Cueva Fun Fun - full day tour

Dare to explore the largest cavern in the Caribbean, The Fun Fun Cave, with more than 28 kilometers of tunnels and underground passages. Begin your adventure with a 30-minute horseback ride, followed by a hike through the rainforest of Los Haitises National Park, discovering species of flora and fauna endemic to our island.

Half way up the mountain, you’ll make an 18-meter abseiling (rappelling) descend that will take you to the very heart of the Fun Fun Cave, crossing the threshold to another dimension. Feel the cool temperatures as you venture deep inside of the earth, with its immense galleries and tunnels, the beautiful landscapes sculpted in the rock. Swimming in its canyons and listening to the magical whisper of the underground river, will make you experience an adventure like no other. Adrenaline and fun are mandatory!

When you return to the surface, a refreshing drink awaits you along with a stimulating bath in the waters of the Almirante River. Upon returning to the ranch, you’ll enjoy a horseback ride through the estate where you will enjoy beautiful landscapes and observe farm animals in their natural habitat. To end the day, you will taste the rich flavors of the best Dominican cuisine in the area.

A unique tour in its class, where you also get the chance to see the genuine Dominican country lifestyle and the agricultural landscapes of the island: sugarcane, cacao, oranges, coffee and passion fruit plantations.

Cueva Fun Fun is located at Rancho Capote, 24 km from Hato Mayor del Rey, Dominican Republic.
Tour is available from Punta Cana, Bávaro, Cabeza de Toro, Bayahibe, La Romana, Juan Dolio, Boca Chica and Santo Domingo.

Highlights

- Explore the largest cave in the Caribbean, 5 activities in 1
- Horseback riding, hiking, diving, rappelling and spelunking
- Discover endemic species in Los Haitises National Park
- Get to know the genuine Dominican country lifestyle
- Soft drinks on the bus, breakfast and lunch included

Inclusions

- Guided tour to Fun Fun Cave, the largest cave in the Caribbean
- 30 min horseback ride, 40 min hike in Los Haitises National Park, 18 meters rappell descend
- Small dive in the underground river (optional) and 1.3 Km walk inside Fun Fun Cave.
- Specialized gear: jumpsuit, helmet with flashlight, harnesses for abseiling and rubber boots
- * Visitors should bring a swimsuit, sunscreen, insect repellent, long stockings, accessory to hold long hair and towel (showers available).
- Soft drinks on the bus, water on the tour, breakfast and lunch
- Hotel pick up and drop off in Punta Cana, Cap Cana, Uvero Alto, Bavaro and Cabeza de Toro.
- Hotel pick up and drop off in Boca Chica, Juan Dolio, La Romana and Bayahibe.
- Lockers to put in your belongings are available at no cost

Exclusions

- Souvenir photos
- Alcoholic beverages

Good to have:

- bug spray
- sunglasses &/or a hat
- a towel (to dry off &/or to shower at the end of the excursion)
- a swimsuit
- a long pair of socks (if you’re going to use their rubber boots) + extra socks for after you change
- a waterproof case for your phone
- money for tips + if you want to buy the pictures & video ($25 to $40)

Know Before You Book:

- Children under 11 years old, pregnant women, people with motor difficulties or heart problems are not accepted.
- Children 11-17 must be accompanied by a paying adult
- Maximum weight (for horseback riding): 350 pounds / 158 kg
- You dont need to know how to swim to be on this tour
- Hotel pickup is available from most Punta Cana or Santo Domingo hotels (not available for the Samana and Puerto Plata area)
- Typical Dominican lunch: Rice, beans, roasted pork chops, stewed goat or chicken, green salad, steamed vegetables, water and coffee.
- The cave is located approximately 3 hours from Punta Cana
- On weekends the minimum group size is 5.

About the cave:

- The Fun Fun Cave is a cavern system reaching more than 28 kilometers long, located on a karstic or limestone hill on the southeast of Hato Mayor.
- Its formation began more than 20 million years ago. Its limestone or calcareous type rocks, originated by the remains of marine coral shells and other organic lifeform, are composed of calcium carbonate and sodium. This composition allows water to dissolve them and form the cavern, in a continuous process that takes millions of years.
- The Almirante River travels through 7 kilometers of the cave and the rise of its waters has shaped the magical underground tunnels and corridors. Drops of rainwater break through the rock to form stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, daylight holes and columns, creating underground landscapes of singular beauty.
- The cavern is home to fish, shrimp, insects, bats and birds. Fish and shrimp lack pigmentation and eyesight due to lack of sunlight, and possess high sensitivity as a defense mechanism.
- Insects develop large antennae, tentacle-like, which serve as remote sensors to detect danger.
- Bats that predominate inside the Fun Fun Cave feed on fruits.
- Birds that inhabit the cavern are migratory and correspond to species of swallows that nest during the winter, building their nests in the vicinity of the entrance.

Reviews:

MUST DO!!!

An absolutely amazing expedition!! This is the quintessential must do activity when in the Dominican Republic.

