The most beautiful caves in the world. Amazing caves of the world

The cave of crystals was discovered in 2000 by the Sanchez brothers, miners who were digging a new tunnel in the mine complex. It is located 300 meters below the city of Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. The cave is unique for the presence of giant selenite crystals. The largest crystal found is 11 m long and 4 m wide, weighing 55 tons. These are some of the largest known crystals. The cave is very hot, temperatures reach 58 °C with a humidity of 90-100%. These factors make it very difficult for people to explore the cave, making it necessary to use special equipment. Even with equipment, the stay in the cave usually does not exceed 20 minutes.

Waitomo Glowworm Cave, New Zealand:

Waitomo Caves are truly a masterpiece of nature, on which she has worked for many millions of years. For many centuries, the ocean ruled here, creating bizarre limestone growths and mysterious intricacies of passages. And then the water receded, forming a system of about 150 caves. The most famous of them is Glowworm Cave. It is inhabited by amazing creatures - Arachnocampa Luminosa. These are fireflies that can only be found in New Zealand. Their green-blue glow makes the cave roof look like a starry sky on a frosty night.

Blue Grotto (Grotto Azzurra), Italy:

This is a beautiful cave, accessible only from the sea. The name "Blue Grotto" comes from the bright blue color of its waters. The entrance to the cave is very small and lets in a small amount of light, which gives the water its bright color.

Vatnajokull Glacier Cave, Iceland:

Sunlight, scattering across the surface of the Svínafellsjökull glacier, paints amazing pictures on the arches of the ice cave, creating the illusion of being in the depths of the sea. The depth of the underground passage does not exceed 50 meters, and the width of the cave is only 10 meters. During the winter months, crackling sounds can be heard inside due to the movement of the glacier.

Such pure azure and blue shades are the result of the absence of air bubbles in the ice. You can see colored ice under certain weather conditions; one of them is the absence or minimal amount of snow on the surface. The rich sky blue ice is best seen in January and February; It is during this period that shades of azure, framed by snow cover, look fantastic.

You can get into the cave only in the winter months: narrow ice passages are accessible to tourists only with the onset of frost. At other times, being here can be dangerous; melting ice vaults often collapse under the snow mass.

Phraya Nakhon, Thailand

It's not actually a cave, but a huge valley that is 65 meters deep and 50 meters wide, with overhanging walls covered with plants and stalactites. At certain times of the day, light enters, illuminating the small temple

Marble Caves of Patagonia, Chile:

Despite their name, they are made of ordinary limestone, but there is an opinion that in the depths of the caves there are pure deposits of marble. The walls of the Chilean landmark are a surprisingly beautiful bright blue color, and the blue water of the lake doubles the impression of what you see. It is also worth mentioning that the caves consist of many labyrinths and tunnels, the creation of which was worked hard by the coastal waves.

Glacier caves in the area of ​​Mutnovsky volcano, Russia:

A small and very beautiful snow cave on the slope of the Mutnovsky volcano.

Dongzhong Cave, China:

Dongzhong Cave (whose name simply translates as “cave”) is located in the village of Mao in the Chinese province of Guizhou. Since 1984, the cave has been equipped as a primary school.

Fingal's Cave, Scotland:

A famous sea cave, washed out of the rock by sea water, on the island of Staffa, part of the Inner Hebrides group of islands. The walls are composed of vertical hexagonal basalt columns 69 meters deep and 20 meters high. For three centuries it has been a place of artistic pilgrimage and has inspired the work of many famous artists, musicians and writers.

Reed Flute Cave, China:

Reed Flute Cave (Ludi Yan) is an amazing creation of nature located in Guilin (China). A special type of reed grows around the cave, from which in the old days the best flutes in all of China were made; it was this fact that served as the basis for such a beautiful name. The Ludi Yan Cave, like the Waitomo Cave, has lighting, but not natural, but “artificial” - artificial. With its help, the Chinese successfully emphasize the beauty of nature’s impeccable creation. Multi-colored lights playfully color stalactites, stalactites and other bizarre rock formations, making the cave even brighter and more fabulous.

