LOLTUN

These caverns, whose name comes from the Maya “Lol”: Flower and “Tun”: Stone, are one of the biggest known from the huge cave system that covers a great territory in southern Yucatan. They are located at 3.4 miles southwest from Oxkutzcab and 15 miles northeast from Labna ruins. They have been arranged for a safe tour that measures approximately 0.62 miles long in its interior by means of illuminated paths.

Here, the visitors can learn the natural and cultural history of the northern Maya lowlands within a 10,000 years period, from late Pleistocene to Contemporary times.

In one of its cavities, locally know as “Huechil” (from the maya “Huech”: armadillo), archaeological excavations were carried out, and in one of its lowest levels, extinct animal remains were found: mammoth, bison, feline and other animals bones, indicating a colder climate period with a different environment to that of the present. Man made stone tools appeared in a superior level, probably produced by the first peninsula’s inhabitants.

Other material remains have been found in this and other parts of the grout including pottery, marine shells, stone artifacts, bas-relief carvings, petrogliphs and mural paintings, corresponding to the distinct development stages of the Maya culture.

From the formative period (600 b.C-150a.C) stands out the bas-relief carving know as “loltun warrior”, located at the Nahkab (beehive) entrance, presenting inherited traits from ancient olmecs. From Classic (150-900 a.C.) and Post classic (900 a.C. to 16th century) can be observed cultural features such as mural paintings representing hands, faces, animals, geometric motifs, which give the name to the cavern. There are also 19th century barricades constructed by rebel Mayas who sheltered in this and other southern Yucatan caves during he so called “War of Cates”.

Visitors can also admire many natural lime stone formations with capricious and suggestive forms that popular imagination have baptized them with peculiar names such as “Cathedral”, “grand canyon gallery”, ”Ear of corn”, stalactite rooms”, and so on. It’s important to notice the “musical” columns, formed by the union of stalactites and stalagmites, that produce sounds with different tones when they are knocked, or a magnificent gallery with its collapsed ceiling, with descending tree roots and sun rays…

  PLACES TO VISIT