Ten most unusual caves in the world (10 photos). Ten most unusual caves in the world (10 photos) Where: Palawan Island, Philippines

Very many well-known caves are allowed to be visited only by speleologists and other researchers, but there are many underground objects that can be visited by all interested tourists. Forbes magazine has compiled a rating of the most beautiful caves in the world, where anyone can go.

1. Waitomo Caves, North Island, New Zealand
Tour price: NZ$46 for 45 minutes.

The age of this cave with an underground river is more than 2 million years. It was discovered and explored by the leader of the Maori tribe, Tane Tinorau, and the English surveyor Fred Mays in 1887.

One of the grottoes is called "The Grotto of Fireflies". An amazing spectacle is observed in it - the Starry Sky - which is created by the larvae of the mushroom mosquitoes Arachnocampa Luminosa.

Another dry cave is called the Cathedral for its amazing acoustics. Once the famous opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa performed there.

2. Jeita Grotto Caves (Lebanon)
Tour price: 10,175 Lebanese pounds (about $7) for 2 hours

These karst caves located near Beirut. The length is 9 km. In 1836, the American missionary William Thomson discovered an underground river here, and since then researchers have become interested in the caves.

An underground river flows in the lower level of the caves and serves as the source of the Nahr Al-Kalb River, which waters the whole of Beirut. This underground river has rapids and waterfalls.

On the upper galleries there are caves called "White Grotto" and "Red Grotto". A tunnel 120 meters long leads to them. In the "White Grotto" you can see a 8.2 meter stalactite, called the largest in the world.

3. Cuevas del Drach - Dragon Caves (Las Cuevas del Drach, Mallorca, Spain)
Tour price: €11.5 for 1 hour.

The caves are a system with a length of 2.5 km and are not deep, only 25 meters. Opened by the founder of speleology Edouard Alfred Martel.

It contains one of the world's largest underground lakes (1150 m long and 30 m wide) "Martel", named after its discoverer - Edouard Alfred Martel.

In 1935, classical music concerts began to be organized here, after lighting was installed and an electric imitation of dawn over water was created.

4. Kungur ice cave ( Perm region, Russia)
Tour price: from 500 rubles for 1 hour 20 minutes.

This system of gypsum caves is very cold: in some grottoes, even in summer, the temperature does not rise above zero and there is ice. Therefore, this cave is called "Ice". It is the seventh longest cave in the world.

In this cave: 48 grottoes, 70 underground lakes, 146 so-called "organ pipes" - large holes reaching almost to the surface of the earth. Length of the cave: 5.7 km.

The tourist route passes through 21 grottoes and is only one and a half kilometers long.

5. Mulu Caves (Borneo, Malaysia)
Tour price: from 20 ringgits (about $6) for the caves; in the grotto of Sarawak - 225 ringgit, and 10 ringgit - for the entrance to the territory of the Gunung Mulu National Park.

On the island of Borneo, there are caves called "Gua-Nasib-Bagus". It contains the largest grotto in the world, called Sarawak. Its dimensions are 700 m long, 396 m wide and 70 m high.

Here you can see: fantastic calcite columns and stalagmites in the "Cave of the Winds", and an underground river 108 km long in the "Cave of Pure Water".

In the "Deer Cave", thanks to a hole in the ceiling, a piece of land appeared covered with lush vegetation, illuminated by the sun. This place is called - "Garden of Eden".

6. Skocjan Caves (Škocjanske jame, Slovenia)
Tour price: €15

By the name of the limestone plateau "Kras" (Karst) in Slovenia are called all the karst caves in the world. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Škocjan Caves are the most enchanting sight on this plateau.

In the distant past, some caves collapsed and formed two colossal karst failures: "Velika Dolina" and "Mala Dolina". The river "River" passes through them, emerging from the rock - it was she who formed these caves.

Majestic karst grottoes, 30 waterfalls and a 2.5 km deep underground gorge are part of this cave system. Her total length is 6 km.

7. Caves Jenolan (Jenolan Caves, Australia)
Tour price: from 28 to 200 Australian dollars for admission.

This cave system is located in blue mountains. The natives call them "Binumea" - which means "Dark Places". They believed in the healing properties of the water of the underground river and brought sick people here.

