The Bat Cave Of Santiago

Article and photos by David Kier

Baja California is constantly providing the traveler with fascinating sites to visit. A lifetime is not nearly enough to see all the wonders of this great peninsula. While touring the Cape Region with friends from La Paz, we were shown a cave that is home to bats. Located along the wide riverbed just north of Santiago, this site is easy to get to and worth the time if viewing bats in their home interests you.

To find the bat cave, turn off Highway One onto the paved side road for La Ribera and Cabo Pulmo. Almost immediately, turn off the La Ribera road onto a dirt road going into the wide arroyo, and drive under the Highway One bridge that crosses the arroyo. It is about ½ mile to the cave, over on the left side of the arroyo. GPS at the cave is N23º31.80', W109º40.65' (WGS 84). The village nearby is called Las Cuevas, for obvious reasons.

We parked by the giant cave entrance and walked in. Some bee hives are high above on the ceiling, by the opening. Keep going in, flashlights would be good to have! The bats may start flying out over your head, while most will remain in their rest position hanging from the high cave ceiling.

About a half hour was spent at the cave and it was quite an experience to be so close to these flying mammals. Next time you are between Los Barriles and Santiago, and the riverbed is dry, see the bat cave for yourself.