The Cave of Crystals was discovered in 2000 by the Sanchez miner brothers, who were digging a new tunnel in the mine complex. It is located at a depth of 300 meters under the city of Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. The cave is unique in the presence of giant crystals of selenite. The largest of the found crystals has a size of 11 m in length and 4 m in width, with a mass of 55 tons. This is one of the largest known crystals. It is very hot in the cave, 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, being in a cave usually does not exceed 20 minutes.
Waitomo Glowworm Cave, New Zealand:
The Waitomo Caves are truly a masterpiece of nature, over which she has worked for many millions of years. For many centuries, the ocean has ruled here, creating bizarre limestone outgrowths 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 arch of the cave look like a starry sky on a frosty night.
Blue Grotto (Grotto Azzurra), Italy:
This beautiful cave is only accessible 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, scattered over the surface of the Svínafellsjökull glacier, draws amazing pictures on the vaults of the ice cave, creating the illusion of being at sea depth. Depth underground passage does not exceed 50 meters, and the width of the cave is only 10 meters. During the winter months, a crackling sound is heard inside, caused by the movement of the glacier.
Such pure azure and blue hues are the result of the absence of air bubbles in the ice. You can see colored ice at certain weather conditions; one of them is the absence or minimum amount of snow on the surface. Intense 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 a mass of snow.
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 in plants and stalactites. At certain hours of the day, light enters the interior, 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 the purest deposits of marble. The walls of the Chilean landmark have a surprisingly beautiful bright blue color, and the blue water of the lake doubles the impression of what they see. It is also worth mentioning that the caves consist of many labyrinths and tunnels, over the creation of which the coastal waves worked hard.
Ice caves near Mutnovsky volcano, Russia:
A small and very beautiful snow cave on the slope of the Mutnovsky volcano.
Dongzhong Cave, China:
Dongzhong Cave (whose name is simply translated as "cave") is located in the village of Mao in the Chinese province of Guizhou. Since 1984, the cave has been equipped as an elementary school.
Fingal's Cave, Scotland
The famous sea cave, washed into the rock by sea water, on the island of Staffa, part of the Inner Hebrides group. The walls are made up 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) - amazing creation nature, located in the city of Guilin (China). Growing around the cave special kind reed, 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. Ludi Yan Cave, like Waitomo Cave, has illumination, but not natural, but "artificial" - artificial. With its help, the Chinese successfully emphasize the beauty of the flawless creation of nature. Multi-colored lights playfully paint 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, and besides, an amateur speleologist, then Allison Cave is ideal for you, namely its Fancy Mine, 179 meters deep.
Kyaut Sae cave in Myanmar:
Few people know about this cave, but nevertheless it impresses both with its size and the fact that a Buddhist temple is located in it.
Son Doong Cave, Vietnam:
The largest cave in the world. It is located in Central Vietnam, in the province of Quang Binh, in national park Phong Nha Kebang, 500 kilometers south of Hanoi and 40 kilometers from the provincial center - Dong Hoi. This cave has been known to locals since 1991, in April 2009 it was discovered by a group of British speleologists. The cave has underground river, flooding some parts of the cave during the rainy season.
Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave, Austria:
The Eisriesenwelt caves are the largest system of ice caves on our planet available for viewing. Eisriesenwelt 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 eroded limestone rocks over thousands of years. Currently, the riverbed is below the entrance to the caves.
The Eisriesenwelt caves were discovered by accident as early as 1849. For a long time only hunters and poachers knew about them. The date of the official discovery 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 account of his discovery in a mountaineering magazine, but this information did not arouse due 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 is Lake Ledyanoe. The move on the left will lead to the next grotto - the Ice Palace. Lake Main is located here, and a little further - 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 mountains of Guadalupe in the state of New Mexico, endless labyrinths of halls, tunnels and corridors are hidden, the main inhabitants of which are bats. The charm of Carlsbad caves becomes more charming and mysterious with the advent of twilight. The park and the caves got their name in honor of the nearby city of Carlsbad.
Barton Creek Cave, Belize:
This cave has not only extraordinary natural beauty, but is also a living witness to the household items of the ancient Maya, 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. In 1836, the upper cave was discovered by William Thomson, and the lower cave was discovered by Lebanese speleologists in 1958. The length of the Upper Cave is 2200 meters, but only part of it, which is 750 meters long, is open to tourists. There are three halls in the Upper Cave, each of which is 100 meters or more in height. 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:
Caves Cango (Cango Caves), tacitly called the wonder of the world. The caves are famous for their Organ Hall» — stalactites descending along the walls form something resembling a large organ here, which, combined with music and lighting effects, makes an indelible impression on visitors.
Aven Armand Cave, France:
A special funicular lowers visitors 50 meters deep into the tunnel, which is 200 meters long. There suddenly turns out to be a huge hall in which Notre Dame Cathedral could easily fit.
