BEST CAVES
Underground worlds worth exploring
Spectacular cave systems, lava tubes, and caverns — from short walks to multi-day expeditions.
Australia
Jenolan Caves
Blue Mountains, Australia
Among the oldest known open cave systems in the world, set in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. A network of guided show caves reveals limestone chambers, underground rivers, and intricate formations.
Austria
Eisriesenwelt
Werfen, Austria
The largest ice cave in the world, set high in the Tennengebirge mountains near Salzburg. Tours pass towering ice formations lit by carbide lamps, open only during the warmer months.
Barbados
Harrison's Cave
St. Thomas, Barbados
An active limestone cave in the central uplands of Barbados, explored on an electric tram. Flowing streams, pools, and waterfalls run among its stalactites and stalagmites.
Belize
Actun Tunichil Muknal
Cayo District, Belize
A Maya ceremonial cave in western Belize entered by swimming across a pool. Its inner chambers hold ancient pottery and skeletal remains, including calcified human bones from ritual sacrifices.
Chile
Marble Caves (Cuevas de Mármol)
General Carrera Lake, Chile
Marble formations on General Carrera Lake in Patagonia, sculpted over thousands of years by wave action. Their swirling walls reflect the lake's turquoise water and are reached only by boat or kayak.
China
Reed Flute Cave
Guilin, China
A limestone cave near Guilin filled with stalactites, stone pillars, and rock formations. Multicolored artificial lighting illuminates the chambers, and ink inscriptions on the walls date back centuries.
Longmen Grottoes
Luoyang, Henan, China
A UNESCO-listed complex of rock-cut caves and niches carved into limestone cliffs along the Yi River near Luoyang. Over 100,000 Buddhist carvings — from tiny devotional figures to a 17-meter seated Vairocana Buddha — span five centuries.
Mogao Caves (Dunhuang)
Dunhuang, China
A UNESCO-listed complex of Buddhist grottoes carved into a cliff near Dunhuang along the Silk Road. Hundreds of caves preserve murals and painted sculpture created over roughly a thousand years.
Curaçao
Hato Caves
Willemstad, Curaçao
A limestone cave on the outskirts of Willemstad, formed from an ancient coral reef. Its chambers hold calcite formations, roosting bats, and ancient Arawak petroglyphs carved into the walls.
France
Grotte de Padirac
Padirac, Lot, France
A limestone cave in the Dordogne entered via a vertical shaft, then a long boat ride along an underground river. The cavern's high vaulted ceilings and still water mirror are among the most dramatic in Europe.
Lascaux Cave
Montignac, France
A cave in the Dordogne famous for its Upper Paleolithic paintings of horses, bulls, and deer. The original is closed to protect the art, but a precise replica nearby recreates the painted galleries.
Grotte de Font-de-Gaume
Les Eyzies, Dordogne, France
The only known original Paleolithic painted cave in Europe still open to the general public, in the Vézère Valley. Bison, mammoths, and reindeer rendered in ochre and manganese cover its narrow passages.
Grotte de Niaux
Niaux, Ariège, France
A Paleolithic cave in the French Pyrenees known for the Salon Noir, a deep chamber whose walls are covered in high-quality drawings of bison, horses, and ibex in black manganese. One of the most significant painted caves still accessible.
Georgia
Krubera Cave (Veryovkina)
Abkhazia, Georgia
Among the deepest known caves on Earth, in the Arabika Massif of the western Caucasus. Reaching its depths demands weeks-long expeditions by elite cavers and is far beyond ordinary visits.
Hungary
Aggtelek Caves (Baradla)
Aggtelek, Hungary
A UNESCO-listed karst cave system straddling the Hungarian-Slovak border, with the Baradla cave as its centerpiece. It is known for dripstone formations and concerts held in its acoustically rich chambers.
Iceland
Vatnajökull Ice Caves
Vatnajökull, Iceland
Seasonal caves that form within Europe's largest ice cap, their blue walls sculpted by meltwater. New caves appear each winter, so visits require a guide and take place only in the cold season.
Þríhnúkagígur (Inside the Volcano)
Bláfjöll, Iceland
A dormant volcano near Reykjavik whose drained magma chamber can be entered by a lowering lift. It is one of the few places on Earth where visitors descend into the empty heart of a volcano.
Leiðarendi Lava Tube
Reykjavik area, Iceland
A lava tube on the Reykjanes Peninsula near Reykjavik, explored on guided caving trips. Its passages show colorful mineral-stained walls, lava stalactites, and animal bones from long-trapped creatures.
