10 beautiful caves around the world
Caves are some of the most fascinating natural wonders around. Taking thousands and sometimes even millions of years to form, these otherworldly wonders are sure to leave you awe-inspired.
The best way to explore a cave is with a guide. They will have equipment to light your way and can help you avoid getting lost.
1. Cavern of the Crystals
Deep below the Naica mine in Mexico, mining company Industrias Penoles stumbled upon an incredible find: An 80 meter hallway filled with giant gypsum crystals. They were as tall as telephone poles, and some were nearly two meters long.
The crystals were able to grow so large because they were submerged in mineral-rich water that had a narrow temperature range. Scientists are trying to figure out how they thrived in these seemingly impossible conditions.
The caves are currently closed to tourists, but visitors with government or scientific connections have been known to gain access. The conditions are so inhospitable that researchers must wear special cooling suits to spend any time underground.
2. Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto is a mesmerizing natural phenomenon on the island of Capri. This enchanting azure cave was once the personal swimming pool of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who lived from 14 to 37 AD.
The grotto’s luminous blue color is due to the way sunlight enters the cave. Light blasts through a submerged opening directly underneath the cave’s entrance, lighting up its waters with a beaming blue glow.
Visitors enter the grotto aboard small rowboats. It’s a popular activity during your trip to Capri, so expect a commotion of boats waiting to enter.
3. Cave of the Glowworms
Glowworm caves are a stunning natural phenomenon that have become a big draw for tourists to New Zealand. However, these caves are more than just a pretty sight.
The glowworms at the Waitomo caves are actually not worms at all, but the larvae of a species called fungus gnat. In their larval stage, they resemble mosquitoes and emit a soft light to lure their prey.
The caves were first explored in the late 19th century by a Maori chief named Tane Tinorau and an English surveyor.
4. Tham Lod Cave
Tham Lod Cave is a spectacular rock shelter in northwest Thailand that has been the focus of archaeological investigations in recent decades. The discovery of pre-historic art and human remains in the cave has shed light on the early life of the first humans to inhabit Thailand.
It is possible to visit the cave on walking tours from the small town of Pai but the best way to see it is by taking a guided tour with a lantern and bamboo raft. The stalactites and stalagmites of this cave are amazing and some even look like animals!
5. Kyaut Se Cave
Located close to the traditional Kayin village of Kyaukse, this special cave is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site. It features beautiful Buddha statues and images as well as old Mon inscriptions.
The cave is also home to a scenic pagoda. Visiting this place is an excellent way to spend your time in Hpa-an, especially if you like exploring historical relics and natural attractions simultaneously.
The cave was used as a shelter for local monks during the thirteenth century. It is now fitted as a stunning Buddhist temple.
6. Waitomo Glowworm Caves
The Waitomo Glowworm Caves are a world-famous natural attraction around the small town of Waitomo in New Zealand. The limestone caves are home to glowworms and the endemic insect called the cave weta.
These tiny worms create pretty blue light using bioluminescence, which is created by chemicals in their tail that react with oxygen. They use their glowing tails to attract prey to sticky lines they suspend from the ceiling.
These caves were first explored by English Surveyor Fred Mace and local Maori Chief Tane Tinorau using candles and a rough-made raft in 1887. They were awed by what they found, opening the cave for tours in 1889.
7. Cave of the Swifts
Before there were pyramids and Stonehenge, Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat, there was the Lascaux Cave, covered with bison, mammoths and horses in visceral blacks, purples and reds. It remains a mystery why Prehistoric Homo Sapiens took the time to paint these strange images, however.
Take a guided tour of the Waitomo caves and you’ll see what makes them so famous. Thousands of glowworms illuminate the caves’ ceiling, creating a magical starry night experience you won’t forget. It’s also home to one of the world’s most unique musical instruments.
8. Cavern of the Dolls
When exploring the Battifratta Cave, archaeologists discovered a rare clay female figurine. Dating back to 7,000 years ago, the doll suggests that this site was associated with agriculture and human fertility.
Moqui Cave has a one-of-a-kind museum feel thanks to its eccentric former owner, Garth Chamberlain, who created a stage for socials and dances as well as a tavern with a still-standing bar. Today, it's a fun stop for spelunkers and those interested in Southern Utah history. There's even a dinosaur exhibit.
9. Cave of the Carvings
Located underneath the streets of the generic gray town of Royston, England, the Cave of the Carvings has stunned experts. Here, prehistoric people etched incredible characters from several religions.
These paintings and etchings in white calcite were made before the invention of fire. They show how the artists of the Ice Age were able to depict creatures they saw in their everyday lives and predate the famous Lascaux cave paintings by tens of thousands of years.
It's not clear what the outlines of hands and other designs meant for those who made them. But they're a remarkable window into human cultural evolution.
10. Cave of the Caves
Cave pearls, helictites, cave popcorn, dogtooth spar, rimstone dams and canopies are just some of the dazzling speleothems you'll see during a tour of this cavern. These delicately folding cave formations take tens of thousands of years to grow.
The X-Cave features vertical joint passages that meander through limestone, allowing visitors to get up close to stunning cave formations. Be prepared for a moderately strenuous adventure that involves hand, knee and belly crawls as well as prolonged stooping and bending on slick ground. Tours are available Memorial Day-Labor Day.