Over 250,000 tourists visit the 11 Jenolan Caves every year.

The widest and highest cave "Lukas" is the most visited. The entrance fee to each cave is taken separately, and the more difficult the route, the more expensive.

8. Cango caves (South Africa)
Tour price: 64 rand (about $9) for 1 hour.

They are located in the Western Cape. According to legend, the caves were discovered in 1780 by local squatter Van Zil, whose name is the first grotto of this cave system.

Along with the usual route to Cango, you can also take the so-called "Adventure Tour" through hard-to-reach passages.

This adventurous journey ends with an eccentric attraction called: "Devil's Mailbox". Here, tourists - acting as a letter - alternately stick themselves into a narrow gap leading down.

9. Eisriesenwelt (Austria)
Tour price: €19 for 1 hour 20 minutes (including ticket for cable car, delivering to the entrance to the caves.

Translated from German, the name of the caves sounds like - "Giant Ice World". This is the world's largest ice cave system located 40 km from Salzburg.

About a thousand years ago, snow got inside the caves, then it began to melt and formed fantastic frozen ice waterfalls, and growths of the most unusual form.

Everyone who is here gets the impression of a terrible, but still beautiful fairy tale. This effect was achieved using a complex lighting system.

10. Carlsbad Caverns (New Mexico, USA)
Excursion price: $8 - as part of a group; and independently - $.

These caves are located in the mountains of Guadalupe and got their name from the nearby town of Carlsbad, named after the world-famous Karlovy Vary.

Carlsbad Caverns have the status of a national park. The most beautiful grotto is called "Queen's Grotto". The first serious explorer of the Carlsbad Caverns was Jim White.

Mysterious sounds are heard in the "Mystery Room", which is located next to the "Queen's Grotto". And the emerald-colored lagoon is located in the grotto of the "Green Lake"

/According to forbes.ru/

TOP 10 most beautiful caves exciting journey on unique underground objects, the beauty and power of which only speleologists can fully appreciate. Since ancient times, caves have served as a shelter for a person, a pass to afterworld and the habitat of monsters and evil spirits. We bring to your attention the TOP 10 most beautiful and amazing caves in the world.

The first place in the TOP 10 most beautiful caves is cave of crystals. The Cave of Crystals is located in Mexico at a depth of 300 meters under the city of Naica. The uniqueness of this cave is that inside it there are giant selenite crystals. Selenite crystal is a variety of the mineral gypsum. Due to the densely intergrown fine fibers, the selenite crystal has an iridescent effect, a silky sheen and a perfectly polished surface. This material is used in jewelry, in the manufacture of jewelry and figurines. The largest selenite crystal in the Cave of Crystals is 11 meters in size, 4.5 meters wide and weighs 55 tons. It is almost impossible to stay in this cave, because at a humidity of 100% the air temperature warms up to +57 degrees. The Cave of Crystals was formed as a result of lava heating of underground waters filled with a large amount of gypsum. The Cave of Crystals was accidentally discovered in 2000 by miners who were digging a new tunnel and looking for deposits of zinc, lead and silver. Scientists say that the cave of the Crystals needs to be flooded again, as the crystals collapse on contact with air.

The second place in the TOP 10 most beautiful caves is with the lake. It is located in Eastern Greece on the island of Kefalonia, 10 kilometers from the city of Argostoli. Melissani Cave was formed through a complex karst process, during which water dissolved rocks, destroyed and created depressions among limestone rocks. In the middle of the Melissani cave there is a superb lake with crystal clear turquoise water, around which unique plants grow. According to scientists, the age of this lake is 20 thousand years, and maximum depth reaches 14 meters. An earthquake that occurred here 4 thousand years ago destroyed the "roof" of the Melissani cave. To get on a boat ride on the lake, you need to go underground and go through a tunnel to the pier.

