The largest karst caves in the world. Caves by size. In order to inspire you to connect with nature, LifeGuide has prepared for you a short excursion to the most beautiful caves in the world.
On December 27, 1966, the Cave of the Swallows in Mexico, the largest well cave in the world, was discovered. In terms of depth, the Swallow Cave ranks 2nd in Mexico and 11th on Earth. We decided to talk about the ten most unusual caves in the world.
Cave karst origin, is located in Mexico, in the state of San Lui Potosi. It looks smaller than it really is. The shape of the cave resembles a bottle: the entrance to the cave is 55 meters, and in depth it expands to 130-160 meters. The depth reaches 376 meters, which is commensurate with the height of the Empire State Building (381 meters without a spire). The famous New York skyscraper Chrysler Building, whose height reaches 319 meters, could easily be placed in the cave. Black swifts live in the cave, but the name is derived from the Spanish word Golondrinas (“swallow”).
In the morning, flocks of birds fly in a spiral, gaining height until they reach the exit of the cave. In order not to violate quiet life swifts, descents into the cave are allowed only at certain times: from 12:00 to 16:00. In addition, a collision with a flock of birds during a free flight is very dangerous: the cave, which has become a Mecca for fans of extreme sports, is a serious test even for very experienced and physically fit base jumpers. The descent into the cave takes about 20 minutes. climbing equipment and about 10 seconds during a long parachute jump, while opening the parachute is possible only at a strictly defined time: at 6-7 seconds of falling. Climbing up takes about two hours and requires good climbing and physical fitness.
carlsbad cave
The 250-million-year-old Carlsbad Cave is part of a chain of 80 karst caves in the Guadalupe mountains on southeast State of New Mexico, USA. The depth of the cave is 339 meters, the total length of all passages and halls is about 12 kilometers.
The largest hall has the shape of the letter T with dimensions in two directions of 610 and 335 meters, a height of up to 87 meters and an area of 5.7 hectares. The cave is a system of huge halls and galleries and is famous for the special beauty and grace of mineral formations. Carlsbad Cave was formed during the deposition of thick layers of limestone in the rock. Small cracks formed in this limestone, into which water seeped through, dissolving softer minerals and forming caves and tunnels.
In all the caves of the Carlsbad chain, stalactites formed fantastic figures: Bashful Elephant (Shameful Elephant) looks like an elephant turned back to the passage, Rock of Edges (Century Rock) is a lone giant stalagmite. The caves have become a haven for a colony of bats: at dusk, the entrance to the caves turns black due to the nocturnal inhabitants flying away to hunt.
crystal cave
It is located in the Mexican desert of the state of Chiahua at a depth of 300 meters and was found while drilling a local mine. The cave is famous for giant crystals of selenite, a mineral, a structural variety of gypsum. The largest of the found crystals has a size of 11 meters in length and 4 meters in width, with a mass of 55 tons. These are the largest natural crystals ever found on the planet. The cave is also known for its unusual climate: it is very hot here. Temperatures reach 58 °C with 90–100% humidity, which makes it very difficult to explore the cave. Even with equipment, being in a cave usually does not exceed 20 minutes. Access to the cave is open only to scientists.
Han Son Dung Cave
The largest cave on planet Earth, Han Son Dung, which means "Mountain River Cave", is located in Vietnam. It was discovered only in 2009 by a group of British researchers. The largest hall of the cave has a total length of more than 5 thousand meters, the total length of the cave is presumably 9 thousand meters. The halls and corridors are 100 meters wide and 200 meters high.
The cave is unusual in that many years ago, gaps formed in the roof of the cave, through which light and plant seeds entered the underground halls. Now you can find real jungle in the cave. In addition, another interesting rare phenomenon attracts speleologists: cave pearls form in the cave. This rare type of pearl grows by itself in pools of lime water. Its composition differs little from traditional shellfish pearls, but it does not have a beautiful mother-of-pearl luster.
Photo: travel times.ru
Abyss of Three Bridges
Limestone cave of the Jurassic period, a karst sinkhole in Lebanon 255 meters deep, whose age is 160 million years. The cave owes its name to the fact that the opposite walls of the abyss are connected by three bridges, each of which hangs over the other. A powerful waterfall passes through them. For thousands of years, the water from the stream slowly washed away the limestone and gradually destroyed the vaults of the cave. After the appearance of the upper bridge, it was destroyed for a long time by vertical and ring erosion, which, in combination with a series of collapses, created the middle and lower bridges.