Víðgelmir Cave
Borgarfjörður, Iceland
One of the largest lava tubes on Earth, in western Iceland's Borgarfjörður region. Guided tours pass black basalt walls, stalactites of frozen lava, and striking mineral color deposits lit from below.
India
Ajanta Caves
Aurangabad, India
A UNESCO-listed set of rock-cut Buddhist monasteries and prayer halls carved into a cliff in Maharashtra. They are celebrated for ancient murals depicting the life and past lives of the Buddha.
Ellora Caves
Aurangabad, India
A UNESCO-listed complex of rock-cut temples and monasteries in Maharashtra spanning Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain faiths. Its centerpiece is the Kailasa temple, carved as a single monolith from the cliff.
Italy
Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra)
Capri, Italy
A sea cave on the island of Capri entered by small rowboat through a low opening. Sunlight passing through an underwater cavity fills the interior with a striking, glowing blue light.
Grotta di Nettuno (Neptune's Grotto)
Alghero, Sardinia, Italy
A sea cave on a rugged cape near Alghero, reached by boat or a steep cliff staircase called the Escala del Cabirol. Inside, a subterranean saltwater lake reflects alabaster stalactites and stalagmites.
Laos
Kong Lor Cave
Khammouane, Laos
A vast river cave in remote central Laos, navigated by longtail boat along an underground stretch of the Hinboun River. The passage cuts entirely through a limestone karst mountain, emerging into a valley on the other side.
Malaysia
Deer Cave
Mulu, Borneo, Malaysia
One of the world's largest cave passages, in Malaysia's UNESCO-listed Gunung Mulu National Park on Borneo. At dusk, millions of bats stream out of its mouth in a long ribbon across the sky.
Batu Caves
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A limestone hill north of Kuala Lumpur holding a series of caves and Hindu shrines. A tall golden statue and a long, brightly painted staircase lead up to the main temple cavern.
Mexico
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa
Guerrero, Mexico
One of the largest stalactite cave systems in the world, set in Guerrero state south of Mexico City. Its guided path passes enormous chambers formed by two underground rivers, packed with formations on every surface.
Cenotes of Yucatán
Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Natural sinkholes formed where limestone bedrock collapses to expose groundwater, scattered across the Yucatán Peninsula. Held sacred by the Maya, many are now popular for swimming and cave diving.
New Zealand
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Waitomo, New Zealand
Limestone caves on New Zealand's North Island lit by thousands of glowworms endemic to the country. Boat tours drift beneath ceilings that shimmer like a starry sky in the darkness.
Oman
Al Hoota Cave
Al Hamra, Oman
A show cave at the foot of Jebel Shams in northern Oman, reached by a short electric train. It contains an underground lake home to a species of blind, translucent cave fish.
Philippines
Puerto Princesa Underground River
Palawan, Philippines
A navigable underground river on the island of Palawan, flowing directly into the sea. The UNESCO-listed park is toured by paddle boat through limestone chambers of stalactites and stalagmites.
Portugal
Benagil Cave
Lagoa, Algarve, Portugal
A sea cave on Portugal's Algarve coast famous for a circular skylight in its domed ceiling. Reached only from the water by kayak, boat, or swimming, it opens onto a small sheltered beach.
Ponta da Piedade
Lagos, Algarve
A headland of golden sandstone south of Lagos cut by the Atlantic into arches, stacks and a warren of sea caves, reachable only by small boat or kayak at low swell.
Slovakia
Dobšiná Ice Cave
Dobšiná, Slovakia
A UNESCO-listed ice cave in the Slovak Paradise region, holding a large volume of permanent ice. Its thick floor ice and frozen columns are viewed on short guided tours during the summer months.
Slovenia
Postojna Cave
Postojna, Slovenia
A vast karst cave system in southwestern Slovenia, toured partly by electric railway. It is known for its dense limestone formations and the rare olm, a blind cave-dwelling amphibian.
Škocjan Caves
Divača, Slovenia
A UNESCO-listed cave system carved by the Reka River, notable for one of the largest known underground canyons. Walkways cross a deep gorge lit by daylight from collapsed dolines.
South Africa
Cango Caves
Oudtshoorn, South Africa
A limestone cave system in the foothills of the Swartberg mountains near Oudtshoorn. Standard tours pass large dripstone chambers, while an adventure route squeezes through narrow tunnels.
South Korea
Jeju Lava Tubes (Manjanggul)
Jeju Island, South Korea
Part of a UNESCO-listed volcanic lava tube system on Jeju Island, formed by flowing basaltic lava. A section is open to visitors, ending near one of the world's tallest known lava columns.