In third place in the TOP 10 most beautiful caves were Skocjan Caves. These caves are located in the southwest of Slovenia, created by the efforts of the river Reka. River River or Timavo, 85 kilometers long, is considered the widest river in karst cavities. The length of the underground part of the River is 34 kilometers. The first kilometers to the Kras Reka plateau flows through the gorge, after which it goes underground. Tourists can admire its underground part and walk along the Church Bridge, which is located at a height of 45 meters. The Skocjan Caves are located 20 kilometers from the city of Trieste. The largest cave in Slovenian caves is Martel, which is 146 meters long and 300 meters deep. According to speleologists, the volume of the Martel grotto is 2.5 million cubic meters. In 1986 the Škocjan Caves were listed world heritage UNESCO. While descending into the Shkocyan caves, everyone can enjoy the terraces deposited with calcium carbonate, which is somewhat reminiscent of a rice field in China. The temperature in the Shkocyan caves at a depth of 145 meters is about 13 degrees. First tourist routes arrived here in 1906. According to official data nature reserve Over 100,000 tourists visit the Škocjan Caves every year.

The fourth place in the ranking of the TOP 10 most beautiful caves is Cueva de las Manos or Cave of the Hands. This amazing cave is located in the valley of the Pinturas River in the province of Santa Cruz, in the southern part of Argentina. The uniqueness of the Cave of Hands is that its walls are decorated with thousands of human handprints made by primitive people about two hundred thousand years ago. Mostly these are male prints. Archaeologists believe that they were made during the rites for the initiation of boys into men. There are a lot of unique rock paintings on the walls of the Cave of Hands that tell about the life of the Indian tribe Tehuelches. Ancient people painted on the wall an image of rhea ostrich, feline representatives and bolas hunting weapons. The Cave of the Hands is located in the Francisco Moreno Park. Interesting fact on the walls of this cave you can see the prints of only the left hand. Since multi-colored drawings were applied in the Cave of Hands with the help of paint, which was blown out of a tube, holding it in the right hand. In 1999, the Cave of Hands was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The next in the ranking of the TOP 10 most beautiful caves are Cenots, a unique formation of cave wells in the rocks that appeared under the influence of water. Centuries ago, the Yucatan Peninsula was a reef at the bottom of the ocean. As a result of the movement of tectonic plates, the water receded, large caves began to form in the soil. The cenotes of the Yucatán Peninsula include four species; underground, semi-underground, open wells and wells that are at ground level. The uniqueness of the cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula is that, not having a single freshwater river, all the water in the caves and grottoes is freshwater. underground caves decorated with stalagmites and stalactites, which are over 65 million years old. Everyone can go diving or just swim in the clear waters of the cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Singing was in sixth place in the ranking of the TOP 10 most beautiful caves. This cave is located in the UK on the island of Staffa. Fingal's Cave is a sea cave, washed out by sea water in the rock. The walls of the singing cave are vertical, hexagonal basalt columns, 25 meters high and about 70 meters deep. Fingal's Cave was discovered in 1772 by renowned naturalist Joseph Banks. The name of Fingal's Cave in Gaelic translates as "cave of melodies". Thanks to the unique arches and a peculiar dome, this place has a unique acoustics that spreads the sounds of the surf throughout the cave. According to eyewitnesses, the sounds that come from Fingal's Cave resemble the singing of the choir in the Cathedral. Modern name the cave received in 1829, when the German composer Jacob Ludwig Mendelssohn visited here. Fingal's Cave was named after the overture of the "White Wanderer" Fingal, the legendary hero of Celtic antiquity who created the legendary "Giant's Road" between Ireland and Scotland. To get inside Fingal's cave, you need to go along a narrow path, on the edge of the abyss.

Seventh place in the TOP 10 most beautiful caves is occupied by Skaftafell Ice Cave. These caves are located in Iceland in the Skaftafell National Park in the valley of the Vatnajökull glacier. Skaftafell is a bowl-shaped park with an area of ​​4,810 square kilometers. Half the area of ​​one of the largest National parks Europe, occupies a glacier. In addition, there is Mount Kristinartindar, the Laki volcano and the Morsardalur valley. On the frozen lagoon of the Svinafellsjokull glacier is the amazing Skaftafell Cave. The unique sapphire color of this cave appeared due to the fact that over the centuries, centuries-old ice was compressed, displacing air bubbles. In the absence of oxygen, the ice absorbs sunlight, which inside the cave shimmers from bright blue to sapphire. To admire the charms of the Skaftafell cave, you need to enter the seven-meter cave entrance located at the very edge coastline. For the safety of tourists, visiting this place is allowed in winter at sub-zero temperatures. According to scientists, Skaftafell Cave and the glacier on which it is located are constantly moving. The speed of their movement sometimes reaches 1.5 per day. This is evidenced by loud rattles that come from the touch of solid rock with ice.

