most brazilian caves are found in the atlantic forest, in the savanna or in country's transitional areas between the forest's moist vegetation and the savannah's drier, flatter topography.

these areas can be found in the brazilian states of bahia, mato grosso, minas gerais, pernambuco and são paulo - the state of rio de janeiro is also home to several caves.

one of the first records on caves in brazil was done by danish naturalist peter wilhelm lund, who arrived in the country in the 1820s.       

in the following decades, he visited at least 200 caves in the region of minas gerais and rio, and recorded over a hundred species, most of them extinct, such as the saber tooth tiger.

the gruta da surucucu, or bushmaster cave, is one example of a typical rio de janeiro cave.

located in the tijuca forest, next to gruta paulo e virgínia, it is usually one of the last caverns visited along the tijuca cave trail - it is also a common spot for hikers and spelunkers to rest and picnic.      

the tijuca national park (parque da tijuca) has two of the most famous hiking routes in rio de janeiro.

the longer of the two, called circular outer archer trail (trilha circular externa major archer), is about 35 kilometers long versus the shortest of the two, called castro maya trail (trilha circular interna castro maya) that is about 15 km long.

the castro maya inner circular trail  is the most popular of the two, being slighter easier due to lower altitudes, and being designed to reach a variety of interesting sites, including several caves.      

gruta da surucucu is located off of the major archer trail. it is easy to access and even though it is not as majestic as paulo e virgínia or gruta dos morcegos, visiting this cave is a good last stop to finish off a day of exploring.

when spelunking, it is important to wear appropriate clothing and take the right equipment - if inexperienced, hikers and climbers can rent equipment from specialized caving agencies and should hire guides to take them through the caves.

with the increase interest in rio de janeiro's caves and geotourism, some companies are begging to offer guided tours of these very special areas.       

the instituto terra brasil in cooperation with the parque national da tijuca is promoting free, guided tours, every sunday with departure from the park at 9 am.

interested hikers can meet the guides ate the centro dos visitantes, located at estrada da cascatinha, 850, alto da boa vista.

crux ecoaventuras offers guided tours in several of the caves of the tijuca forest, and can be contacted via this page, via email on this link, or via phone by calling 21 3322.8765 / 3474.1726.      

trilhas rj specializes in hiking and spelunking tours, and can be contacted via this online form, or by calling (21) 3437-1056

cs tur  is one of the companies in rio de janeiro specializing in eco-tourism in rio's caves, publishing more information on the circuito das grutas (complexo espeleológico do archer) and contact forms on this page.

published by projeto caminhos geológicos, on this page is a map of the most important geological locations in the state of rio de janeiro (mapa de localização dos pontos de interesse geológico do estado do rio de janeiro).        

published by the instituto terra brasil, an institute dedicated to the preservation of the environment, ecotourism, and education, publishes on this link a map of the caves in the tijuca forest.

also published by the instituto terra brasil, this page lists a variety of maps for the trails in the parque da tijuca, including caves and waterfalls, divided by sectors.  

published by the instituto municipal de urbanismo pereira passos, with the prefecture of the city of rio de janeiro, only downloadable in a zip file, this excellent map shows the foresta da tijuca in great details - including trails, rivers, points of interest, waterfalls, mirantes, and dangerous areas to avoid.      

published by the instituto municipal de urbanismo pereira passos, with the prefecture of the city of rio de janeiro, this map shows the maciço da tijuca.

while caves are fascinating environments, they still remain some of the most dangerous spaces where to venture, in rio de janeiro like anywhere else - narrow passages, wet and slippery slopes, darkness, lose rocks, protruding ceilings are just some of the obstacles faced while caving.

in addition to general safety rules, we highly recommend bringing a flashlight, a helmet, and water on all spelunking outings.      

we strongly encourage all hikers to enjoy rio's mountain trails, caves, and caverns accompanied by an experienced and certified speleologist guide. 

further to the extra safety hiking and speleologist guides can provide, professional guides are fluent in portuguese and would be indispensable in case of an emergency to communicate with rescue crews.

following, we list some tour operatorsthat specialize in taking visitors in the area.       

these contacts are provided as courtesy only, and visitors who intend to use these services should check for safety records and certifications of individual guides.

important: speleology, spelunking, cave exploration, climbing, hiking, or any other similar activity is subject to risks of serious accidents, including death - people who do not possess proper hiking or climbing techniques, experience, and/or are not in excellent physical shape must hire or consult an expert trainer or guide for safety.      

information on this website is provided as general in nature, it may be inaccurate and/or incomplete, and we are not responsible or offer any guarantees regarding any of the website's content, indications, or the safety records or knowledge of the speleology/hiking/climbing guides listed here. 

in addition to hiring an experienced and certified hiking guide, we encourage all to read our hiking and climbing safety and tips page on this link.