On the second day of our Asturias trip, the municipal tourism officer informed us that we were going to the San Isidro Cave. We were not worried, although we weren’t notified about this beforehand. We were told that the trek would be a breeze and that the cave was just minutes from the parking spot. Sounds fairly easy, then! And that’s what we all thought.
Barangay San Isidro isn’t very far from Barangay Tubigagmanok where we were staying. However, due to the condition of the roads, the trip via van felt like an eternity. In fact, I ended up getting seasick along the way because the trip was so long.
So, imagine my relief when the van finally came to a halt under a mango tree. We finally made it!
Trek to San Isidro Cave
The moment we stepped out of the van, we knew right away that it was going to be a pretty memorable trek. As a matter of fact, as it had rained hard the previous night, the ground was mushy and wet. It would be difficult to walk. However, since we all felt like we needed a little adventure, we all agreed to go.
Following a grass-covered trail was fairly easy. However, when we were close to the cave, things started to get a little interesting.
The landmark was this massive bamboo grove which partly hid the cave from view. Don’t be fooled, though, because this grove is pretty tall. And you know what that means – the cave is located several meters below.
The Muddy Trail
Using twigs, grass, tree branches, and roots for support (plus several slips later), we finally managed to reach the bottom of the hill where the entrance to the cave was located.
Take a look at my slides. Haha. And yeah, we didn’t know there would be trekking involved that day!
Ladies, and gentlemen, meet the San Isidro Cave. According to the locals, there is one more cave nearby. Thus, the actual name of this one should be San Isidro Cave 1. The cave isn’t massive but it is huge enough to fit a small house.
Inside the San Isidro Cave
The very first thing that you will notice when you enter is the beautiful stalactites that hang from the ceiling of the cave.
The cave was pretty dark. Fortunately, our guide brought several flashlights so we could explore the interior of the cave. If I’m not mistaken, the cave is relatively small and does not have long tunnels that lead to other parts of the area.
Here is another shot of the stalactites. If you focus on the photo, you will see water actually falling from one of them. That’s exactly how stalactites were made. Imagine how long it took to build these massive beauties!
Here’s a view of the beautiful stalactites from inside the cave.
Another thing that I noticed was the lack of stalagmites inside the cave. I’m no expert so I don’t exactly know the reason for this. I have a feeling, however, that the type of soil inside the cave was probably one of the factors.
Just so you can visualize, that’s Cyka posing inside the cave.
Additionally, that’s me right there! 🙂
After a few minutes inside the cave, our guide announced that it was time to go. As soon as we left the cave, we remembered how difficult it was to get there. Now, imagine how doubly hard it would be to climb up.
Long story short, we DID manage to reach the top. It wasn’t easy, though. Our feet were wet and slippery and the mud was just a menace. Here is a shot of my feet taken moments after reaching the top.
Finally, here is an interesting selfie. 🙂
So, that was it. I hope you enjoyed my little adventure in San Isidro in Asturias. I have more Asturias entries. In fact, I plan to post more in the next couple of weeks so please stay tuned. Also, let me know in the comments if you would like to visit this cave one day!
See you all next time!
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