We gave the eighth line in the TOP 10 most beautiful caves to the largest ice cave in the world Eisriesenwelt. The cave in which the ice is stored all year round is located in Austria on the land of Salzburg, near the city of Werfen. In German, Eisriesenwelt means "giant ice world". The length of this cave is 42 kilometers, the depth is 410 meters, but only 1 kilometer of the path is provided for visiting tourists. To get to the Eisriesenwelt, you need to take a train in Salzburg to the city of Werfen, and from there take a bus that will take you directly to the funicular entrance. The temperature in the Eisriesenwelt cave never exceeds 0 degrees. The first official mention of this place dates back to 1879. It was then that the German naturalist Anton von Posselyt-Kzorich first explored the Eisriesenwelt caves. During the tour, visitors are given carbide lamps so that everyone can better warm the range of the ice cave.

The penultimate line in the TOP 10 most beautiful caves is in Lebanon. The Jeita cave complex dates back to the Paleolithic era. It is located near the city of Beirut (20 kilometers) in the valley of the Nahr Al-Kalb River. The Jeita Caves complex consists of the Upper Cave, which was discovered in 1836 by the American missionary William Thomson. He discovered an underground river and decided to take a shot, after which he realized that a huge cave was hidden under its waters. But the lower part of the Jeita caves was discovered in 1958 by Lebanese speleologists. The length of the Upper Jeita Caves is about two kilometers, but only 750 meters are available for tourists. The upper part of the caves consists of three halls, which can be reached using a lift. The length of the Lower Jeita Caves is 6,900 meters. To get to the Lower Caves, you can use auto-steam locomotives. In this cave, you can ride a boat, making half a kilometer river trip. According to the laws of Lebanon, photo and video shooting is strictly prohibited in the Jaita caves. Enforcement of the rules and order is carefully monitored by the guards.

Closes the TOP 10 most beautiful caves the main attraction Greek island Zakynthos -. The Blue Caves are located at the northern end of the island, near Cape Skinari. The name Blue Caves comes from the refraction of sunlight, which, reflected in the sea, fills the grotto with a blue tint. The largest local cave is Kianun Spileo, which in Greek means "azure grotto or cave." It was opened in 1897. The main feature of the Blue Caves is that any object that is immersed in the water here acquires a bright blue color. The full beauty of the Blue Caves can be appreciated by taking a boat tour starting from Navagio Bay.

When it's time for holidays and vacations, hundreds of thousands of Russians pack their bags and board a charter to fly to Turkey. They are waiting for Marmaris, Antalya, Kemer and "all inclusive". However, in fact, they are deeply mistaken, because Turkey is not only a free bar and a hotel pool, Turkey is unimaginable beautiful country, which is fraught with a lot of interesting things.

There are ancient cities, ancient theaters, underground churches and ... caves. In total, there are more than 35,000 of them in the country, however, only a small part is open to the public.

This year we toured Turkey, covering 7500 kilometers. And one of our main goals was to visit the caves. Having visited many of them, my partner and I were able to make our own rating of the most beautiful and interesting, in our opinion, underground and mountain beauties.

10th place. Karatash cave.

We begin our report with a small cave called Karatash. It is located in the Antalya region, in the city of the same name.

It is somewhere between a tourist attraction and a club/bar/restaurant. The thing is that it combines business with pleasure - there is a bar (yes, right in the cave), chairs and tables ... Holidays are held here, and anyone can order a banquet table right inside this natural miracle.

And at a time when there are no vacationers, you can enjoy the cave itself - it is as if molded from clay, and has one long corridor that ends with a lake.

On the 10th place Karatash is located quite legally. It is small and quite commercial. However, it entered our rating because it is very cute and interesting, because here you can have a bite to eat right under the arches of the underground beauty. Where else can this be done? :)

Location: Antalya
Opening hours: from 9 to 20

9th place. Yalan Dunya Cave.

