2. Candelaria Caves, Guatemala
Caves are a popular place for entering hell, apparently. It makes sense, since caves generally penetrate deep into the earth, their bowels coming closer than anything else to what many cultures presumed was the underworld. Earlier on, we talked about the mythical Mayan underworld Xibalba, which was ruled by death gods. Caves in general were believed to be entry points by the Mayans to hell.
The Candelaria Caves in Guatemala are an 18-mile stretch of caverns and tunnels, complete with underground rivers, stalactites and stalagmites, and the same Mayan history of underworlds attached to it as the Mayan Cenotes in Mexico. Back in ancient times, the Great Western Trade Route of the Classic Maya went through the Candelaria Caves area, and the Popol Vuh of the K’iche people considered these caves the direct path to hell. Other notable caves thought to be doorways to hell by the Mayans include: Grutas de Languin, Naj Tunich, Semuc Champney, Actun Tunichil Muktan, all of which are in Mexico and Central America.
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