The World’s Most Beautiful Caves

Beauty can be found throughout the world. People travel throughout the world to immerse themselves in the wonders of new, exciting, and beautiful places. Though many people travel to see such places on the surface of the earth, oftentimes, these marvels of beauty are actually beneath it.

Caves contain their own ecosystems that would not be sustainable above ground, and their environments are often studied by scientists known as speleologists. Often hidden in jungles or wild rocky regions, they may not always be easily accessible, but this is what makes them even more alluring to experience.

Those who venture beyond the cave mouths, serious cave explorers are known as spelunkers, from the Latin word for cave, “spelunca”), often encounter narrow passages, precipitous drops, waterfalls and pools, and other potential hazards along the way. For many, these challenges are viewed as exciting adventures that just add to their appeal.

Caverns and caves may be foreboding to some, but to many others, they are things of great beauty. To determine the most beautiful caves in the world, 24/7 Tempo consulted numerous websites including Timeout and The Active Times, focusing on caves of striking natural beauty, as well as a few with exceptional man-made elements.

Varying significantly in age, from several thousand to several million years, the caves on the list highlight a multitude of incredible wonders. Each is formed with a diverse assortment of materials. From limestone and dolomite to ice, each one presents the beauty of nature and is stunning in its own way. (These are the most colorful natural wonders in the world.)

> Location: Italy

> Location: Vietnam

The Sơn Đoòng is thought to be the biggest natural cave in the world. Located in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, in Quảng Bình Province, Hang Sơn Đoòng measures three miles long, with certain sections reaching 650 feet high. It was discovered in 2009 and opened to the public four years later. The cave is known for having underground rainforests. 

> Location: Alaska, USA

This cave is located near Juneau and is inside a partially hollow 12-mile-long glacier. The Mendenhall Ice Caves are only accessible by first kayaking to the edge, and then climbing over the glacier. Fast-rising ocean temperatures in recent decades have contributed to the glacier receding by almost two miles since 1958.

> Location: Laos

The Pak Ou Caves are a religious site that overlooks the Mekong River. The caves, comprised of two separate caves, the lower cave, Tham Ting, and the upper cave, Tham Theung, are known for the hundreds of Buddha statues found inside. Local legend has it the caves were discovered in the 16th century and have been used for worship since then.

> Location: Mexico

These caverns form one of the world's largest cave systems and getting inside requires a hike longer than one mile. Local legend has it the caves were discovered in the 16th century and have been used for worship since then. Cacahuamilpa is a "live" cave, meaning that water is still seeping into the formation.

> Location: Italy

Located near Alghero in northern Sardinia, this is one of the largest marine caves in Italy. Neptune's Grotto is a stalactite cave that was formed about two million years ago. Inside, there is a huge underground lake and a white sandy beach.

> Location: Texas, USA

The Caverns of Sonora are located halfway between San Antonio and Big Bend National Park, just 15 miles southwest of the West Texas town of Sonora. These caves are known for their array of calcite crystal formations and are also a National Natural Landmark.

> Location: Scotland

This Scottish cave, located on the uninhabited island of Staffa in the Inner Hebrides, is unlike other caves, in that it is symmetrical. One of the best-known caves in Scotland, Fingal's Cave is formed from volcanic basalt columns. Though it looks like it was man-made, the cave is completely natural.

> Location: Philippines

The Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River cave is a National Park on the island of Palawan. It contains a river that runs five miles underground through a series of limestone caves, connecting a lake to the South China Sea. The above-ground portion of the park features intact old-growth forest.

> Location: New Zealand

This cave system on New Zealand's North Island is an underground labyrinth of caves, sinkholes, and rivers. The name "Waitomo" comes from the Māori words for "water" and "sinkhole." Visitors can walk, take a boat, and even go ziplining through the darkness.

> Location: New Mexico, USA

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is situated in the desert of New Mexico. There are more than 100 known caves in the park. The park's most popular attraction, and its namesake, Carlsbad Cavern, was formed between four and six million years ago.

> Location: Russia

Formed by water from hot springs near the Mutnovsky volcano, the Kamchatka Ice Caves are located in the far northeastern reaches of Russia. The roofs of some of the caves are so thin due to the melting of the glaciers above them that sunlight actually gets through, lighting up the caverns.

> Location: Thailand

Hiking to this cave may be a bit more strenuous than others. Phraya Nakhon Cave is one of the most famous caves in the Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park on Thailand's coast and can be reached by boat or by hiking about 45 minutes to the cave's entrance. Locals believe the cave was discovered about two centuries ago when the ruler suffered a shipwreck during a storm and sought refuge in the cave.

> Location: Rwanda

The Musanze Caves are part of an extensive cave system and one of the top attractions in Rwanda. The main Musanze Cave, on the grounds of Innes University, is part of the lava basaltic layers formed by the Bisoke and Sabyinyo volcanoes and has 31 entrances. The site of a massacre during the genocidal Rwandan war, it has been a tourist attraction open to the public since 2014. Flying bats are a common sight.

