Top 10 Iconic Underground Caves Around The World
On the way to becoming humans, we lived in caves at first. In the past, caves helped cave people get along better with each other than other primates. Caves have been found at different times in history. In the past, they were used as places to live, be buried, or worship. Recent research on caves has revealed information about the Earth’s climate in the past.
And also helps find evolution’s missing link. In addition to doing research, cavers go into caves for fun or to get some exercise. For people who don’t like to take risks, a tour guide will show caves with artificial lighting, floors, and other aids that make it easy for tourists to see the famous underground caves.
1.Eisriesenwelt Cave
The Eisriesenwelt is an ice cave made of limestone in the Austrian town of Werfen. The cave is located within Hochkogel Mountain in the Tennengebirge part of the Alps. It is more than 42 km long. The Salzach River carved its way through the mountain to make the Eisriesenwelt.
About 200,000 tourists go there every year. The ice was made by melted snow that drained into the cave in the winter and then froze. In 1955, a cable vehicle was constructed to make the climb faster.
2.Cave Reed Flute
The Reed Flute Cave is in the northwest of Guilin in southern China. It is well known as the Palace of Natural Arts. It is Guilin’s most interesting place. The story says that Reed Flute Cave was given this name because the reeds near the entrance could be created into flutes.
There are about 70 ink writings that date back to the year 792 AD. It was founded in 1940 by troops from Japan. The stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, stone curtains, birds, plants, and animals in beautiful colors and shapes make the limestone cave look like a fairyland.
3.The Crystal Cave
Some of the world’s largest natural crystals are found in the Cave of the Crystals. It was found in 2000 by miners digging a new tunnel again for Naica Mine in northern Mexico. It was not investigated for a long time because it was so hot. Inside the cave, the temperature is 58 degrees Celsius. The biggest crystal in the cave is 11 meters (36 feet) long, 4 meters (13 feet) wide, and weighs 55 tonnes.
Scientists looked at the giant gypsum crystals in terms of their minerals and crystal structures, as well as their biogeochemistry and microbial makeup. The steamed-up is very hot, where microscopic crystals can grow and form. Uranium-thorium dating determined that the giant crystals are at least 500,000 years old.
4.Puerto Princesa’s Underground River
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River is in a mountain range in the Philippines, about 80 km from Puerto Princesa. It is in a jungle-covered mountain range. The Puerto Princesa Underground River was indeed the second-longest underground river in the world, and it is still the longest underground river that can be navigated.
Due to the lack of oxygen, it’s nearly impossible to go deeper into the underground river. The length of the underground river is 8.2 kilometers or 5 miles. It has been chosen as the New Seven Wonder of Nature.
5.Waitomo Caves
The Waitomo Caves, one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist spots, are right outside the main town of Waitomo. Waitomo glowworms live in such underground caves, which give off light when they are alive.
The only place you can find these worms is in New Zealand. It has been there for more than 30 million years. The Caves have beautiful carvings and a deep shaft made of limestone called the Tomo. And the beautiful Cathedral cavern is known for having a great sound.
6.Majlis al Jinn Cave
Majlis al Jinn is the world’s largest underground cave. It is in a remote section of the Selma Plateau in Oman. The name of this cave, Majlis al Jinn, is where Jinn, a supernatural being in Arabic mythology, meets. It is a single cave chamber about 310 meters by 225 meters with a domed ceiling 120 meters high.
It is 178 meters down from the top to the cave. This cave is too dangerous for most tourists to climb, so only experts can do it, even though most tourists can reach some places. The Ministry of Tourism in Oman wants to make this place popular for tourists.
7.Skocjan Caves
If you like the epic movie The Lord of the Rings, you might want to visit The Skocjan cave since the cave system has a huge underground gorge with waterfalls and a bridge that looks like it came from The Lord of the Rings. It is the cave hall with Europe’s most beautiful stalactites and stalagmites.
The ocean Cave was near the Reka River, which was going down. Part of the river is on the surface at first, but then it suddenly disappears into the ground and flows through the caves. In 1986, the cave was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
8.Carlsbad Caverns
The most interesting thing about this park is the Show Cave. The cave is a natural chamber made of limestone that is 1,219 meters long, 190 meters wide, and 107 meters high at its highest point. It is thought to be the world’s seventh-largest cave chamber. This cave has a lot of different shapes and decorations, like stalactites and stalagmites. Hiking is a good thing to do there.
9.Jeita Grotto
The upper and lower caverns make up the Jeita Grotto, a popular tourist spot in Lebanon. The upper and lower grottos are karstic limestone caves that are separate but connected. It is listed as one of the new seven natural wonders.
The world’s largest stalactite, a mineral deposit hanging from the ceiling of a limestone cave, is in the upper gallery. Under the upper gallery is the lower gallery, which is 6200 meters long and 60 meters (200 feet) wide. More than 280,000 people go to Jeita Grotto every year.
10.Mulu Caves
The Gunung Mulu National Park is on the island of Borneo, close to Miri, Sarawak. It is a popular place for tourists in Malaysia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site called Mulu, after the nearby mountain. In a mountainous equatorial rainforest, the park has some of the most amazing caves and karst formations you’ll ever see.
It is the world’s biggest cave chamber, measuring 700 by 396 meters, and is at least 70 meters high. The room is so big that around 40 Boeing 747s could fit inside without their wings touching. The national park is out in the middle of nowhere. The Mulu limestone was made between 17 and 40 million years ago.
