Kazimiera
01-30-2014, 05:12 PM
15 Awesome Caves Around The World
If there is any other place in the world that hides the beauty and splendor of nature like the depths of the ocean, then it would be caves. These crevices and cavities created under the earth or within mountains have a good amount of majesty to share with explorers and adventurers. Breathtaking, intricate, and massive, these are the 15 most amazing caves in the world.
#15. Cave of the Ghost – Cainama National Park, Venezuela
http://i2.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/15.-Cave-of-the-Ghost-%E2%80%93-Cainama-National-Park-Venezuela.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C938
Also known as ‘La Cueva del Fantasma,’ this is an interesting cave located in southern Venezuela. Situated in one of the most biologically rich and geologically ancient parts of the world in the Aprada tepui, it is just barely large enough to contain two helicopters. However, experts believed that this is not actually a cave but a collapsed steep gorge.
#14. Fingal Cave – Staffa, Scotland
http://i2.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/14.-Fingal-Cave-%E2%80%93-Staffa-Scotland.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
A sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa in Scotland, it was formed entirely from hexagonally-jointed basalt columns within a Paleocene lava flow. It is well-known for its naturally arched roof, which produces eerie sounds made by the echoes of the waves to give the atmosphere of a natural cathedral.
#13. The Reed Flute Cave – Guangxi, China
http://i0.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/13.-The-Reed-Flute-Cave-%E2%80%93-Guangxi-China.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
A landmark and a tourist attraction outside the city of Gullin in Guangxi, China, its name was derived from the reeds growing inside the cave that are ideal for flute making. It offers magnificent rock and mineral formations, stone pillars, and carbon deposits. Illuminated by different colored lights, it has been one of Gulin’s most interesting tourists’ attractions for the past 1,200 years. Rediscovered in 1940s by a group of refugees, this 180 years old cave has more than 70 inscriptions written in ink that date as far as 792 AD to the Tang Dynasty.
#12. Harrison’s Cave – Allen View, Barbados
http://i2.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/12.-Harrison%E2%80%99s-Cave-%E2%80%93-Allen-View-Barbados.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
Named after Thomas Harrison who owned the area in the early 1700s, Harrison Cave was rediscovered in 1974 by Ole Sorensen, an engineer and cave adventure enthusiast from Denmark and was later developed by the government of Barbados as a show cave and attraction. The caves, which were opened to the public in 1981, are formed naturally through water erosion via the limestone rock. The guided tour usually starts at “The Great Hall,” a huge cavern 100 ft in height; and is followed by a stop at ”The Village,” where formations have joined to form columns after thousands of years.
#11. Phong Nha Cave – Minh Hoa, Vietnam
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/11.-Phong-Nha-Cave-%E2%80%93-Minh-Hoa-Vietnam.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
The Phong Nha Cave, which is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, is located in the Minh Hoa districts in north-central Vietnam, about 500 km south of Hanoi. The national park was created to protect its over 300 caves and grottoes, aside from the ecosystem and the limestone forest of the Annamite Range. Out of the 300 Phong Nha caves, only 20 of those have been surveyed by scientists. With a total length of 126 km, it held several records including the longest underground river and the largest caverns and passageways before the discovery of Son Doong Cave.
#10. Glowworm Cave: Waitomo, New Zealand
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/10.-Glowworm-Cave-Waitomo-New-Zealand.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
These mini lights may look like twinkling stars, but they’re bioluminescence worms! Actually they’re larvae and adult female larviform that are about the size of a mosquito. The Waitomo caves are filled with the glowworms, which are unique to New Zealand and quite a tourist attraction.
#9. Crystal Cave: Skaftafell, Iceland
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/9.-Crystal-Cave-Skaftafell-Iceland.jpg?resize=500%2C500
Wow, how is this possible? Believe it or not, the ice cavern is formed when a lagoon above it freezes over. Additionally, it sits within a glacier and is created by waterfalls melting holes into the ice while the water drains down to lower elevations, all the while forming long tunnels and ice caves. Beautiful!
#8. Lechuguilla Cavez: National Park, New Mexico
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/8.-Lechuguilla-Cavez-National-Park-New-Mexico.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=401%2C600
Doesn’t it look like a scene out of a Dr. Seuss story? Actually, it’s the fifth longest cave in the world, and famously known for its rare mineral formations of gypsum and lemon-yellow sulfur deposits. Most folks will have to experience the cave through pictures, as it’s only available to approved scientific researchers and exploration teams.
#7. Marble Caves: Puerto Río Tranquilo, Chile
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/7.-Marble-Caves-Puerto-R%C3%ADo-Tranquilo-Chile.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=600%2C450
Swaths of turquoise almost appear like a painting in this incredible spot! The way to view this breathtaking vision is on a hired boat from December to February during Puerto Rio’s high tourists season. Located on Lake General Carrera, there are a series of watery marble caverns that cross over Chile’s border into Buenos Aires.