Fingal's Cave
The famous sea cave is located on the tiny island of Staffa in Scotland. Rains and sea water drilled a whole system of caves on it, the largest of which is named after the giant Fingal, the hero of the Irish epic, who built a dam connecting Scotland and Ireland.
The main hall of Fingal's Cave is 75 meters long, 20 meters wide and 14 meters high, and the entrance to it is so narrow that it is impossible to get there by boat. In the Gaelic language, the cave was called Uam Bin, "Cave of Melodies": the huge hall of the cave repeatedly repeats the sounds of the surf, and the whole cave literally sings. An interesting fact is that when the famous author of the "Wedding March" composer Felix Mendelssohn visited the cave in 1829, he was so amazed by the amazing play of sounds and echoes that it inspired him to create an overture called "The Hebrides, or Fingal's Cave".
The cave is also famous for its impressive basalt colonnade of surprisingly regular shape. Most columns are 6-sided, but there are also 3-sided and 8-sided ones. They acquired such an unusual shape due to the long process of crystallization of volcanic lava. According to legend, these are the remains of piles driven into the bottom of the Irish Sea by the giant Fingal.
Marble Caves of Chile
Marble Caves - the main attraction Lake Lago General Carrera in Chile and one of the most beautiful places in Patagonia. They are also called the marble cathedral (Marble Cathedral or Las Cavernas de Marmol), which is a maze of beautiful geological formations. In fact, the walls of the cave labyrinth are not made of marble, but of limestone. Numerous tunnels and columns have been formed due to the impact of waves over the past 6200 years.
The most famous caves are Marble Cathedral, Marble Cave and Marble Chapel. All three grottoes are part of the peninsula and used to be completely flooded with water. The glacier that filled the lake melted over time, the water level dropped significantly, revealing to the world marble labyrinths, partially filled with turquoise water. Tourists can explore the caves in a small boat or kayak, but only if the weather is good and calm.
Reed Flute Cave
Cave reed flute- amazingly beautiful cave nearby Chinese city Guilin. One of the largest karst caves in the region, reaching a length of 240 meters. The cave got its name from the special kind of reed growing around it, from which some of the best flutes in all of China have been made since ancient times. The age of the cave is at least 180 million years, it was formed due to the destruction of quartz rocks by water. The cave is famous for stalactites, stalagmites and other bizarre mountain formations, and thanks to the illumination and reflection in the underground lake, it gives the impression of frozen actions, which the Chinese gave poetic names: "Crystal Palace", "Dragon Tower", "Pine in the Snow", "Dawn in the Lion's Grove", "Red Threshold" and so on.
Dragon Cave
The Dragon Cave is located in Kastoria, in northwestern Greece. The cave is considered unique and is the only cave in Greece with 7 fresh underground lakes and 10 halls of various sizes (the largest is 45x17 meters) and 5 tunnels. The depth of the cave reaches 600 meters, but cavers have not yet advanced further than 300 meters. The cave got its name thanks to the legend of the dragon, which zealously guarded the gold mine. Anyone who mustered the courage to sneak into his domain, he incinerated with his gaze and killed with flames from his mouth. In addition, the entrance to the cave resembles the mouth of a dragon. The cave is also famous for its special air circulation system and special microclimate.
Jeita Grotto
Jeita Grotto is a complex of two separate but interconnected karst limestone caves with a total length of almost 9 kilometers. The caves are located in the Nahr al-Kalb valley in the Jeita settlement, 18 kilometers north of the Lebanese capital Beirut. Caves and grottoes have been known since Paleolithic times. lower cave opened in 1836 by the priest William Thomson, an American missionary. You can only get here by boat, as the cave is filled with an underground river that provides drinking water over one million Lebanese. The upper galleries were discovered in 1958 by Lebanese speleologists. They consist of a series of separate chambers, the largest of which reaches a height of 120 meters.
Here is one of the largest stalactites in the world with a height of 8.2 meters. In one of the caves, the remains of an ancient foundry were found, where swords were supposedly made. The giant stalactites of the caves create beautiful compositions, thanks to which the Jeita Caves were among the 28 finalists of the Seven New Wonders of Nature competition.
These unique caves are not movie sets or photoshop. They really exist and are in Asia, North America and Europe. Some caves are formed due to the fact that water seeps through cracks in limestone rock and - not in a year, and not in two - in millions of years, drops of water blur their “path”, at the same time forming these majestic caves. Other caves are formed due to the inexorable influence of the lake or sea water. Some grottoes can be freely visited by any tourist, however, most of them are still available only for extreme adventurers who are not too lazy to get a pass to visit a wonderful natural formation in advance. So, here are the 13 most beautiful caves in the world.
