Costa Rica's riches don't stop at ground level; sometimes people have to head underground to find them. Two extensive cave systems exist in the country, including one that has been given National Park status. The Venado caves near La Fortuna in the Northern Plains region gives those with no fear of enclosed spaces that chance to don hard hats and rubber boots and get wet and dirty while exploring the four chambers within the cave system. The cavern floor contains marine fossils, indicating its formation millions of years ago by ocean waters.
 Barra Honda National Park in Guanacaste Province contains a lengthy cave system, only of which 19 have been explored. The Barra Honda Peak is made up of reef-type limestone that, combined with mineral rich rainwater, has over thousands of years created underground waterways containing chambered caves with vaulted ceilings. Adventurous visitors hike about an hour through tropical dry forest before being fit with a rappelling harness for the 25-meter descent into the main chamber.
The harness is only a security line for the free hanging aluminum ladder. Once inside the adventure continues into smaller chambers. The stalactite and stalagmite formations are well preserved, and in some cases meet to form columns, curtains and other strikingly beautiful formations. One noteworthy formation is called the "Organ", due to the clear musical notes that emanate from it when tapped lightly. Both Venado Caves and the Barra Honda Caves are accessible only with qualified guides.
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Activities and Sports 