Spain
Drach Caves (Coves del Drac)
Mallorca, Spain
A network of limestone caves on Mallorca's east coast containing Lake Martel, one of the largest underground lakes in Europe. Visits typically include a live classical concert performed on the water.
Nerja Caves
Nerja, Spain
A large cave complex near the Costa del Sol, discovered in the mid-20th century. It contains one of the world's widest natural columns and prehistoric wall paintings, and hosts concerts in its main hall.
Cueva de los Verdes
Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain
A lava tube on Lanzarote created by an eruption of the Corona volcano thousands of years ago. Part of it was adapted for visitors and includes a concert hall and a well-known optical illusion.
Cueva de Altamira
Santillana del Mar, Spain
A cave in northern Spain renowned for vivid prehistoric bison paintings that reshaped views of early art. The fragile original is largely closed, and a museum replica lets visitors see the ceiling.
Sri Lanka
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla, Sri Lanka
The largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka, cut into a massive rock outcrop in the island's cultural triangle. Five caves contain 157 Buddha statues and murals covering roughly 2,100 square meters of ceiling and wall.
Thailand
Tham Lod Cave
Pang Mapha, Thailand
A river cave in northern Thailand crossed by bamboo raft along a stream. It contains prehistoric wooden coffins and, at dusk, hosts a mass flight of swifts returning to roost inside.
Phraya Nakhon Cave
Khao Sam Roi Yot, Thailand
A cave in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park reached by a steep coastal climb. A hole in its collapsed roof sends a shaft of sunlight onto a royal pavilion built there for a 19th-century king.
United Kingdom
Cheddar Caves
Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, England
Two show caves at the foot of Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, home to the oldest complete human skeleton found in Britain. Gough's Cave has a stalactite-filled chamber; Cox's Cave is known for colored formations.
Fingal's Cave
Staffa, Scotland
A sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa formed in hexagonal basalt columns. Its cathedral-like acoustics and geometry inspired Mendelssohn's Hebrides overture; access is by boat in season.
United States
Antelope Canyon
Page, Arizona, United States
A slot canyon on Navajo land near Page, carved by flash floods into flowing sandstone walls. Midday sunbeams filtering into the narrow passages make it a landmark for photographers; entry is guided.
Carlsbad Caverns
New Mexico, United States
A national park in the Guadalupe Mountains centered on a limestone cave with the enormous Big Room chamber. In summer, evening flights of Brazilian free-tailed bats emerge from the entrance.
Jewel Cave
South Dakota, United States
A national monument in the Black Hills and one of the longest cave systems on Earth. It takes its name from the glittering calcite crystals lining many of its passage walls.
Luray Caverns
Luray, Virginia, United States
The largest cavern in the eastern United States, set in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. It houses the Great Stalacpipe Organ, which produces tones by tapping calibrated stalactites across the chambers.
Mammoth Cave
Kentucky, United States
The longest known cave system in the world, formed in Kentucky limestone. This UNESCO site offers ranger-led tours ranging from easy walks to strenuous routes through its extensive passages.
Mendenhall Ice Caves
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Meltwater-carved caves inside the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, reached by hiking and kayaking. The glacier is receding rapidly, so the caves shift and can become unstable from year to year.
Sea Lion Caves
Florence, Oregon, United States
A large sea cave on the Oregon coast that serves as a wintering haul-out for Steller sea lions. Visitors descend by elevator to a viewing area above the cavern and its resident colony.
Wind Cave
South Dakota, United States
A national park cave in the Black Hills, among the longest and most complex in the world. It is renowned for boxwork, a rare honeycomb-like calcite formation found here in unusual abundance.
Vietnam
Hang Én
Phong Nha, Vietnam
One of the largest caves in the world, in central Vietnam's Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng park. Trekkers reach it on foot through jungle and rivers and camp overnight on a beach beneath its huge arch.
Phong Nha Cave
Phong Nha, Vietnam
A river cave in the UNESCO-listed Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, entered by boat along an underground stream. It is one of the region's most accessible showcaves amid a landscape of limestone karst.
Sơn Đoòng Cave
Phong Nha, Vietnam
Widely regarded as the largest cave passage in the world, in central Vietnam's Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng park. Collapsed ceilings create skylit jungles inside, reached only on a permitted multi-day expedition.
Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave)
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
One of the largest and most visited caves in UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay, set on Bo Hon Island. A lit walkway winds through two vast chambers of stalactites reached by boat and a short climb.