You don’t have to be a spelunker to enjoy caves and caverns. Cave systems around the world are fascinating tourist attractions. We can be awed by their size or their amazing geological formations and features. Come with me on a tour of some of the world’s amazing caves and caverns.
1. Emerald Cave, Black Canyon, Arizona
Via The 9 Most Stunning Cave ...
Emerald Cave is one of the most popular caves on the Colorado River.
2. Khao Luang Caves, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Via The 9 Most Stunning Cave ...
A complex of three caves housing numerous Buddha images and pagodas.
3. Gyokusendo Cave, Okinawa, Japan
Via The 9 Most Stunning Cave ...
A cave of gorgeous mystical pools. The second longest cave system in Japan.
4. Alabaster Caverns State Park, Oklahoma, USA
Via Alabaster Caverns State Park
Home to the largest gypsum cave in the world.
5. Mendenhall Ice Caves, Juneau, Alaska, USA
Via The 9 Most Stunning Cave ...
The ice caves are inside the Mendenhall Glacier, part of the Juneau Ice Field.
6. Crystal Cave, Svínafellsjökull, Iceland
Via The 9 Most Stunning Cave ...
Another wonderful example of a glacial cave.
7. The Son Doong Cave, Vietnam
Via Into the depths of the ...
The biggest cave in the world - it is over 5.5 miles long and tall enough to fit a 40 storey skyscraper. It also has some amazing nature, such as tropical jungle.
8. Merlin's Cave, Tintagel, UK
Via Merlin's Cave
The cave sits underneath the ruins of Tintagel Castle. Alfred Lord Tennyson made Merlin's Cave famous in his poem "Idylls of the King," describing waves bringing the infant King Arthur to the shore and Merlin carrying him to safety.
9. Fingal's Cave, Staffa, UK
Via Fingal's Cave by Sergey Simanovsky
Another British cave that has inspired artists. Known as the melodious cave because of the "music" created by the acoustics, it inspired Mendelssohn to compose The Hebrides overture. It has also been visited and used by Jules Verne, Wordsworth, Tennyson and JMW Turner.
10. Cenote, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Via Cenote Choo-Ha, Quintana Roo, Mexico ...
The word “Cenote” is pronounced "say-no-tay" and is derived from the Mayan word “Dzonot,” which means sacred well.
11. Luray Caverns, Virginia, USA
Via Luray Caverns
Home to the Great Stalacpipe Organ, the world’s largest musical instrument. This most unique, one-of-a-kind instrument uses stalactites covering 3 1/2 acres of the surrounding caverns to produce tones of symphonic quality when electronically tapped by rubber-tipped mallets.
12. Crystal Cave, Bermuda
Via Crystal Caves
The cave was discovered in 1905 by Carl Gibbons and Edgar Hollis, two 12 year-old boys searching for a lost cricket ball.
13. Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA
Via Mammoth Cave National Park
Aptly named as it is the longest cave system in the world.
14. Marble Caves, Chile
Via Marble Caves, Patagonia, Chile | ...
These stunning caves sit in the middle of General Carrera Lake/Lake Buenos Aires in Chile/Argentina.
15. Reed Flute Cave, Guilin, China
Via China's amazing rainbow cave: Multi-coloured ...
The cave is 180 million years old. It has been a tourist attraction since ancient times, as testified by ink writings that date back to the 8th century.
16. Ellison's Cave, Georgia, USA
Via Extreme Caves Pictures - National ...
Part of Pigeon Mountain, the cave is 1063 feet high.
17. Cave of the Crystals, Naica, Mexico
Via Cave of the Crystals
The selenite crystals are among the biggest ever found.
18. Devetashka Cave, Devetaki, Bulgaria
Via It's a beautiful world
The huge karst cave is home to 30,000 bats.
19. The Cave, Lagoa, Portugal
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Some caves are such a part of the natural landscape they don't get named.
20. Krubera Cave, Abkhazia
Via Krubera Cave Article, Cave Exploration ...
At 5,610 feet, Krubera is the deepest cave on Earth.
21. Sea Caves, Taiwan
Via The 9 Most Stunning Cave ...
Sea caves always reflect such amazing colors.
22. The Blue Grotto, Capri, Italy
Via Travelust.org
Sunlight, passing through an underwater cavity and shining through the seawater, creates a blue reflection that illuminates the cavern. The cave extends some 50 meters into the cliff at the surface, and is about 150 meters deep, with a sandy bottom
23. Melissani Cave, Kefalonia Greece
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In Greek Mythology, Melissani was the cave of the nymphs. The cave features a lake that is surrounded with trees and forests.
24. Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia
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Sea caves are a big feature of the Bruny Island coastline.
25. Poço Encantado, CHAPADA Diamantina, Brazil
Via Explore Traveler | Travel and ...
The flooded cave's name (enchanted pool) owes itself to the magical visual effect created by the direct incidence of the sun's rays on the crystal clear water
26. Mermaid's Cave, Antrim, Ireland
Via United Kingdom
The cave sits below Dunluce Castle. This grotto suggests that Dunluce was a model for Cair Paravel in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
27. SAWA-i-Lau Caves, Fiji
Via 10 Exciting Facts About Fiji
Sawa-i-Lau is unusual as it is the only non-volcanic island of Fiji. The caverns and grottoes have carvings, paintings and inscriptions.