Small (250 meters), but quite nice cave. Yalan Dunya (translated as "wrong world") is named after the Yalandünya hill in which it is located. It is famous for the fact that it has various lakes, pools, a huge amount of cave pearls. But, oddly enough, we did not find either the first, or the second, or the third. So this glory is only on paper.

Inside the cave, the walls and ceiling are very dark, probably as a result of the long use of open fire, torches and candles in it.

The entrance looks like a window 8 by 6 meters with a dome, and you can go down a special staircase, which is 17 meters long. Archaeological remains were found in the cave itself, especially a lot of potsherds. That is, people have been here for a very long time, and used this place as a home.

Yalan Dunya is well equipped - there are lights and stairs. In some places, you have to bend down a lot and look under your feet, because it is rather slippery.

The cave was in 9th place because it is commercial (all these cafes are nearby and cars with excursions), and not so big, although interesting.

Location: Gazipasa
Entrance: 5 lira per person (85 rubles)
Opening hours: from 8 to 21
Equipment: stairs, light
Popularity of the cave: average attendance

8th place. Paradise Cave.

This unique attraction takes an honorable 8th place for several reasons. Firstly, this is almost not a cave, but a gorge (and in fact - a karst failure). Secondly, there are a lot of people here, and you have to try to photograph a place without people. And, thirdly, the stairs are so slippery that you have to remember all the mothers in order not to fall.

However, the cave itself is quite beautiful and even large-scale, although it includes only one hall.

The first thing that is, of course, cognitive dissonance is the stairs down. It seems like heaven, there must be heaven ... but no, you have to go down. And not just go down, but go through 345 steps! And now you go down deeper and deeper, and the sun's light becomes less and less ... and you feel goosebumps running down your skin, because it's really cool below. It's better to take a jacket with you.

The length of the failure-cave itself is about 250 meters, width - 90, and height - 70 meters. Depth - 135 meters.

Location: Mersin
Working hours: from 9 to 17
Equipment: stairs, light

7th place. Cave Astym (Asthma).

Astym is located next to the cave (failure) of paradise, so you can visit two places at once! This is definitely a plus. At first, we looked for an entrance to it for a long time, until we realized that it was going through a cafe and a souvenir shop. Disguised :)

They say that Astym is great for asthmatics, they can breathe here and be cured of their illnesses. But I dispelled this myth in my head by stepping onto the spiral staircase. The smell is disgusting! Stuffy, disgusting, everything squeezes inside. Toward the end of the stairs, the nasty smell disappears, but, as they say, the sediment remains.

Astym is equipped and illuminated. This is not the largest cave in Turkey, but still quite interesting. There are several halls, some of which you have to crawl through on your haunches. And, as in any cave, you can see unlit corridors, which you just want to go into ... we went in, since we always have flashlights with us. Almost all such moves end in dead ends.

Why does Astym take 7th place, and did not enter the top five, because she is really very beautiful? Because there are a lot of people here, the atmosphere of mystery and magical attraction of the place disappears from this.

Location: Mersin
Entrance: 5 lira per person (85 rubles)
Working hours: from 9 to 17
Equipment: stairs, light.
Popularity of the cave: very popular

6th place. Cave Bulak Menzelis.

It is located in a very picturesque area, among forests and mountains. To get to it, you need to climb the stairs. If it is raining outside, the stairs become very slippery, so you need to be careful.

Bats live in Bulak Menzelis, sometimes you can hear their squeak and rustle of small wings. After entering, you will be met by a small corridor that will lead to the main hall, where the fun begins.

The cave is quite long and you can listen to pleasant music all along the way. By the way, we heard musical accompaniment only in two caves in Turkey. In this and in another, which will be discussed below.

I consider the 6th place very honorable, and I gladly give it to Menzelis for several reasons: there are no people here, the location is very picturesque place, excellent equipment and, most importantly, an atmosphere of pleasant mystery.

Location: Safranbolu
Entrance: 3.5 lira per person (60 rubles)
Working hours: from 8 to 18
Popularity of the cave: almost no visitors

5th place. Kaklik Cave.

Not far from Pamukkale there is a cave under the dissonant name for the Russian ear, Kaklik. It is located in the field, and not in the mountains, as we are used to. And the descent to it - underground.

