Cueva Musulmanes (Muslims Cave)
Address: Punta Hicacos, Varadero, Matanzas, Cuba
Phone: (53 45) 66 8018 (Reserva Ecologica Varahicacos)
Opening hours: From 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, Daily
Located within the Reserva Ecologica Varahicacos (Varahicacos Ecological Preserve), the Cueva de Musulmanes is a small cave where a skeleton and other fossils were found, it’s also famous for its ceremonial relevance in the Siboney Indians culture. Research shows that the skeleton belonged to a man between 25 and 35 years of age, and is dated between 500 BC to early 500 AD. The speleologists also found the remains of a mealunus-rodes, a prehistoric mammal considered to be the ancestor of the Cuban hutia (a rabbit-size rodent endemic to Cuba).
In the mid-nineteenth century, the cave has been used as a hideout by Cuban smugglers who called themselves “Musulmanes”, because of its elevated position to watch both coasts of the peninsula.
The visit of Cueva Musulmanes is part of a marked trail where you can also admire the flora and fauna of the region.
Admission: 5 USD
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Lily & Normand
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