7 Things to Know Before Visiting Cueva del Indio

The cave was discovered in 1982. On September 4, 2003 it was included in the National Register of Historic Places. It dates back to pre-Columbian days.

The park is maintained by the Department of Natural Resources. In March of 2017, they removed the ladder leading down to the cave for safety reasons, but the cave can still be viewed from above. The hours of operation are 9a-5p, 7 days a week.

There is no fee to view the cave, but PR-681 is very narrow so you probably do not want to park on the road. Some local residents will allow you to park on their property for a fee of about $3-$5 (€3.32).

You must wear good sturdy shoes and you may even want to wear long pants. You walk down a trail to get to the beach and the volcanic rock. If the ladder is available, you also need to climb some. The rock is very sharp limestone and is wet and slippery.

In addition to the ancient petroglyphs of the Taino, there are also the cliffs over the ocean, natural stairways and the ocean breaking on the rocks outside of and underneath the cave. These breaking waves have created natural bridges and unique ocean sculptures.

As with so many other places in Puerto Rico, Cueva del Indio has been a popular spot for movie production. “Pirates of the Caribean: On Stranger Tides (2011),” “Runner, Runner (2013),” “Treasure Island (2012),” and “Perfect Getaway (2009),” are just some of the movies filmed here.

In the area you can check out the Arecibo Lighthouse, the Observatory and on weekends shop at the Arecibo Flea Market. There are also many wonderful small open-air restaurants on PR-681 as well as incredible pincho stands.