excavated pre-Hispanic tomb. The caves differ in what you can see there. Guacara de Comedero n°1 is associated with petroglyphs, n°3 with a pictogram chamber and a challenging approach, and n°4 with depictions of animals and people. This lets you choose a specific cultural focus for your trip rather than treating all the sites as similar caves.

Petroglyphs at Guacara de Comedero n°1

Guacara de Comedero n°1 contains about 23 petroglyphs. Just a few meters away is the Abrigo de Vinicio, where about 24 more petroglyphs are carved lengthwise into distinctive stalagmite deposits. Most depict faces whose shapes have been greatly altered by natural limestone erosion. The approximate numbers therefore refer to two named sites, not to a single combined collection. A pre-Hispanic tomb was also excavated at Guacara de Comedero n°1. Within this cave, the carved markings and an archaeological excavation find thus offer distinct points of interest.

Depictions of animals and people

A pictogram at Guacara de Comedero n°3 shows a bird almost a meter tall holding a turtle in its beak. At Guacara de Comedero n°4, the paintings include a large heron, turtles, and various birds. They also show the head and part of the body of a mute dog, as well as a group of dancing human figures. Another depiction shows long-necked birds perched on a branch. The motifs there range from individual animal figures to a group of people, distinguishing this cave from the mostly face-like petroglyphs at nearby Abrigo de Vinicio.

Plan for the approach and the rainy season

To see the paintings at Guacara de Comedero n°3, you must travel about 100 meters through narrow passages in the river and climb over steep changes in elevation. This makes for a different kind of visit from the petroglyphs at n°1 and Abrigo de Vinicio. During the rainy season, an underground river makes entering Guacara de Comedero n°3 nearly impossible; the pictogram chamber is then completely inaccessible. If you want to make this cave a firm part of your plans, check current visiting options in advance and take the seasonal restriction into account.

Which focus suits your trip?

If you’re especially interested in carved markings, Guacara de Comedero n°1 and nearby Abrigo de Vinicio—just a few meters away—offer two separate sites with different approximate counts and motifs. For paintings, you can choose between the bird with the turtle at n°3 and the depictions of animals and people at n°4. Both the subject matter and the described approach are relevant to your choice: the rainy season and the route through narrow river passages make n°3 a stop that requires particularly careful planning. This lets you choose your cultural focus without confusing the different caves and their depictions.

Discover more destinations: Villa La Mata, Quitasueño.

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