jumandi caves

Going into the cave requires paying $10, or $2/person for more than 5 people. So try to get a group together beforehand! Also, you can't take any bags into the cave but there is a bag check. It seemed legit and the guys working were very nice. Yet after I came out of the cave I noticed that someone had gone through my bag. A $50 bill was missing but the thief left around $45 and my phone. When I told the guy working about my missing cash, he behaved strangely and told me to look in the rest of my backpack (where I insisted it wouldn't be because the money was in a ziplock bag in a money pouch that I hadn't opened that day), which I did. He then looked under his desk, inside and under some clear tubs that were no where near where my bag was stored, and kept saying "no, no, check again, things don't get stolen here." Hmm...

the caves are or were anice plac eto visit , but sadly the managment of the place has gone down hill, you have to pay entrance fee to the pool which is not maintained and the slides are dangerous and then you have to a pay again to get in the caves, there are rumours of it being remodeled so hopefully is true

Well this is something you don't see every day! For $5 (boots included) you get the experience of a lifetime, This cave is all dark and wet, but I strongly suggest you go there. It's only a one hour trip and it's worth it.

On our way from Tena to Papallacta we had a 2 hours stop. First you have to enter to the swimming pool entrance park there and there to the caves. You need a head-flashlight, good water shoes and swimming clothes because you will get wet. You will leaded in a guided group into the caves. They tell you the story of the incas which escaped from the spanish conquestors in the caves. Sometimes the water is high, but you can walk. After all we stayed little bit in the pool. Our daughter 10 years old also enjoied the trip. But be careful with the waterslide in the pool It´s dangerous- don´t use it.

These caves are well worth the trip out from Tena. For $4 each you get admission and a guided tour thru the caves there. You get a headlamp, but when we visited the group was large and we had to share one between three! Imagine that happening in Europe! There's no ropes or safety devices inside so watch out for yourselves. The guide didn't speak any English, but spoke slowly enough that we understood pretty much everything. You're in the passages for about an hour and while there isn't any amazing formations to see its still a great trip into a cave system which more or less anyone can do

Just book it or go on your own, one of the best places!!! It's amazing! The Caves are great, the pool is great, the food was great, the guides were great!!!

The first time we went there in July there was no wait or line and the two of us went without a group with our own guide. My favorite part was using the line to pull myself across and swimming in the water in the dark. My other boyfriend's flashlight went out making walking and ducking difficult. Good flashlights are a must! The big surprise is that when sitting down in a cramped area at the end we all turned off our flashlights and then when we were told to turn them back on our guide's face was covered in mud and he told us folklore strories. When I returned with my group of students in July this year there was a long line but since we were with a lodge our guides and the owner of the lodge moved us to the front of the line. I stayed and had ice cream with those who didn't want to enter. The pools on the property our huge, warm (though not super clean) and have long fun water slides. The whole thing not including waiting in line takes less than an hour.

The history behind the caves is very interesting as well as the caves themselves, especially the stalactites. Don't expect to see animals, we only saw a couple of bats and a large spider. You go inside the caves with a guide; they like to go with a group of at least 10-12 people, so you might have to wait for the group to form. The guide provides a headlamp for every two people and the tour is about 45 min to 1 hr long. The path is somewhat difficult. You need to wear shoes and clothes that can get wet. The overall facilities (bathrooms and changing rooms) are not great, but good enough.

No need to make this a priority. The cave tour will cost about 5 bucks total. Its not bad but I had to wait a while to get on the tour. Its a good thing to see but there are other things (like Misahuali, Hakana Matata, rafting, jungle tours...) that should take priority.