#6. Cave of Swallows: Schwalbenhöhle, Mexico
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/6.-Cave-of-Swallows-Schwalbenh%C3%B6hle-Mexico.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
Cave of Swallows is so deep, it’s often said that the Chrysler building could easily fit within it. Its opening is the largest known in the world and entering it is not a small feat, hence the skydiver! Deceptive of its name, there are an abundance of various bird species living in holes on the cave walls.
#5. Eisriesenwelt Cave: Werfen, Austria
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/5.-Eisriesenwelt-Cave-Werfen-Austria.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=600%2C318
It’s known amongst the world’s largest of caves, and the name translates into the “World of the Ice Giants”! It’s an underworld ice phenomenon located in the Alps and was created by the Salzach river flowing through it nearly 100 million years ago. Before its discovery, locals thought the caves’s entrance led to Hell, so it remained unexplored until in 1912.
#4. Huanglong Cave: Hunan, China
http://i2.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/4.-Huanglong-Cave-Hunan-China.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=550%2C366
A stunning walkway bridge gives us a great perspective of the size of this cavern. Covering over 120 acres with depths unverified, the CITS website amazingly mentions that its entrance is just about 6.6 feet wide. Visitors have to descend vertically into the cave on a timber ladder! It’s also known as a “Buddha Cave”, as it houses three Buddha statues built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644).
#3. Cave of Crystals: Chihuahua, Mexico
http://i2.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/3.-Cave-of-Crystals-Chihuahua-Mexico.jpg?resize=550%2C368
Do those explorers appear extra tiny?! The scale of these monstrous crystal formations is what science fiction is made-up of! The cave’s natural crystals were actually formed from various water and earth minerals. It reaches temperatures of 136 °F, with 90 to 99% humidity! Unfortunately, they’re deteriorating and scientists are rushing to document them.
#2. Son Doong Cave, Vietnam
http://i0.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1.-Son-Doong-Cave-Vietnam.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=550%2C412
Its massive size is almost beyond description at 5.5 miles long, with an entire forest growing inside alongside a river. Interestingly, it was only just discovered in 1991 when a local farmer stumbled across it while seeking shelter from a storm. Amazing!
#1. Blue Grotto – Capri, Italy
http://i0.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1.-Blue-Grotto-%E2%80%93-Capri-Italy.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
A famous sea cave on the coast of the island of Capri in Italy, the sunlight that passes through the underwater cavity and shines through the seawater creates a blue reflection that illuminates the cave.
Source: http://amazingbeautifulworld.com/amazing-world/15-awesome-caves-around-the-world/15/
If there is any other place in the world that hides the beauty and splendor of nature like the depths of the ocean, then it would be caves. These crevices and cavities created under the earth or within mountains have a good amount of majesty to share with explorers and adventurers. Breathtaking, intricate, and massive, these are the 15 most amazing caves in the world.
#15. Cave of the Ghost – Cainama National Park, Venezuela
http://i2.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/15.-Cave-of-the-Ghost-%E2%80%93-Cainama-National-Park-Venezuela.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C938
Also known as ‘La Cueva del Fantasma,’ this is an interesting cave located in southern Venezuela. Situated in one of the most biologically rich and geologically ancient parts of the world in the Aprada tepui, it is just barely large enough to contain two helicopters. However, experts believed that this is not actually a cave but a collapsed steep gorge.
#14. Fingal Cave – Staffa, Scotland
http://i2.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/14.-Fingal-Cave-%E2%80%93-Staffa-Scotland.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
A sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa in Scotland, it was formed entirely from hexagonally-jointed basalt columns within a Paleocene lava flow. It is well-known for its naturally arched roof, which produces eerie sounds made by the echoes of the waves to give the atmosphere of a natural cathedral.
#13. The Reed Flute Cave – Guangxi, China
http://i0.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/13.-The-Reed-Flute-Cave-%E2%80%93-Guangxi-China.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
A landmark and a tourist attraction outside the city of Gullin in Guangxi, China, its name was derived from the reeds growing inside the cave that are ideal for flute making. It offers magnificent rock and mineral formations, stone pillars, and carbon deposits. Illuminated by different colored lights, it has been one of Gulin’s most interesting tourists’ attractions for the past 1,200 years. Rediscovered in 1940s by a group of refugees, this 180 years old cave has more than 70 inscriptions written in ink that date as far as 792 AD to the Tang Dynasty.
#12. Harrison’s Cave – Allen View, Barbados
http://i2.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/12.-Harrison%E2%80%99s-Cave-%E2%80%93-Allen-View-Barbados.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
Named after Thomas Harrison who owned the area in the early 1700s, Harrison Cave was rediscovered in 1974 by Ole Sorensen, an engineer and cave adventure enthusiast from Denmark and was later developed by the government of Barbados as a show cave and attraction. The caves, which were opened to the public in 1981, are formed naturally through water erosion via the limestone rock. The guided tour usually starts at “The Great Hall,” a huge cavern 100 ft in height; and is followed by a stop at ”The Village,” where formations have joined to form columns after thousands of years.