The first thing you feel when going down is the pungent smell of hydrogen sulfide. Although then you get used to it, and it does not seem so terrible.

The entrance to Kaklik is a staircase that you need to walk very carefully, because in some places it is slippery. At the very entrance, tourists are greeted by an unearthly beauty mini-lake with stunning water.

The cave itself is, as it were, circular, and you will completely go through it, leaving almost the same place where you entered.

In appearance, Kaklik is an underground Pamukkale - there are also travertines and water here. Plus bats and swallow nests.

The cave got its rightful 5th place because it is not like the others - it has its own small world, as if Pamukkale was scaled down and placed here. It's unusual and worth a look. Didn't take Kaklik anymore worthy place because of its size and equipment - there is no light in it (or rather, it is, but almost not noticeable), it is not deep and attracts many people.

Location: Pamukkale
Entrance: 2 lira per person (34 rubles)
Opening hours: from 8 to 20
Equipment: stairs, light
Popularity of the cave: very popular

4th place. Dim Cave.

It is located on Mount Jebi-Reis, at an altitude of 1649 meters above sea level. Therefore, next to the entrance to the cave there is a small platform from which a magnificent view opens.

Dim is vertical and holds the title of the second longest cave in Turkey. It was opened not so long ago, only in 1986, and visiting became possible only in 1998. But Dim is well equipped and illuminated. And not only it, but also the territories adjacent to it. For example, parking (by the way, paid - 3 lira per car).

The length of Dim is 410 meters. To the left of the entrance is a vertical section 360 meters long, which ends in a large hall of 200 square meters with a small lake. Very nicely lit! To the right of the entrance is a small horizontal section 50 meters long.

There is always a constant temperature, which is 18-19 ° C.

Why 4th place? The attraction is very beautiful, it is a really long and really well illuminated cave. But the proximity of such a resort as Alanya makes itself felt: a clear commercial orientation, the entrance to the caves of Turkey is relatively expensive, paid parking, many tourist buses.

Location: Alanya
Entrance: 13.5 lira per person (230 rubles)
Working hours: from 8 to 19
Equipment: stairs, light
Popularity of the cave: quite popular

3rd place. Oilat cave.

The top three finalists are opened by the interesting Oilat Cave. It is said to be the third largest cave in Turkey. Although, for example, it cannot boast of its length - only 650 meters. However, it has something unique - it consists of two floors. You can get to the second floor only by stairs, which, fortunately, are available here.

There are a lot of stalactites and stalagmites in the cave, which are beautifully illuminated. In Oilat, there are no problems with light at all - bright corridors made of LED wires illuminate the road along the entire route.

But you will have to walk up the stairs, so be prepared for the fact that your legs get tired. But you will immediately forget about it when you see all the beauty that this place has prepared. Especially on the second floor :)

Why 3rd place? The cave is large enough, unusual, well equipped and located in the mountains, in a very picturesque area. These ingredients are the key to success!

Location: Bursa
Entrance: 7.5 lira per person (130 rubles)
Working hours: from 8 to 19
Equipment: stairs, light
Popularity of the cave: quite popular

2nd place. Insuyu Cave (Insu).

In second place is the largest cave in Turkey, which is called Insu - the cave of water. On some Turkish site I read that "this is the second largest cave in the world." But to be honest, I do not believe this information!

Insu is the first cave in Turkey open to tourists. It is well equipped - there are railings, lights and even music. So it won't be boring.

As always, we arrived almost at the very opening, so there were few people. We are lucky - enjoy the place all alone! So this is a definite plus. Although Insoo is popular, there are many people here during the day.

There are many branches in Insu that are not highlighted. Yes, and you can notice them only if you very, very carefully shine a flashlight on the walls. Walking along these branches, you can easily get lost, so be careful.

In front of the entrance hangs a map on which lakes are drawn. But we didn't see everything inside. Some of them have dried up, it's a pity.

