The Quadiriki Caves, also spelled as Guadirikiri Caves or Quadirikiri Cave, are situated in Arikok National Park on the island of

Aruba Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná Peninsula, Paraguaná and northwest of Curaçao. In 19 ...

. These caves, located at the base of a limestone terrace, contain Amerindian

petroglyphs A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

. The name of the caves originates from the

Arawak The Arawak are a group of Indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. The term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to different Indigenous groups, from the Lokono of South America to the Taíno (Island Arawaks), w ...

language. The largest cave extends approximately . The first two chambers are illuminated by natural openings in the cave ceiling, while the third chamber is characterized by its damp and dark environment, often filled with bat

guano Guano (Spanish from ) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. Guano is a highly effective fertiliser due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. Guano was also, to a le ...

Stalactites A stalactite (, ; , ) is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble and that can be deposited as a colloid, or is in suspension, or is ca ...

and stalagmites can be observed within the limestone cave. To the east of the main cave, there is a smaller cave measuring approximately in length. This cave stands out for its remarkable abundance of Amerindian petroglyphs. According to local folklore, the Quadirikiri Caves are associated with a mythical tale involving the daughter of an Indian chief. She fell in love with someone disapproved of by her father, resulting in her imprisonment within the cave. Meanwhile, her lover was confined to the nearby Huliba Cave (Tunnel of Love). Despite their captivity, the lovers managed to meet underground. Legend has it that both individuals met a tragic fate within the cave, and their spirits ascended to heaven through the openings cave's roof.

References

Caves of Aruba Caves of the Caribbean Tall tales {{Aruba-geo-stub