Fantastic Pit at Ellison's Cave, Georgia, USA:

If you are an extreme adventurer and also an amateur caver, then Ellison Cave is ideal for you, namely its bizarre 179-meter deep shaft.

Kyaut Sae Cave in Myanmar:

Few people know about this cave, but nevertheless it is stunning both for its size and for the fact that it houses a Buddhist temple.

Son Doong Cave, Vietnam:

The largest cave in the world. It is located in Central Vietnam, in Quang Binh province, in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, 500 kilometers south of Hanoi and 40 km from the provincial center - Dong Hoi. This cave has been known to local residents since 1991; in April 2009, it was discovered by a group of British speleologists. The cave has an underground river that floods some parts of the cave during the rainy season.

Ice Cave Eisriesenwelt, Austria:

The Eisriesenwelt Caves are the largest system of ice caves on our planet that can be viewed. Translated, Eisriesenvelt means “giant ice world.” The caves are located in the Alps in Austria at an altitude of 1641 meters and consist of 30 thousand cubic meters. meters of ice. These caves were formed by the waters of the Salzach River, which over thousands of years eroded the limestone rocks. Currently, the river bed is located below the entrance to the caves.

The Eisriesenwelt caves were discovered by accident back in 1849. For a long time, only hunters and poachers knew about them. The official opening date of the Eisriesenwelt caves is considered to be 1879, when the Austrian naturalist from Salzburg, Anton von Posselt-Czorich, first penetrated 200 meters deep into the caves. A year later, he published a detailed report about his discovery in a mountaineering magazine, but this information did not arouse sufficient interest.

Orda Cave, Russia:

Orda Cave is the longest underwater gypsum cave in Russia and one of the longest in the world. This place is a real paradise for divers. The cave begins with the Crystal Grotto. In the northwestern corner of this grotto there is Lake Ledyanoe. The passage on the left will lead to the next grotto - the Ice Palace. Here is Lake Main, and a little further away is Lake Teploe. Through these lakes, divers enter the mysterious underwater part of the cave. The water here is extremely clean, transparent, bluish in color and very cold (+ 4 degrees).

Carlsbad Caverns, USA:

Under the arches of the Guadalupe Mountains in New Mexico hide endless labyrinths of halls, tunnels and corridors, the main inhabitants of which are bats. The charm of the Carlsbad Caverns becomes more charming and mysterious with the advent of dusk. The park and caves got their name in honor of the nearby city of Carlsbad.

Barton Creek Cave, Belize:

This cave not only has extraordinary natural beauty, but is also a living witness to the household items of the ancient Mayans, who inhabited this territory more than 2000 years ago. In it you can see many grandiose stalactites and stalagmites, ancient jugs and religious bowls of the May Indians, traces of religious human sacrifices.

Jeita Grotto Caves, Lebanon:

a complex of two caves in Lebanon 20 kilometers north of Beirut. The upper cave was discovered in 1836 by William Thomson, and the lower cave was discovered in 1958 by Lebanese speleologists. The length of the Upper Cave is 2200 meters, but only a part of it, which is 750 meters long, is open to tourists. The Upper Cave has three halls, each of which reaches a height of 100 meters or more. There are unique underground reservoirs, very beautiful crevices, various stalagmites and stalactites. The length of the Lower Cave is much larger than the Upper Cave and is equal to 6900 meters.

Kango Caves, South Africa:

Cango Caves, unofficially called a wonder of the world. The caves are famous for their “Organ Hall” - stalactites descending along the walls here form something reminiscent of a large organ, which, combined with music and lighting effects, makes an indelible impression on visitors.

Aven Armand Cave, France:

A special funicular takes visitors 50 meters deep through a tunnel that is 200 meters long. There suddenly turns out to be a huge hall, into which Notre Dame Cathedral could easily fit.

In 1991, a unique Son Doong cave was discovered in Vietnam (near the border with Laos), recognized as the largest and most beautiful cave in the world. Its length reaches nine kilometers, its height is 150 meters, and its age is several million years. Some 150 halls, which would take months to explore, were discovered in the cave.