> Location: Chile

The only way to reach the Marble Cathedral is by traversing the glacial lake of General Carrera by boat, or for those seeking a bit more adventure, using a kayak. General Carrera Lake and the marble cathedral are located in Chilean Patagonia, on a peninsula of solid marble. The brilliant blue-striped caverns are the result of 6,000 years of erosion caused by waves lapping against the marble.

> Location: Thailand

Tham Lod is a huge river tunnel with three dry caverns located in the Pang Mapha District. The cave walls are more than 65 feet high. A recently excavated site near the visitor center is said to be a rock shelter where a human skeleton 20,000 years old was found.

> Location: Iceland

The Vatnajökull Ice Cave, the largest glacier cave in Iceland, is nicknamed the Anaconda Ice Cave for its shape, which is long and winding like a snake. These ice caves here form during winter months in the outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull, although they are different each year due to the changes in climate conditions. It is also called the Crystal Ice Cave, a name it shares with other Icelandic glacier caves.

> Location: China

Known as "the Palace of Natural Arts.", the Reed Flute Cave in Guangxi, is more than 180 million years old. The cave, named after the lush reeds growing outside, has been a major tourist attraction in China for many decades.

> Location: Germany

The Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes are located in the German state of Thuringia. They were the site of a mine where shale was removed from the ground. The mine closed in the mid-19th century, but it was reopened in 1910.  The minerals that comprise the remaining stalactites and stalagmites created a fairytale-like effect, transforming the grottoes into a colorful underworld.

> Location: England

The Shell Grotto was discovered in 1835 in Margate, Kent, and has been open to the public since 1838. The subterranean chalk walls are a mind-bending mosaic of 4.6 million shells placed in the grotto by people of unknown origin.

> Location: Arizona, USA

Arizona is home to the Kartchner Caverns, a large limestone cave system near the town of Benson in the southern part of the state. The caves house the largest stalactite formation in the world and has a show cave that is comprised of 2.4 miles of passages.

> Location: South Africa

The Sudwala Caves in Mpumalanga form one of the oldest cave systems in the world dating back at least 240 million years. Thought to be the oldest cave system, Sudwala Caves has a large natural amphitheater inside dubbed Miriam Makeba Hall (in honor of the famed South African singer) that has been used for concerts.

> Location: Virginia, USA

Luray Caverns, also known as Luray Cave, is located in the Shenandoah Valley and is the largest cavern system in the eastern United States. The cavern has been open to the public since 1878, with well-lit paved walkways and ceilings extending about 10 stories high.

> Location: Slovenia

The Vilenica Cave is located next to the village of Loken in the Karst region of southwestern Slovenia. It might have been used as a shelter in ancient times, as artifacts have been discovered within. Tourists first visited as early as 1633, making this one of the oldest touring caves in Europe.

> Location: South Africa

> Location: Bermuda

The Crystal and Fantasy Caves in Bermuda's Hamilton Parish were formed during the Ice Age. Just a few minutes' drive from Grotto Bay, Crystal Cave has the added beauty of a crystal clear lake that goes down 55 feet. Welcoming visitors since the early 20th century, they feature row upon row of stalactites and stalagmites.

> Location: Norway

Nature was the architect of this wonder in Norway's Jostedalen Valley. Located under the Nigardsbreen glacier, the blue ice caves are surrounded by ice and snow and have naturally sculpted ice walls that glow in different shades of blue. You can go solo but it is advised to use a guide. The hike each way is about four miles.

> Location: Slovenia

This cave in Slovenia's Lož Valley, also known as Cross Cave, is for the more adventurous, daring tourists because it is naturally preserved with no concrete paths or strong lighting. There are 22 lakes in the cave, which is a sanctuary for hedgehogs, spiders, and other animal species.

> Location: Greece

Due to its strikingly blue water and spectacular stalactites, the Blue Caves on the Keri Peninsula are a tourist magnet. They're also known as the Marathia Grottoes, as they're near the village of Marathia. Thousands of years of coastal erosion led to their formation.

> Location: England

The Carnglaze Caverns are comprised of three man-made caverns created as part of a slate quarry. It covers 65 acres of woodland in the Loveny Valley in the Cornwall section of England. Although it is temporarily closed, the site is used for music and comedy performances.

> Location: Pennsylvania, USA

The Indian Echo Caverns at Echo Dell in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. The walk through the caverns takes about 45 minutes and has been drawing tourists since the 1920s. The caverns were formed out of limestone 440 million years ago and are home to bats, bears, and raccoons.

> Location: Spain

The Nerja Caves, in the province of Málaga region of Spain, feature paintings on rock formations from the Paleolithic era as well as the world's largest stalagmite. This series of caves, comprised of Nerja I and Nerja II, extends slightly over three miles. Nerja I, which forms a natural amphitheater, is home to concerts that are held on a regular basis. Nerja II is not open to the public.

> Location: Mexico

This cavern full of giant crystals in the state of Jalisco was discovered in 2000 by miners after they pumped water out of a cave nearly 1,000 feet under the Sierra de Naica Mountain. The largest of the selenite crystals, which grew uninterrupted for at least half a million years, are 36 feet long and three feet thick.