Son Doong Cave, Vietnam
Son Doong is the largest known cave in the world today. It is filled with countless wonders, isolated ecosystems and amazing geological formations. locals 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 Mutnovskaya Sopka, Russia
The active volcano Mutnovsky in Kamchatka is one of the largest geothermal deposits in the world. The hill is surrounded by ice caves, which were formed due to the release of warm volcanic gases called fumaroles.
Naica Mine, Mexico
This cave contains some of the largest crystalline formations in the world - up to 15 meters long and up to 1.2 meters wide. The cave of crystals is not accessible for visiting due to its deep location and other factors that complicate the descent. However, there are many photographs that prove the incredible gifts of nature.
Ice cave Vatnajokull, Iceland
This natural wonder 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 not safe, as 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, with unique gloomy landscapes.
Mendenhall Cave, USA
This ice cave is part of the Mendenhall Glacier, which is located near the town of Juneau in Alaska. The beautiful cave was formed by the melting of a glacier and it is not entirely clear how long this cave will last on the face of the earth as the ice masses continue to gradually melt.
Algarve cave, Portugal
Algarve - the most southern province Portugal, and also the location of the most diverse and amazing coastal formations, including this cave. An amazing grotto near Lagos can only be reached by water.
Waitomo Cave, New Zealand
One of the main attractions of the country is located 12 km northwest of the tiny town of Te Kiti. The name Waitomo in Maori means "wai" - water and "tomo" - funnel, failure. That is, "water passing through a funnel." But these caves are much more popular with their small inhabitants - fireflies, which is why the cave is sometimes called "Glowworms Cave" ("Glowworms Cave"). 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 build their nests in amazing stalactites and stalagmites. This grotto is located in the eponymous national park, 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 cave inside. Buddhist temple. But the views are absolutely amazing!
Marble Caves, Patagonia
Caves in Patagonia South America, is a real natural kaleidoscope: amazing turquoise waters that cast mother-of-pearl 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, the Marble Cathedral.
Antelope Canyon, USA
The canyon in Arizona has been sculpted by stubborn winds and flash floods for thousands of years, and the result of Mother Nature's labors today is more than impressive: smooth walls, rich reddish colors that resemble the skin of an antelope, graceful lines. This canyon is not as widely known as the Grand Canyon or Bryce Canyon, however, it is certainly a unique sight.
Allison 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 the rope. 
Deep underground, where the sun does not shine and people rarely appear, an unknown, mysterious world is hidden, where amazing shimmering insects live, incredible gems, stone formations of magical shapes and sizes, marble columns, halls and grottoes, the creator of which is not man, but nature itself.
Blue Grotto, Italy
The blue grotto is practically an emblem Italian island 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 sources of light: one is a small entrance to the cave, located above the water, where bright daylight penetrates, and the other is a large wide opening that is immersed in water and from which a muffled bluish light flows into the cave.
Cave of Crystals, Mexico
First, in 1910, the Cave of Swords was discovered, which is located just above the Cave giant crystals. In the Cave of Swords, the crystals are much smaller, about one meter long, and the temperature is colder. Perhaps that is why the crystals in the upper cave have 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 in the entire world. The largest crystal found here was 12 meters long and 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 stay in it for a maximum of 10 minutes.
Cave Krubera, Abkhazia
Krubera Cave, or Crow Cave, is located in the Caucasus Mountains and is the deepest famous cave in the world. Its depth exceeds two thousand meters. Crow cave is called due to the fact that during its study, speleologists had to drive away entire flocks of crows from the entrance.
Fingal's Cave, Scotland
This is a sea cave located on desert island Staffa in Scotland. It is formed entirely from hexagonal columns of basalt and was washed out by the flow of water in the coastal rock. Inside, the cave resembles a Gothic temple, which is only emphasized by the size of the grotto, the high ceiling and the sounds that create waves rolling on the rock.
Eisriesenwelt ice cave, 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 stretches for 42 kilometers and falls 400 meters deep. Ice is preserved in it all year round. Since the entrance to the cave is open all year, cold winds freeze the snow that gets inside. During the summer, the ice sheets persist 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 covered with ice. Most of the caves are simple limestone.
Underwater river Puerto Princesa, 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 there are many small waterfalls in the cave and a hall with a 300-meter dome, where you can see not only sinter formations of various shapes, but also large bats. The river is divided into several streams and canals and goes deep into the cave, where tourists can no longer get due to lack of oxygen.
Mammoth Cave National Park, USA
Mammoth Cave National Park is the largest cave system in the world and will probably stay that way forever, because breaking the record of 52,830 hectares is next to impossible. The second largest cave system barely covers half of this area.