In 2009 and 2010, speleologists who arrived from the UK worked in Shondong Cave. They spent two weeks underground and described in detail the unusual natural phenomenon. The scientists were amazed by the deep chasms and magnificent stone columns that they encountered along the way. They are confident that modern skyscrapers will fit in the halls of the cave.

Path to Son Doong Cave

In 2015, the cave was officially visited by the first small group of tourists, each of whom did not spare three thousand dollars for the dangerous trip into the dungeon. They had to go down an 80-meter rope and use climbing equipment in dark labyrinths to see 70-meter stalagmites and unusual pearls, underground clouds, jungles and amazing animals, as well as hear the roar of a stormy river, the waters of which formed large rooms in the rocks and carved rock paintings.

How to get to Shondong Cave?

To get to the entrance to the cave you need to move through the impenetrable jungle for more than a day, which not everyone can do. Only the hardiest tourists descend into the cave. Each group of eight people is accompanied by experienced guides and speleologists. Below, a fire is made and food is prepared, and a tent city is created. Tourists will find a multi-kilometer walking route crossing water obstacles.

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Deep underground, where the sun does not shine and people rarely appear, hides an unknown, mysterious world, where amazing flickering insects live, incredible gems, stone formations of magical shapes and all sizes, marble columns, halls and grottoes, the creator of which is not man, but nature itself.

Blue Grotto, Italy

The Blue Grotto is practically the emblem of the Italian island of Capri. This magnificent sea cave, located on the coast of the island, is known to all tourists.

The Blue Grotto is unique in that its walls glow and sparkle with blue and emerald hues. This breathtaking glow comes from two light sources: one is a small cave entrance located above the water, where bright daylight enters, and the other is a large, wide hole that is submerged in the water, from which a muted bluish light streams into the cave.

Cave of Crystals, Mexico

First, in 1910, the Cave of Swords was discovered, which is located just above the Cave of Giant Crystals. In the Cave of Swords, the crystals are much smaller, approximately one meter long, and the temperature is colder. This may be why the crystals in the upper cave stopped growing.

The cave of giant crystals was discovered in 2000. Its level is covered with completely transparent faceted blocks. The cave contains the largest natural crystals ever found anywhere in the world. The largest crystal discovered here reached 12 meters in length and was 4 meters in diameter. The usual temperature in the cave is 50-58 degrees Celsius, and the humidity is 90-99%. Due to such conditions, the cave remains relatively unexplored and people without special equipment can survive in it for a maximum of 10 minutes.

Krubera Cave, Abkhazia

Krubera Cave, or Crow Cave, is located in the Caucasus Mountains and is the deepest known cave in the world. Its depth exceeds two thousand meters. The Crow Cave is called the Crow Cave because, while exploring it, speleologists had to drive away entire flocks of crows from the entrance.

Fingal's Cave, Scotland

This is a sea cave located on the uninhabited island of Staffa in Scotland. It is formed entirely from hexagonal columns of basalt and was washed into the coastal rock by the flow of water. Inside, the cave resembles a Gothic temple, which is only emphasized by the size of the grotto, the high ceiling and the sounds created by the waves rolling onto the rock.

Ice cave Eisriesenwelt, Austria

The name of the cave means "World of Ice Giants". It is a naturally formed limestone cave and is the largest of its kind. The Eisriesenwelt extends for 42 kilometers and falls 400 meters deep. Ice remains there all year round. Since the entrance to the cave is open all year, cold winds freeze the snow that falls inside. During the summer, the ice layers are preserved and do not melt due to the cold winds that circulate inside the cave.

Although the cave is relatively long, only the first thousand meters are open to tourists and are covered with ice. Most of the cave is simple limestone.

Puerto Princesa Underwater River, Philippines

Puerto Princesa is an underground river named one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 2010, a group of ecologists and geologists discovered that this underground river has a second floor and in the cave there are many small waterfalls and a hall with a 300-meter dome, on which you can see not only sinter formations of various shapes, but also large bats. The river divides into several streams and channels and goes deep into the cave, where tourists can no longer access due to lack of oxygen.