Why 2nd place? Because Insu is well-equipped, big enough and beautiful. And there are also many passages that you just need to climb through! At these moments you feel like a speleologist and enjoy your personal discoveries :)

Location: Burdur
Entrance: 5 lira per person (85 rubles)
Working hours: from 8 to 18
Equipment: stairs, light, music
Popularity of the cave: quite popular

... in 1970, a group led by Cousteau (yes, that Cousteau) went to this region to explore the underwater resources of the area. And what was their surprise when they discovered that this is a whole network of caves with underwater rivers and lakes, and the length of the beauty is already 22 kilometers! And the age of this miracle is 230 million years.

The total length of Tanaztepe, which is available for tourists, is 1580 meters. There are 2 entrances, the left one leads to the larger part of the cave.

Our excursion began with the fact that we saw long bridges going along the bottom. Each bridge had branches that went right and left.

Tynaztepe lighting is simply amazing! The colors are constantly changing: red, blue, yellow, green...wonderful!

We walked and walked along the bridge, but the cave did not end and did not end. Here and there there were mini-falls, it was clear that a river was flowing below. True, now it was not, probably not the season. We walked deeper into Tynaztepe, and with every step we liked it more and more. Insu Cave was said to be the largest in Turkey. But how can this be when we see this?

After some time, we ended up in a narrow corridor, the vaults of which were of indescribable beauty! They hung from above and formed something like a canyon.

We heard a sound big waterfall. So the end of the cave is near. And how surprised we were when we saw it! This is a huge hall with smooth walls 60 meters high. You can't see where the walls end. And below is a lake, and it goes somewhere to the right, but because of the walls it’s impossible to tell in person what’s next. It was so amazing that we stood there for 30 minutes exactly. I tried to photograph and video this magic, but it was so dark that nothing worked. And the only photo that came out is not able to convey the beauty of this place.

The cave is truly amazing and I advise everyone to visit it.

Why 1st place? Because it's heaven! There are not only stunning views, excellent lighting and general equipment of the cave, but also a unique pool hall at the end, which is breathtaking! Plus there are campsites right next to Tynaztepe, a great restaurant and even souvenir shops. Although this indicates the popularity of the place, we did not see people. We were the only visitors, since we arrived after closing time and the guard opened the entrance and turned on the backlight just for us... well, after that, how can you not give the cave 1st place?

Location: Manavgad
Entrance: 10 liras per person (170 rubles)
Working hours: from 8 to 18
Equipment: stairs, light
Popularity of the cave: very popular

During our trip, we visited not only these caves, there are many more of them in Turkey. All of them have one thing in common - they are unique, and do not resemble each other.

If you love the wonders created by nature, then be sure to visit the caves of Turkey. It will be one of the highlights of your trip, I guarantee.

Relax with pleasure and find new things everywhere :)

The specific ice in this cave contains a minimal amount of bubbles, which is essential for this place. The absence of air in the ice absorbs all visible light, leaving only blue fractions, which give the ice an extraordinary bluish glow. The contrasting color ice is best seen in January and February, and the cave is only accessible from November to February.

Thrihnukagigur volcano, located 20 kilometers from Reykjavik, is a rare exception when a person can visit inside its focus. The volcano died out 4 thousand years ago, leaving behind an open funnel with magma hardened in the walls. Iceland, you are a wonderful place!

The fabulous Reed Flute Cave was opened to tourists in 1940, but its age is more than 180 million years. It was named after the reed, from which the local population made their own flutes. Artificial lighting emphasizes the vast expanses and variety of reliefs in the cave.

Near small town Waitomo you can visit an amazing place where main feature were the fireflies Arachnocampa luminosa, found exclusively in New Zealand. Waitomo Cave became accessible to the public in 1889; it can only be reached by water.

Washed into the rock by sea water, Fingal's Cave is famous for its natural acoustics, reminiscent of the sounds of a cathedral. The cave entirely consists of basalt pillars, equal in size to the vaults of the cathedral, which go deep into the thickness of the rock, which is no less attractive for contemplation. The only way to get to the place is by water.

The Cave of the Swallows is located in the state of San Luis Potosi, which is a sinkhole widening downwards, the volume of which is estimated at more than 33 thousand square meters. This cave could easily accommodate the famous Chrysler Building skyscraper. Climbing up and down the cave requires good physical fitness, and you can get to this place either on a hiking trail or in an off-road vehicle.