The national park offers several cave tours to visitors. The longest of them takes six hours and passes through the main attractions. Also, the guests of the park have the opportunity to go on "wild" tours, where you can see the unlit parts of the caves, climb dirty and dusty tunnels and examine the sinter formations in the light of lanterns trembling in your hands.
Skocjanske Jame, Slovenia
This limestone cave system is one of the most remarkable underground phenomena in the Slovenian karst region. This cave also ranks among the most important caves in the world and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. International scientific circles are also considering it for the title of 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 Big hall- a huge grotto made of natural limestone, a kilometer long, 190 meters wide and 80 meters high.
Numerous tourist programs can be enrolled in the caves, including the popular bat-watching. They are followed at sunset, when they fly out of the depths of the caves, and at dawn, when they fly back. It is even possible to stay in the cave for the night, spend the night in tents or without them, but this requires permission.
Waitomo Cave, New Zealand
This cave is popular all over the world due to the fact that the fireflies that live in it turn the ceiling of the cave into a starry sky that is directly above your head, literally.
Fireflies arachna luminosa live only in New Zealand and only in this cave. They are about the size of a normal mosquito, and millions of individuals live in the Waimoto cave. The tour of the cave begins with a boat ride through underground river where the cave ceiling is lit only by these spectacular glowing mosquitoes.
Always associated with caves a large number of secrets and mysteries, because this is a whole world of magic, silence and silence. Even in ancient times, caves were used to shelter humans and animals, and some were even considered the abode of the gods. In nature, there are no two identical caves, because some have lakes, others have halls with grottoes, wells, glaciers and waterfalls. For many thousands of years, rainwater has destroyed the stone, forming stalactites and stalagmites of bizarre shape. In some caves, calcite is formed in the form of pearls, flowers, thin twigs, crumbling at the slightest touch. We present to your attention a rating of the most amazing and beautiful caves in the world.
1Giant Crystal Cave, Mexico
A cave of giant crystals in Mexico was discovered by ordinary miners who were working in the south of the country. At the depth of a three-hundred-meter mine, they discovered a cave, literally strewn with huge crystals from the inside. The crystals in the caves are translucent, and their color varies from bright white to golden. The crystals are rectangular or cylindrical in shape, and their length reaches several meters. The base of the cave is stone, which indicates its ancient origin. The huge crystals in it were formed by nature over several million years. Apparently, the room of the Crystal Cave was previously filled with rock, which was gradually washed away groundwater, after which such unusual formations remained.
2. Na Pali Coast Cave in Kauai, Hawaii
The Hawaiian island of Kauai arose more than 5 million years ago as a result of volcanic activity in this district. One of the most spectacular sights of the island is the coast of Na Pali. Here, the rocks practically hang over the sea, and exotic plants grow on their surface and various birds nest. In addition to picturesque volcanic mountains and evergreen beaches, tourists are attracted here mysterious caves. For many centuries sea waves methodically carved volcanic rocks, thus forming the caves of Hawaii. In the caves you can enjoy virgin nature and sea views.
3. Melissani Cave, Greece
The Melissani cave, located on the Greek island of Kefalonia, was forgotten for several centuries and was remembered only in 1951, when the Greek Giannis Petrohelios again found and opened it. After all, even in Greek mythology this cave was mentioned as the dwelling of the nymphs. The reason for such a violent fantasy of the ancient Greeks is quite understandable - the cave with its turquoise lake surrounded by dense forest looks truly fabulous. Melissani Cave has a stone base, on which there are shallow azure waters, at the top there is a huge stone dome with a huge hole through which it gets deep into the cave sunlight, creating amazing highlights on its walls. The entrance to the Melissani cave is also very picturesque - it is overgrown with greenery, and the "door" is decorated with natural brownish stone "plaster".
4. Skocjan Caves, Slovenia
One of the most famous karst cave systems on our planet is the Škocjan Caves. On the beautiful Kras Plateau, located in the southwest of Slovenia, these wonderful caves are located, officially recognized as a reserve and object world heritage. Shkocyansky caves owe their appearance to the local river with the name "River" flowing through it, which for centuries "cut down" the caves in karst deposits. However, as a result of water erosion, several arches of the cave collapsed, forming karst failures "Mala Dolina" and "Velika Dolina", separated by a natural bridge. On the territory of Velika Dolina, the River goes underground, appearing on the surface after 34 kilometers already in Italy. In addition, there are many dangerous funnels, dips and small waterfalls. The largest European grotto, the Martel Hall, is also located in the caves.
