Jamaica has some pretty spectacular cave-systems, thanks to its limestone geology, but the Green Grotto Caves are one of the most unusual – and also one of the most accessible. This series of green-tinged caverns has been formed by the gentle interplay between freshwater underground streams and the corrosive seawaters, from the coast just to the north. Most of the pools and lakes found here are, in fact, salt-water.
The name of the caves comes from the fact that the walls are often covered with soft green algae. The algae can thrive here because many parts of the cave are open to the sky above, through cracks and sink-holes, letting in a little light. The Green Grotto Caves are also home to some amazing living creatures – cave-fish flitting in the waters, and bats drooping from the roofs. Species like the Moustache Bat, the Big-Eared Bat, and the Jamaican Fruit-Eating Bat are common here.
Where there are bats, there's guano (bat droppings), and that nitrogen-rich matter was once mined by local pirates, who apparently used it to make gunpowder! These caves were inhabited for a long time, originally by the indigenous people, the Taíno, and in later years, the smugglers took over. They used the caves for hiding people like runaway slaves or Spanish fugitives in the Anglo-Spanish war, as well as for gun-running during the twentieth-century Cuban revolution.
Now the Green Grotto Caves are open to the public, and carefully managed to preserve the unique ecosystem. These were the first caves to receive an eco-friendly Green Globe award in 2003. The cave that the public most want to see is the Grotto itself – a deep-water cave that is 36 metres below the surface. Connected to the sea, it is famous for rising and falling with the tides – and for being a film star. It was here that James Bond villain Dr Kananga had his lair, in Live and Let Die.
Green Grotto Caves are just off the main coastal road on the north coast of Jamaica. There is limited parking available, so the best way to get here is by taxi or bus, or as part of a tour.