28. Blue Caves, Zakynthos, Greece
Via Amazing Online Magazine
As if the island isn't beautiful enough anyway.
29. Glowworm Caves, Waitomo, New Zealand
Via The 9 Most Stunning Cave ...
Enjoy the world famous boat ride under thousands of magical glowworms and become a part of over 120 years of cultural and natural history.
30. Cave of the Winds, Colorado, USA
Via Manitou Springs, Colorado: cliff dwellings, ...
The speleothems (rock formations) in the Cave of the Winds are very delicate.
31. Zlot Caves, Serbia
Via The 9 Most Stunning Cave ...
Absolutely gorgeous. The "rooms" of the two caves are romantically named and include the Gothic Cathedral Hall and The Temple of Venus.
32. Grotte Di Frasassi, Marche, Italy
Via Grotte di Frasassi (Marche, Italy): ...
The caves are well known for their incredible collection of stalactites and stalagmites.
33. Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, Australia
Via Pool of Reflections
The waters are known as the Pools of Reflection.
34. Actun Tunichil MUKNAL SAN Ignacio, Belize
Via The Crystal Maiden of the ...
ATM is a notable Mayan archaeological site that includes skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware. There are several areas of skeletal remains with the best-known being "The Crystal Maiden," the skeleton of a teenage girl, possibly a sacrifice victim, whose bones have been calcified to a sparkling, crystallized appearance.
35. Miner's Castle Cave, Munising, USA
Via All sizes | Miners Castle ...
Found on Michigan's National Lakeshore.
36. Blue Ice Cave, Antarctica
Via History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, ...
Only 99.9% of us will ever see sights like this in a photograph.
37. Batu Caves, SELANGOR, Malaysia
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The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside of India. It is the focal point of Malaysia's Hindu festival of Thaipusam.
38. WAIAHUAKUA , Hawaii, USA
Via Fabulous Traveling
Waterfall in a cave - Mother Nature's double whammy.
39. Trollkirka, Molde, Norway
Via travel.nationalgeographic.com
The name translates to Troll Church - but that's no ordinary church.
40. Ice Cave, Vatnajökull Ice Cap, Iceland
Via Ice cave exploring, Vatnajökull Ice ...
Vatnajökull is the largest ice cap in Europe, around 3,100 Km³.
41. Church Bay Cave, Bermuda
Via Church Bay Cave
Simply beautiful.
42. Škocjan Caves, Trieste, Slovenia
Via Škocjan Caves, Slovenia
You'll have to channel your inner Indiana Jones to cross that bridge.
43. Piusa Sand Caves, Estonia
Via Piusa Sand Caves
The caves are man-made - created by mining for glass sand. No miners now but a colony of bats has moved in.
44. Tham Lum Khao Ngu, Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Via Amazing photographs of huge cave ...
Snake Mountain cave houses the world's tallest cave column - a monolith that stands a staggering 62 meters.
45. Lascaux Caves, MONTIGNAC, France
Via The 9 Most Stunning Cave ...
Lascaux is the home of amazing Paleolithic cave paintings.
46. Cango Caves, Western Cape, South Africa
Via BelAfrique - South Africa
One of the popular attractions of South Africa, the caves extend for 4 kilometers.
47. Deer Cave, Miri, Malyasia
Via You travel all around the ...
This cave received its name from the deer that came to lick its salt-bearing rocks and used it as their shelter.
48. Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the Philippines
Via Palawan Philippines
One of the recently announced new Wonders of the World.
49. Majlis Al Jinn Cave, Oman
Via My travel bucket list
The 9th largest cavern in the world.
50. Cave of the Ghost, CANAIMA National Park, Venezuela
Via Amazing ✈ World
Geologists are undecided if this is a cave or a collapsed gorge.
Have you ever visited any of these caves? What about others that have left an impression on you?
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are some of the most beautiful caves in the world?
- Oh, there are so many stunning caves out there! Some of the most beautiful ones include the Waitomo Glowworm Caves in New Zealand, the Blue Grotto in Italy, and Reed Flute Cave in China. Each is unique and breathtaking in its own way.
- Can you name some of the famous caves around the world?
- Sure! A few famous caves are the Carlsbad Caverns in the USA, the Cave of Swallows in Mexico, and the Jeita Grotto in Lebanon. These spots are well-known for their stunning natural formations and are definitely worth a visit.
- What makes these caves and caverns so amazing?
- Well, it's a mix of things. Some caves have incredible stalactites and stalagmites, others are filled with crystal-clear water, and some even glow with bioluminescent creatures! The sheer variety and beauty of natural formations inside these caves make them truly mesmerizing.
- Which caves are the coolest to visit with kids?
- Kids would love the Luray Caverns in Virginia, USA, with its fantastical formations and the musical stalactites! The Crystal Caves in Iceland are also a hit, thanks to their stunning blue ice walls. Both are great for little adventurers.
- Are there any hidden gem caves that aren't very famous but are still amazing?
- Absolutely! One hidden gem is the Marble Caves in Chile, with their mesmerizing swirling patterns. Another lesser-known but stunning spot is the Fingal's Cave in Scotland, with its unique basalt columns. These places might not be on everyone's radar, but they're incredible.