General

The huge pit cave situated in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, called Sótano de las Golondrinas or Cave of the Swallows attracts many tourists to the area, every year. The cave is deep enough to make BASE jumping from its mouth possible. A 12-second fall from the top to the bottom of this pit that measures approximately 995 by 440 feet (303 by 134 m) is a dream experience for any extreme sporting enthusiasts. The low point of the entrance provides a 1094 feet (333 m) free fall drop to the bottom of the cave while the high point provides a 1220 feet (372 m) free fall drop. These measures make it the largest cave shaft in the world, second deepest pit in Mexico and the 11Th deepest in the world.

Although around the mouth of the cave, vegetation grows abundantly, temperatures inside the cave can become cold. When it rains, the cave's mouth becomes like a waterfall as rivers cascade into the cave.

The cave's Spanish name means Basement of the Swallows because of the large number of White-collared Swifts and Green Parakeets living in holes in the cave's walls. The birds fly in circles around the cave each morning, gradually flying towards the sky. In the evenings the birds come back to the cave, and once they've reached the edge of the cavern, they pull in their wings and free-fall into the cave.