Cueva del Guácharo National Park
| Cueva del Guácharo National Park | |
|---|---|
Cave mouth | |
| Location | Monagas, Venezuela |
| Nearest city | Caripe |
| Coordinates | 10°12′00″N 63°38′23″W / 10.19989°N 63.63968°W |
| Area | 627 km² |
| Established | May 27, 1975 |
| Governing body | INPARQUES |
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The Guácharo Cave National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cueva del Guácharo) is located 12 km (7.5 mi) from the town of Caripe, Monagas, Venezuela. It has as its centerpiece a large limestone cave.
The cave was visited in 1799 by Alexander von Humboldt, who realised that the thousands of oilbirds (guácharos in Spanish; scientific name Steatornis caripensis) which live in the cave belonged to a species unknown to science. Humboldt named the frugivorous, nocturnal species after the town of Caripe.