Pros:
- Awesome staff! Everyone is fun, friendly, knowledgeable, organized, and made for the most incredible experience. And, seriously, all of them go above and beyond to make sure you have the best time. They even went out of their way to return my daughter's medicine bag that she left on the shuttle the day before. We can't say enough about these wonderful people.
- Unique experience. We loved every minute. Horseback riding through the forest and streams. Learning about the flora and fauna on the hike to the site. Rappelling 60 feet into the cave (super cool). And, the cave itself was AMAZING, including underground rivers and pools, trilobite fossils, bats, cave crabs, you name it.
- The food! The beans and rice are to die for and the dulce de coco dominicano is a must try!
- Air conditioned shuttle through the real Dominican Republic. It was great to get away from the resort.

Cons:
- None

rkmartinez1
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Amazing adventure

This experience was once in a life time. It is so incredibly! It is a little physicals demanding but it is so worth it! The guides we had were awesome. The cave is beyond words!! If you’re vacationing in punta Cana you owe it to yourself to get adventurous and enjoy this wonderful truly amazing adventure.

peelerjohn
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Best tour of our entire trip

Picked up on time. Others had canceled so it was just the two of us. The trip was 2 1/2 hours by bus roughly but it doesn't feel that long as there is lots to see along the way. The countryside was beautiful, full of life in the streets. The ranch is idyllic. Breakfast is fresh juice, coffee and ham and cheese on fresh bread sitting outside in a pavilion watching the colorful peacocks roam about. Food is simple yet good.

Horseback riding was great because you can actually gallop the horses unlike other tours who slow trot. The scenery is lovely. The cave is impressive. The hike there is not for the unfit. Lunch was traditional Dominican fair and very flavorful. Our two guides Carlos and Gary were relaxed and fun to be with. We had a great time.

NickySixx
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One of the best hikes my wife and I ever had.

We took a shuttle from Punta Cana here. The drive was taxing and long but it was well worth it. The horse back riding through the national park and the repelling down the cave and hiking/swimming/crawling through the cave was the best. The horses were fresh and content. The location and grounds were classic island back country. We loved it.

The tour guides were cool and knowledgeable about the caves and national park. They were a lot of fun! The breakfast of fresh bread and meat, with coffee and the after hike meal hit the spot. Traditional rice and beans. Plus coconut pudding was the best. I had seconds of course.

I would highly recommend this excursion to anyone who loves to be outdoors. I wish it was longer.

Hare S
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Excellente!!!!!

What an amazing experience. The entire tour was excellent. Our bus driver was very business like & professional in driving our groups through both the busy streets & country roads of the Dominican Republic. We arrived at the ranch to a breakfast sandwich fruit & drinks. Amazing coffee! We were kitted out in our "Bob the Builder" outfits - you should change into swimwear & bring long socks to wear under your jumpsuit & in your rubber boots. A 45 min horse ride with well trained trail horses - even those with little or no horse experience will do just fine.

The 45 minute hike in your boots can be challenging but the guides will give plenty of rest along the way. The rapelling was slightly challenging - keep right in the chute! Once inside the caves are amazing! Your guides know their way like the back of their hands & appear with a helping hand at every turn. Always your safety is their priority. Also the guys are super friendly & fluent in 5 languages. Impressive!! My favorite part was when we turned our lights off & one of the guides began to sing - what a beautiful voice!

We crawled, swam, briefly dove underwater & were eventually greated with a beautiful view of sunlight, birds & wilderness. A cool drink & ride back to the ranch with spectacular views of the Dominican forests and especially the peacocks which abound on the ranch. A delicious Dominican lunch & yummy dessert with more tasty coffee to end a spectacular day. Everyone promptly slept on the way home. Thanks to the guides & the ranch for an amazing day. Knocked one off my bucket list. Highly recommended experience.

478yolandas
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If you plan only one excursion, make this it! Worth every penny!

Attempted to book prior to leaving for the DR however ran out of time and dismissed the idea of going. Someone brought it up and after a couple of calls we were on our way. Transport was reliable, guides were amazing, several adventures in one day, and delicious food- what else could you ask for? Oh, a nice cold beer after all of that hard work? Yup, they have that too.

Communication through email was easy and the email gave detailed information to a t. Excellente!!! So worth doing. Take a Go Pro, long socks to wear under your boots, and plan on getting dirty and wet!

eatpraypaddle
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Super Awesome Fun Time

This was our most fun and memorable excursion in the Dominican Republic. We were well aware of the drive time from our Punta Cana hotel but it was a comfortable, interesting journey. Our guides, Carlos, Gary & Hendrix made the adventure very entertaining- they spoke English & Spanish on our tour so communicating was easy.

The horseback riding was incredible, repelling was not as scary as I feared and the natural cave was amazing. Hiking to the cave was a little strenuous but manageable. The swimming was great and the guides provided another path if you didn't want to get in the water. Lunch was delicious- probably the best meal we ate the whole trip. It was home cooked, authentic DR cuisine. If you're on the fence about this excursion, do yourself a favor and go for it. It is a super awesome fun time.

rufuswho
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