The Grottos
There are two main grottos: the larger one from which the river flows and the “tunnel” above it on the same wall of the canyon. The larger grotto is classified as a karst cave, and was closed for a short time in 2004 due to a roof collapse. Inside this cave, the temperature rises noticeably and it is filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Just outside the main grotto are rimstone pools in which visitors can wallow in the shallow river as the water rushes past. The “tunnel” is called this due to its shape; narrow and about 15 meters long.
Visitors inside the tunnel are showered by warm water that sprays out from the walls and ceiling. The temperature inside is similar to that of a steam bath. Inside one part there is a depression filled by a stream of water that one can swim in. This pool is filled with capriciously-shaped rocks. In both grottos, one can listen to the echoes of the waterfalls inside the mountain. It is possible to rappel from the various high domes in these two grottos, but it is still considered dangerous because of the wet walls and large amounts of water vapor in the air.
Other features
On various sections of the canyon walls are man-made semi-circular “chapoteaderos” or splashing pools, created by damming small warm springs. Most of these are shaded by trees, allowing tourists to bath in warm waters while overlooking the canyon at the same time.
Similar to the chapoteaderos, but created naturally, La Gloria is a set of three pools that run down one of the walls of the canyon. Curiously, the water is warm in the uppermost pool, cool in the middle pool and warm again in the bottom pool. Water falls all around these three pools in trickles and large streams. There are also camping and sanitary facilities by these pools.
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