Upon arriving to Cavernas Jumandy (Jumandy Caves) we were greeted by an indigenous local guide. He instructed us to strip down to the bare minimum (underwear or swimsuits) promise that we were not afraid of the dark nor claustrophobic and handed us headlamps. We followed him into the caves as he explained their history and gave us tips on safety.As we entered deeper into the caves the only light source were our headlamps. We approached a body of water and swam across the deep and cold pool to the other side. Our guide stood on a ledge, pointed the light of his headlamp into the middle and said "Jump here" he then yelled, dove, and came up encouraging us to do the same. Of course we obliged.After the initial exhilaration of jumping into a dark pool in a cave we climbed amongst the stalagmites and stalactites stopping to view a certain phallic formation of Jumandy and then were led into a small steamy room to rub our bodies with mud that is said to 'cure cancer'. We were enticed to follow our guide a few at a time to another room that was also filled with mud but was a bit difficult to get to. We took the opportunity and were well-rewarded.Continuing our hike through the cave we came across another waterfall and pools to do additional cave swimming and climbed out to hike back down to the main complex. You can make this attraction an adventure or you can make it simple and short. Of course, I recommend you take the opportunity to enjoy this well-organized tourist attraction and ask you guide to give you an adventure.

Tena is a great home base for side trips near the jungle. The caves near Archidona were pretty cool. Bring a flashlight & expect to get wet. The great warrior Jacumby hid from the Spaniards in these caves. We had a nice local guide that showed his pet 6-month old boa constrictor after the cave tour.

We decided to go to the conference because we had heard from people in Tena that the tour was amazing. However we were also a little skeptical from the comment that I had read on tripadvisor. Well, before you actually get into the cave you have to pay for an entrance fee to the complex which includes natural water pools (which do look kind of dirty), and that costs two dollars per person. After that to go into the actual cave you have to pay a next or two dollars per person for the guide and a dollar if you want to rent boots. It is true that you can get sometimes a guy who is under age, but if you ask the lady up front that you want somebody who is an adult they will give you an adult tour guide. We did this and we got the oldest person who was also the most knowledgeable. He explained to us the history of the cave, and how the Indians hid in there during the Spaniard invasion to protect the people. You can get lost inside the cave, because there are 28 different paths inside. To go through all 28 paths takes about 27 hours long, but the regular tour lasts for about an hour. It is also important to note that these caves support the few Indians that still live there, and the caves are owned by the Grefa family who are descendants from the Indians who hid in the cave during the Spaniard invasion

About a year ago I wrote a review based on my visit to these caves. It was not published. I urge you please to post this one!In April 2011, I visited the caves with my husband and my 7 year old daughter when we were returning from Tena to Quito where we live for 2 years. Right away I was concerned with the operation and had safety concerns, but we still gave it a try. The tour guides were teenagers, from the community, with very little training. They did not provide us with head lamps, because there did not have enough. They did not give us live vests and they did not explain thoroughly what to expect inside. I kept asking question because I wanted to determine whether or not it was appropriate for my daughter. We must have gone in for 30 feet or so, when the water level became very high and with a strong current. At that point we arrived to a "sink hole" that we needed to cross by using a short cable. We kept asking how deep the water was, and finally they told us that it was 3 meters or 15 feed deep. I took a look at the rope used to cross over the water and immediately turned back. I was not about to have one of us or my daughter drown, considering they don't provide live vests!!! It was very hard to turn back because there was a huge line of people behind us and we literally had to cling to the wall on top of the people to get out. I was so upset about the service and safety! A year later (May 2012) I learned that the cave is extremely dangerous for those who actually make it past the sink hole and go in for 30 to 40 minutes because many people have contracted Histoplasmosis (also known as "Cave disease"). I want to warn tourists - beware! This operation is not controlled by authorities, and safety is zero!

Vivirás una experiencia única, las aventuras que vives dentro de las cavernas son simplemente geniales, recuerda ir con ropa comoda ya que te mojas completamente.

Si vas para el tena, puede hacer una parada en este sitio, la visita a las cuevas es de poco mas de 1 hora, lleva ropa para cambiarte porque te vas a mojar completamente, un guia les mostrara la cuevas, es realmente muy entretenido!