ABW Dec 2023-1

Entrance to the underground river
Puerto Princesa Underground River
When in Puerto Princesa a must do is, Get to see the
amazing Puerto Princesa Underground River and experience
the beauty of nature in Palawan. The best way to see it is
to book a guide trip which can be done from your hotel. An
8-hour guided trip will take you to the longest navigable
underground river in the world.
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a
protected area of the Philippines located about 80 kilometers
north of the city center of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The
river is also called the Puerto Princesa Underground River.
The national park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain
Range on the western coast of the island. It is bordered by
St. Paul Bay to the north and the Babuyan River to the east.
The City Government of Puerto Princesa has managed the
National Park since 1992. The entrance to the subterranean
river is a short hike or boat ride from the town Sabang.
In 2010, a group of environmentalists and geologists
discovered that the underground river has a second floor,
which means that there are small waterfalls inside the cave.
They also found a cave dome measuring 300 meters above
the underground river, rock formations, large bats, a deep
water hole in the river, more river channels, and another
deep cave, as well as marine creatures and more. Deeper
areas of the underground river are almost impossible to
explore due to oxygen deprivation.
On November 11, 2011, Puerto Princesa Underground River
was provisionally chosen as one of the New 7 Wonders of
Nature. This selection was officially confirmed on January
28, 2012.
The park has a limestone karst mountain landscape. St. Pauls
Underground River Cave is more than 24 km (15 mi) long
and contains an 8.2 km (5.1 mi) long underground section
of the Cabayugan River. The river winds through the cave
before flowing directly into the West Philippine Sea and is
navigable by boat up to 4.3 km in from the sea. The cave
includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites,
and several large chambers, including the 360-meter-long
Italian’s Chamber with approximate 2.5 million square
meters volume. It is one of the largest cave rooms in the
world. The lower portion of the river up to 6 km from the
sea is subject to tidal influences. Until the 2007 discovery
of an underground river in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, the
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River was reputed to be the
world’s longest underground river.
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