What do the caves hide in their twilight, how are they ready to amaze even the most sophisticated viewer, is there at least a fraction of the 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
It is located in the bowels of the ice Ural mountains, a hundred kilometers from Perm. Many call it the Kingdom of the Snow Queen. In winter, the temperature in it drops below thirty degrees. Such a climate caused the formation of beautiful ice crystals that adorn the cave. According to scientists, their age is ten thousand years. The installed laser illumination makes their radiance inimitable. And the natural splendor is complemented by unusual sculptures created by people from blocks of ice.The Diamond and Polar grottoes are recognized as the most beautiful. All this is complemented by about seventy lakes, the largest of which is big lake. According to ancient folk legends, this cave used to be inhabited. This is confirmed by the well and the hermit's hut found in the Cross Grotto.
Kapova cave
It is located in the reserve called Shulgan-Tash, in Bashkiria. It gained its fame thanks to the paleotic drawings found on its walls. According to scientists, their age is not less than 15 thousand years. Some of them are made with charcoal, others with ocher. Speleologists were struck by the fact that no traces of burning were found on the ceiling, which should have occurred when the walls were illuminated. According to them, the ancient people who left these cave paintings used the likeness of kerosene lamps. The only fuel was fat. 
Human skulls were also found here, however, without skeletons. A theory has been put forward that this type of burial used to speak of the significance and greatness of the deceased.
marble cave
The age of this cave, located in the Crimea, is about two million years. The entrance to the Marble Cave on the lower plateau is not famous mountain Chatyr-Dag. The name of the cave was due to the rocks of marble limestone found here. The temperature in it does not rise above eight degrees, even in summer. Among the unusual outgrowths of the cave, the most extraordinary is the Kiss. This sculpture allegedly brings good luck in love and strengthens family unions. There is a belief that an unmarried couple who kissed next to these growths will soon get married. The route starts from the gallery of Fairy Tales, where wonderful animals and fairy-tale characters meet. 
Caves can also surprise with their names .. The site has.
The most famous caves in the world
Reed Flute Cave, China
This ancient dungeon is more than 180 million years old. It was formed by the destruction of quartz rocks by water, not far from the town of Guilin. This beautiful name it got it because of the variety of sugar cane growing around, from the stems of which flutes with a wonderful sound have been made for several centuries. The length of the cave is small, about 500 meters, but it more than pays off with a stunning view of stalagmites that look like trees. And their columns form whole gardens. 
The Staff of the Dragon King stalactite is also very famous, it is of a very bizarre shape and giant size. He decorates the hall of the Crystal Palace. It is worth visiting such halls as the Red Threshold, the Dragon Tower, Dawn in the Lion's Grove, Pine in the Snow.
Mammoth Cave, USA
It is over ten million years old and is located in Kentucky. Mammoths were not found here, and this name is due to the fact that the word mammoth is also translated as "huge". And this absolutely accurately reflects the size of the cave. It has five tiers, over two hundred grottoes, passages and galleries. Their length is more than five hundred kilometers. 
Its red limestone arches look very impressive, especially in the Broadway corridor, not far from which the Styx and Echo rivers flow. Rare species of shrimp, blind fish and crayfish live in them. 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 a special Hall of Records. 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 most famous cave This is Fingal's Cave in Scotland. It is located on desert island Staffa. 
The cave owes its name to a Scottish poet named James MacPherson. The legend says that the giant Fingal built a dam to connect Ireland with Scotland, along which the giant passed into his dwelling, while Fingal was fast asleep before the upcoming battle with him. The hero's wife, however, showed ingenuity and, pointing to her husband, said that it was Fingal's infant son dozing. A huge enemy, imagining the size of the father of this baby, gave a tear in horror, destroying the dam. The second justification for this name was that Big hall cave whimsically repeats the sounds of the surf, and she seems to sing. These enchanting sounds prompted Mendelssohn to write the famous overture "The Hebrides, or Fingal's Cave." It also strikes with intricately woven basalt columns that have six and octagonal shapes.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen
In 1991, in Vietnam (near the border with Laos), the unique Son Doong Cave was discovered, 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 halls, which will take more than one month to inspect, 150 pieces were found in the cave.
In 2009 and 2010, speleologists from the UK worked in Son Doong Cave. They spent two weeks underground and described in detail unusual phenomenon nature. Scientists were amazed by the deep chasms and the magnificent stone columns that they met on their way. They are sure 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 sake of a dangerous trip to 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 turbulent river, the waters of which formed large rooms in the rocks. and carved rock paintings.
How to get to Son Doong 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 most hardy 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 also being created. Tourists are waiting for many kilometers walking route with crossing water obstacles.
If you liked this material, share it with your friends on social networks. Thanks!
These unique caves- not the scenery for the film and not 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. Sopka hugging ice caves, which were formed by 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
The Algarve is the southernmost province of Portugal and is home to a wide variety of 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 national park of the same name, located 77 kilometers from the city of Mae Hong Son.
Kyat Se Cave, Myanmar
Not much is known about this cave in Myanmar, except that there is a beautiful Buddhist temple inside. 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. 