#11. Phong Nha Cave – Minh Hoa, Vietnam
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/11.-Phong-Nha-Cave-%E2%80%93-Minh-Hoa-Vietnam.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
The Phong Nha Cave, which is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, is located in the Minh Hoa districts in north-central Vietnam, about 500 km south of Hanoi. The national park was created to protect its over 300 caves and grottoes, aside from the ecosystem and the limestone forest of the Annamite Range. Out of the 300 Phong Nha caves, only 20 of those have been surveyed by scientists. With a total length of 126 km, it held several records including the longest underground river and the largest caverns and passageways before the discovery of Son Doong Cave.
#10. Glowworm Cave: Waitomo, New Zealand
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/10.-Glowworm-Cave-Waitomo-New-Zealand.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
These mini lights may look like twinkling stars, but they’re bioluminescence worms! Actually they’re larvae and adult female larviform that are about the size of a mosquito. The Waitomo caves are filled with the glowworms, which are unique to New Zealand and quite a tourist attraction.
#9. Crystal Cave: Skaftafell, Iceland
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/9.-Crystal-Cave-Skaftafell-Iceland.jpg?resize=500%2C500
Wow, how is this possible? Believe it or not, the ice cavern is formed when a lagoon above it freezes over. Additionally, it sits within a glacier and is created by waterfalls melting holes into the ice while the water drains down to lower elevations, all the while forming long tunnels and ice caves. Beautiful!
#8. Lechuguilla Cavez: National Park, New Mexico
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/8.-Lechuguilla-Cavez-National-Park-New-Mexico.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=401%2C600
Doesn’t it look like a scene out of a Dr. Seuss story? Actually, it’s the fifth longest cave in the world, and famously known for its rare mineral formations of gypsum and lemon-yellow sulfur deposits. Most folks will have to experience the cave through pictures, as it’s only available to approved scientific researchers and exploration teams.
#7. Marble Caves: Puerto Río Tranquilo, Chile
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/7.-Marble-Caves-Puerto-R%C3%ADo-Tranquilo-Chile.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=600%2C450
Swaths of turquoise almost appear like a painting in this incredible spot! The way to view this breathtaking vision is on a hired boat from December to February during Puerto Rio’s high tourists season. Located on Lake General Carrera, there are a series of watery marble caverns that cross over Chile’s border into Buenos Aires.
#6. Cave of Swallows: Schwalbenhöhle, Mexico
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/6.-Cave-of-Swallows-Schwalbenh%C3%B6hle-Mexico.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
Cave of Swallows is so deep, it’s often said that the Chrysler building could easily fit within it. Its opening is the largest known in the world and entering it is not a small feat, hence the skydiver! Deceptive of its name, there are an abundance of various bird species living in holes on the cave walls.
#5. Eisriesenwelt Cave: Werfen, Austria
http://i1.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/5.-Eisriesenwelt-Cave-Werfen-Austria.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=600%2C318
It’s known amongst the world’s largest of caves, and the name translates into the “World of the Ice Giants”! It’s an underworld ice phenomenon located in the Alps and was created by the Salzach river flowing through it nearly 100 million years ago. Before its discovery, locals thought the caves’s entrance led to Hell, so it remained unexplored until in 1912.
#4. Huanglong Cave: Hunan, China
http://i2.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/4.-Huanglong-Cave-Hunan-China.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=550%2C366
A stunning walkway bridge gives us a great perspective of the size of this cavern. Covering over 120 acres with depths unverified, the CITS website amazingly mentions that its entrance is just about 6.6 feet wide. Visitors have to descend vertically into the cave on a timber ladder! It’s also known as a “Buddha Cave”, as it houses three Buddha statues built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644).
#3. Cave of Crystals: Chihuahua, Mexico
http://i2.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/3.-Cave-of-Crystals-Chihuahua-Mexico.jpg?resize=550%2C368
Do those explorers appear extra tiny?! The scale of these monstrous crystal formations is what science fiction is made-up of! The cave’s natural crystals were actually formed from various water and earth minerals. It reaches temperatures of 136 °F, with 90 to 99% humidity! Unfortunately, they’re deteriorating and scientists are rushing to document them.
#2. Son Doong Cave, Vietnam
http://i0.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1.-Son-Doong-Cave-Vietnam.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=550%2C412
Its massive size is almost beyond description at 5.5 miles long, with an entire forest growing inside alongside a river. Interestingly, it was only just discovered in 1991 when a local farmer stumbled across it while seeking shelter from a storm. Amazing!
#1. Blue Grotto – Capri, Italy
http://i0.wp.com/amazingbeautifulworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1.-Blue-Grotto-%E2%80%93-Capri-Italy.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=610%2C458
A famous sea cave on the coast of the island of Capri in Italy, the sunlight that passes through the underwater cavity and shines through the seawater creates a blue reflection that illuminates the cave.
Source: http://amazingbeautifulworld.com/amazing-world/15-awesome-caves-around-the-world/15/