| Cave of Swallows | |
|---|---|
| Sótano de las Golondrinas | |
 A flock of conures in the Cave of Swallows | |
| Location | Aquismón, San Luis Potosí, Mexico |
| Length | VR = 515 m Entrance pit:
|
| Discovery | 27 December 1966[1] |
| Hazards | Free fall |
| Access | No restrictions to view entrance; permit required to descend |
The Cave of Swallows, also called the Cave of the Swallows (Spanish: Sótano de las Golondrinas), is an open-air pit cave in the municipality of Aquismón, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The elliptical mouth, on a slope of karst, is 49 by 62 m (161 by 203 ft) wide[2] and is undercut around all of its perimeter, widening to a room approximately 303 by 135 m (994 by 443 ft) wide.[2] The floor of the cave is a 333 m (1,093 ft) freefall drop from the lowest side of the opening, with a 370 m (1,210 ft) drop from the highest side,[2] making it the largest known cave shaft in the world, the second deepest pit in Mexico and perhaps the 11th deepest sheer drop in the world.[3][a]
- ^ Date of first documented exploration, the cave has been known locally for at least many centuries
- ^ a b c Russell, William H.; Terry W. Raines (1967). Caves of the Inter-American Highway. Association of Mexican Cave Studies.
- ^ Hunker, Louisa. "Pits in Potosi". The Leader. National Outdoor Leadership School. Archived from the original on 31 August 2006. Retrieved 12 April 2007.
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