Mammoth Cave National Park, USA

Mammoth Cave National Park is the largest cave system in the world and will likely remain so forever because surpassing the 52,830-hectare record is nearly impossible. The second largest cave system barely reaches half of this area.

The national park offers visitors several cave tours. The longest of them takes six hours and passes through the main attractions. Guests of the park also have the opportunity to go on “wild” tours, where they can see unlit parts of caves, climb dirty and dusty tunnels, and examine sinter formations in the light of lanterns shaking in their hands.

Skocjanske Jam, Slovenia

This limestone cave system is one of the most remarkable underground phenomena in the karst region of Slovenia. This cave also takes its place among the most important caves in the world and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The international scientific community also considers it to be a natural treasure of the planet.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, USA

This is one of the most visited cave parks in the United States. The attraction of the caves is the Great Hall - a huge grotto made of natural limestone, a kilometer long, 190 meters wide and 80 meters high.

The caves offer numerous tourist programs, including the popular bat watching. They are watched at sunset, when they fly out of the depths of the caves, and at dawn, when they fly back. You can even stay in a cave overnight, sleeping in tents or without them, but you need permission to do this.

Waitomo Cave, New Zealand

This cave is popular all over the world due to the fact that the fireflies living in it turn the ceiling of the cave into a starry sky that is directly overhead, literally.

Fireflies arachna luminosa live only in New Zealand and only in this cave. They are the size of a normal mosquito, and millions of them live in Weimoto Cave. The cave tour begins with a boat ride through an underground river where the cave ceiling is lit only by these spectacular glowing gnats.

What do the caves hide in their twilight, what are they ready to amaze even the most sophisticated viewer? Is there at least a shred of truth in the ancient legends about them? You can learn about all this from this virtual tour.

The most famous caves in Russia

Kungur cave

The Diamond and Polar grottoes are recognized as the most beautiful. All this is complemented by about seventy lakes, the largest of which is the Big Lake. According to ancient folk tales, this cave was previously inhabited. This is confirmed by the well and hermitage found in the Cross Grotto.

Kapova Cave

Human skulls were also found here, although without skeletons. A theory was put forward that this type of burial used to speak of the significance and greatness of the deceased.

Marble Cave

Caves can also surprise you with their names.. There is one on the website.

The most famous caves in the world

Reed Flute Cave, China

The Staff of the Dragon King stalactite is also very famous; it has a very bizarre shape and gigantic size. It decorates the Crystal Palace hall. It is also worth visiting such halls as the Red Threshold, the Dragon Tower, Zarya in the Lion Grove, and Pine on the Snow.

Mammoth Cave, USA

Its red limestone vaults look very impressive, especially in the Broadway corridor, near which the Styx and Echo rivers flow. They are home to rare species of shrimp, blind fish and crayfish. Tourists love to look at the stone block here, which resembles the profile of George Washington's mother. And also everyone is not averse to leaving their business cards and autographs in the special Records Hall. American scientists discovered a human mummy in this cave. However, this cave is not the most famous on the planet.

The most famous cave in the world: Fingal's Cave

The cave owes its name to a Scottish poet named James Macpherson. Legend has it that the giant Fingal built a dam to connect Ireland with Scotland, along which a giant walked into his home while Fingal was fast asleep before the upcoming battle with him. The hero’s wife showed ingenuity and, pointing to her husband, said that it was Fingal’s infant son who was dozing. The huge enemy, imagining the size of this baby’s dad, took off in horror, destroying the dam in the process. The second justification for this name was that the large hall of the cave bizarrely repeats the sounds of the surf, and it seems to be singing. These enchanting sounds prompted Mendelssohn to write the famous overture “The Hebrides, or Fingal’s Cave.” It also amazes with intricately woven basalt columns that have six and octagonal shapes.
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These unique caves are not movie sets or Photoshop. They actually exist and are found in Asia, North America and Europe. Some caves are formed due to the fact that water seeps through cracks in the limestone rock and - not in a year, not in two - over millions of years, drops of water erode their “path”, at the same time forming these majestic caves. Other caves are formed due to the inexorable influence of lake or sea water. Some grottoes can be freely visited by any tourist, however, most of them are still accessible only to extreme adventurers who will not be too lazy to get a pass to visit this wonderful natural formation in advance. So, here are the 13 most beautiful caves in the world.

