| ext">The Bellamar Caves were discovered by | | | | ultimately forming stalactites from the roof and |
| chance in February 1861 when a slave lost his | | | | stalagmites from the ground. |
| crowbar trying to remove a limestone rock. The | | | | These caves have a very strange beauty |
| owner of the farm, Don Manuel Santos Praga, | | | | because many of its formations are shining due to |
| surprised, ordered to dig there and thus, the | | | | the crystalline layer that covers them. The visitor |
| entrance of the cave was found. Enterprising as | | | | enters the cave by a room named Gothic, a |
| he was, ordered to build masonry staircases in | | | | square chamber that is 80 meters long and 25 |
| use today, installed banisters and with the pass of | | | | meters wide where amazing rock formations can |
| time, installed electric bulbs. He personally became | | | | be admired, such as The Carrots Garden, The |
| the tourist guide while taking the visitors through | | | | Chapel of the 12 Apostles, Mrs. Mamerta, and the |
| the alleys of the cave and explaining to them | | | | most famous of all, Columbus´ Cloak. |
| what they were seeing. During the first two | | | | Other caverns are The Gallery of the Two Lakes, |
| years, more than 2 thousand people visited the | | | | The Sponge Room, The Gallery of the Dwarfs, |
| place, and nowadays, those caves are the most | | | | and The Gallery of the Megalocnus to the east |
| visited caves in Cuba. | | | | side of the Gothic Room. Heading in the opposite |
| Only 3 miles away from Matanzas City, experts | | | | direction, the visitor can find the Hatuey Alley, |
| estimate that the caves began their formation | | | | The Room of the Ladies, The Lake of the Dhalias, |
| around 300 thousand years ago when the plains | | | | and the very popular Bathroom of the American |
| where the caves are now were under the sea. | | | | Woman. |
| The tectonic movements made the area rise until | | | | The area already explored covers 1.5 miles in |
| forming the marine terraces that can be seen in | | | | length, give or take, but it is known that the |
| Matanzas and its surroundings. With time, these | | | | extension is larger than that, around 12 miles |
| caves were emptying and the filtration among the | | | | having flooded chambers. The air can be breathed |
| rocks began above the roofs of the caves; | | | | and the temperature is almost stable all year long, |
| filtered waters that contained carbonate of | | | | around 26ºC. |
| dissolved lime left residues while dripping, | | | | |