Comedero Arriba: Cave Art and Archaeological Motifs

For a trip to Comedero Arriba, the cave art of the Guacaras de Comedero offers a clearly defined theme to help you plan. Caves n°1, n°3, and n°4 feature different forms of representation, from engraved petroglyphs to pictographs and animal figures. Just a few meters from n°1 is Abrigo de Vinicio, with additional engravings. When deciding where to visit, it is worth distinguishing the sites by their motifs rather than treating them as one cave-art theme.

Petroglyphs and an excavated burial

Guacara de Comedero n°1 contains about 23 petroglyphs. Petroglyphs are engraved rock depictions. A few meters away is Abrigo de Vinicio, where about 24 more petroglyphs are engraved lengthwise in distinctive stalagmite deposits. Most depict faces that have been heavily altered by natural limestone erosion. The approximate numbers refer to different sites and should not be combined into a single total. A pre-Hispanic burial was also excavated in Guacara de Comedero n°1. The burial is a separate archaeological point of interest alongside the petroglyphs, not another image motif.

Image motif and route in Guacara de Comedero n°3

In Guacara de Comedero n°3, a pictograph depicts a nearly one-meter-tall bird holding a turtle in its beak. The motif shows not only two animals but also the relationship depicted between them. To reach the paintings, you must travel about 100 meters through narrow passages in the river and climb steep elevation changes. Both the image subject and the route described are relevant to planning your trip. During the rainy season, an underground river makes entering the Guacara nearly impossible; access to the pictograph chamber is then completely impossible. If you are considering a visit, check access in advance.

Animal and human figures in Guacara de Comedero n°4

The paintings in Guacara de Comedero n°4 depict a large heron figure, the head and part of the body of a mute dog, turtles, and various birds. There is also a group of dancing human figures. Another painting shows long-necked birds perched on a branch. Unlike the single bird-and-turtle motif described in n°3, n°4 brings together various animal depictions and a human group. This distinguishes the subject matter of the two caves without reducing them to a shared motif.

A cultural theme for your trip

For an initial comparison, you can consider two questions separately: Are you more interested in engravings or paintings? And which motifs would you like to explore more closely? Petroglyphs are the focus at n°1 and Abrigo de Vinicio, while n°3 and n°4 are characterized by paintings. The motifs range from faces and animal depictions to dancing people. This makes it easier to choose a cultural focus for a trip to Comedero Arriba, rather than grouping all the caves under a general idea of cave art.

Discover more destinations: Quitasueño, Villa La Mata.

Go to the main travel overview: Sanchez Ramirez.