5. Marble Caves in Chile Chico, Chile
High in the Andes is one of the deepest lakes in the world - Lago General Carrera (Chilean name) or Lago Buenos Aires(Argentine name), since the lake is located on the border of Chile and Argentina. Not far from the Chilean city of Chile Chico are the famous Marble Caves. Although the walls of the caves are not made of marble at all, but of limestone, but against the background of turquoise water, its vaults, which have white and blue tones of color, look very impressive. Thanks to this natural beauty, thousands of tourists come to see the Marble Caves every year. Small pleasure boats bring tourists here, allowing you to see all the splendor of the shades of the cave, as well as look into the natural windows, as if melted in the walls of the labyrinth marble caves- Boats can no longer go there. In addition to the amazing Marble Caves, come to the lake and lovers fishing, because its waters are rich in trout and salmon, as well as some other types of fish.
6. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, USA
Mammoth Cave is located in US state Kentucky. This unique karst cave has a unique microclimate. The cave was discovered about 4,000 years ago; the remains of ancient torches are still found in it. The cave was used by local tribes for various purposes. American scientists have discovered the mummy of a man who died in this cave more than 2,000 years ago. After numerous studies, scientists came to the conclusion that a person was engaged in gypsum mining here. A rare species of shrimp, crayfish and blind fish have been found in an underground river. In addition, flocks of bats live in the cave. Since the end of the 19th century, Mammoth Cave has become tourist attraction, for which electric lighting was carried out throughout its length. However, if you wish, you can walk through the cave as in ancient times - with a paraffin lamp.
7. Cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Cenotes are peculiar formations in caves that appear in the rocks under the influence of water. South of the Mexican resort of Cancun, located on the Yucatan Peninsula, is one of the most beautiful cenotes. According to some sources, in ancient times Yucatan was underwater reef. After the water left, huge caves remained. The caves and grottoes of the Yucatan are completely underground. There are no land rivers on the peninsula - they all flow underground. Once upon a time, the Mayan peoples considered cenotes sacred and drank water from them during religious ceremonies. Tourists from all over the world come to the Yucatan to swim, dive and admire the underground scenery. And ancient stalactites and stalagmites make undersea world truly fabulous. Through the cracks of the caves, sunlight penetrates into the cenotes, giving them a special beauty.
8. Blue Caves, Greece, Zakynthos Island
On Zakynthos, one of the largest Greek islands, there are amazing Blue Caves. Among tourists, the island has gained popularity due to its scenic area, including beaches and villages. In the village of Volimes is located the Blue Cave, which can only be reached through the sea, however, as well as to most of the island. If you visit the Blue Cave at sunset or sunrise, you can enjoy the blue color of the sky and ocean reflected in it. For many years of water erosion, the rocks have taken on the appearance of amazing natural arches. Due to the unusual lighting effects blue caves, this place is one of the most visited in Greece. In addition to the beautiful caves, Zakynthos has a famous beach, considered one of the best in the world.
9. Fingal's Singing Cave, Scotland
For many centuries on the island of Staffa (the island belongs to the group of the Inner Hebrides) in Scotland, the rains and the sea have formed one of the largest caves in the world - Fingal's Singing Cave. The cave owes its name to the famous Scottish poet James MacPherson. According to legend, the giant Fingal, in order to connect Scotland and Ireland, built a dam, along which a huge giant passed into his dwelling, while Fingal lay down to rest before the fight with him. However, his wife was resourceful and said that it was the baby, the son of Fingal, who was sleeping. The huge giant imagined the size of the father of this "baby" and fled in fear, destroying the dam behind him. According to legend, Staff Island is part of this dam. The second reason for this name of the cave is the Geltian meaning of the phrase "Cave of Melodies". The name was given to the cave due to the fact that during the surf, the cave hall repeatedly repeats the sounds of the sea, as if singing!
10 Skaftafell Ice Cave, Iceland
On the edge of glaciers, amazingly beautiful structures are often formed - ice caves. In Iceland, on the lagoon of the Svinafellsjokull glacier is located famous cave Skaftafell. Over the past centuries, the glacier has compressed so much that it has almost no air bubbles, due to which almost all sunlight is absorbed, except for the blue fraction visible inside the cave with the naked eye. Although such blue ice is possible only when the upper layer of the glacier is washed away, for example, in winter. However, such light is found in floating icebergs and other ice caves. Skaftafell cave has a seven meter entrance on the shore. At the end of the cave narrows to one meter. However, it is not safe to visit ice caves, as they are constantly transforming and can collapse at any moment. Only in winter visiting such caves is relatively safe. As ice caves move with the glacier, crackles can often be heard inside them.