Son Doong Cave, Vietnam

Shondong is the largest currently known cave in the world. It is filled with countless wonders, isolated ecosystems and amazing geological formations. Local residents of Quang Binh province discovered this cave in the early 90s of the last century, and only 20 years later a group of British speleologists went there, who told the whole world about the extraordinary grotto.

Ice cave of Mutnovskaya Sopka, Russia

The active Mutnovsky volcano in Kamchatka is one of the largest geothermal deposits in the world. The hill is hugged by ice caves that were formed by the release of warm volcanic gases called fumaroles.

Nike Mine, Mexico

This cave contains some of the largest crystal formations in the world - up to 15 meters long and up to 1.2 meters wide. The Cave of Crystals is not accessible to visitors due to its deep location and other factors that complicate the descent. However, there are many photographs that prove the incredible gifts of nature.

Vatnajokull Glacier Cave, Iceland

This natural wonder is located in the Vatnajokull glacier, the largest in all of Europe. The caves were formed due to the melting of glaciers, and, by the way, visiting the grotto is unsafe, since the glaciers are constantly collapsing and changing their shape.

Batu Caves, Malaysia

These caves were once inhabited by English and Chinese settlers, as well as the indigenous inhabitants of this region of Malaysia, the Temuans. In the caves, the inhabitants mined guano, i.e. humus with particles of bird and bat droppings, which was actively used for agricultural purposes. And today the cave impresses with its temple complex and, of course, unique gloomy landscapes.

Mendenhall Cave, USA

This glacier cave is part of the Mendenhall Glacier, which is located near Juneau, Alaska. The beautiful cave was formed by the melting of a glacier, and it is not entirely clear how long this cave will exist on the face of the earth due to the fact that the ice masses continue to gradually melt.

Algarve Cave, Portugal

The Algarve is the southernmost province of Portugal, and is also home to the most diverse and amazing coastal formations, including this cave. The amazing grotto near Lagos can only be reached by water.

Waitomo Cave, New Zealand

One of the country's main attractions is located 12 km north-west of the tiny town of Te Kiti. The name Waitomo in the Maori language means “wai” - water and “tomo” - funnel, failure. That is, “water passing through a funnel.” But these caves are much more popular for their small inhabitants - fireflies, which is why the cave is sometimes called “Glowworms Cave”. The shiny silk threads of these insects hang from the ceiling of the grotto and glow, attracting the attention of the victims of fireflies - other insects, but for everyone else - it’s just a gorgeous “light show”.

Tam Lod Cave, Thailand

The beautiful Nam Lang River flows through the cave, and hundreds of thousands of Pacific swifts make their nests in the amazing stalactites and stalagmites. This grotto is located in the national park of the same name, located 77 kilometers from the city of Mae Hong Son.

Kyat Se Cave, Myanmar

Little is known about this cave in Myanmar, except that there is a beautiful Buddhist temple inside. But the views are definitely impressive!

Marble Caves, Patagonia

The caves in Patagonia, part of South America, are a real natural kaleidoscope: amazing turquoise waters that cast pearlescent reflections on the white marble ceiling of the cave, play of colors and smooth curves of shapes. This cave is so good that it is even called Marble Cathedral, that is, Marble Cathedral.

Antelope Canyon, USA

The canyon in Arizona has been created by persistent winds and flash floods for thousands of years, and the result of Mother Nature’s labors today is more than impressive: smooth walls, rich red-red colors reminiscent of antelope skin, graceful lines. This canyon is not as widely known as the Grand Canyon or Bryce Canyon, however, it is certainly a unique sight.

Ellison Cave, USA

The most interesting part of this mountain complex is the Fantastic Mine, popular among speleologists, that is, geologists who specialize in the study of caves. Its depth is 178 meters, and you can go down using a rope.