Cueva del Guácharo National Park

The Guácharo Cave National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cueva del Guácharo) is located 12 km (7.5 mi) from the town of Caripe, Monagas, Venezuela. It has as its centerpiece a large limestone cave.

This article is about the Venezuelan cave and national park. For the Colombian Natural park, see Cueva de los Guácharos.
Cueva del Guácharo National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Cave mouth
Location of Cueva del Guácharo National Park
LocationMonagas, Venezuela
Nearest cityCaripe
Coordinates10.19989°N 63.63968°W / 10.19989; -63.63968
Area627 km²
EstablishedMay 27, 1975 (1975-May-27)
Governing bodyINPARQUES

The cave was visited in 1799 by Alexander von Humboldt, who realised that the thousands of oilbirds (guácharos in Spanish; scientific name Steatornis caripensis) which live in the cave belonged to a species unknown to science. Humboldt named the frugivorous, nocturnal species after the town of Caripe.

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