The cave of crystals is located at a depth of 300 meters under the city of Naica, Chihuahua. The main chamber of the cave contains giant selenite crystals, some of the largest natural crystals ever found on the planet. The cave remains largely unexplored as it has extremely high temperatures, sometimes reaching up to 58°C. Without proper protection, researchers can only withstand about ten minutes of exposure to this site.

In one of the many caves in national park Chapada Diamantina is one of the most beautiful places, referred to as Poco Encantado (Enchanted Well). calling card This cave has become a small lake, which every day from 10:30 to 12:30 is illuminated by bright sunlight, filling the reservoir to the bottom with a soft blue glow. The most favorable time to visit this amazing place is from April to September. Bathing is prohibited.

Onondaga Cave in Missouri is famous for its spectacular formations. This place is the source of cave pearls and calcite crystals, which form right on the surface of the crystal clean water. The cave is open for visiting from March to October.

When it's time for holidays and vacations, hundreds of thousands of Russians pack their bags and board a charter to fly to Turkey. They are waiting for Marmaris, Antalya, Kemer and "all inclusive". However, in fact, they are deeply mistaken, because Turkey is not only a free bar and a hotel pool, Turkey is an unimaginably beautiful country that is fraught with a lot of interesting things.

There are ancient cities, ancient theaters, underground churches and ... caves. In total, there are more than 35,000 caves in the country, however, only a small part of them is open to the public.

This year we toured Turkey, covering 7500 kilometers (read our travel reports: PART 1, PART 2 and PART 3). And one of our main goals was to visit the caves. Having been there, my partner and I were able to make our own rating of the most beautiful and interesting, in our opinion, caves. We present to your attention the TOP 10 caves in Turkey.

10 PLACE. CAVE KARATASH

Location: Antalya
Coordinates: 37°6'51.20"N30°48'3.06"E
Opening hours: from 9 to 20

We begin our report with a small cave called Karatash. It is located in the Antalya region, in the city of the same name.

The cave is a cross between a tourist attraction and a club/bar/restaurant. The thing is that it combines business with pleasure - there is a bar (yes, right in the cave), chairs and tables ... Holidays are held here, and anyone can order unusual place in the cave room.

And at a time when there are no vacationers, you can enjoy the cave itself - it is as if molded from clay, and has one long corridor that ends with a lake.

On the 10th place, the cave is located quite legally. It is not very big, and quite commercial. However, it entered our rating because it is very cute and interesting, because here you can have a bite to eat right under the arches of the underground beauty. Where else can this be done? :)

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9 PLACE. YALAN DUNYA CAVE

Location: Gazipasa
Coordinates: 36°13′5″N 32°23′45″E
Entrance: 5 lira per person (85 rubles)
Opening hours: from 8 to 21
Equipment: stairs, light
Popularity of the cave: average attendance

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Not very big (250 meters), but quite nice cave. The cave (translated as "wrong world") is named after the Yalandünya hill in which it is located. It is famous for the fact that it has various cave lakes, swimming pools, and a huge amount of cave pearls. But, oddly enough, we did not find either the first, or the second, or the third there. So this glory is only on paper.

Inside the cave, the walls and ceiling are very dark, probably as a result of the long use of open fire, torches and candles in it.

The entrance to the cave looks like a window 8 by 6 meters with a dome, and you can go down to the cave by a special staircase, which is 17 meters long. Archaeological remains were found in the cave itself, especially a lot of potsherds. That is, people have been here for a very long time, and used this place as a home.

The cave is equipped - there are lights and stairs. In some places you have to bend down very much and look under your feet, because it is rather slippery there.

The cave was in 9th place because it is a bit commercial (all these cafes are nearby and cars with excursions) and not so big, although interesting.

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8 PLACE. CAVE OF PARADISE.

Location: Mersin
Coordinates: 36°27′9″N 34°6′19″E
Entrance: 10 liras per person (170 rubles)
Working hours: from 9 to 17
Equipment: stairs, light

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The cave takes an honorable 8th place for several reasons. Firstly, it is almost not a cave, but a gorge. Although many people call this place a “cave” (but in fact it is a karst failure). Secondly, there are a lot of people here, and you have to try to photograph a place without people. And, thirdly, the stairs are so slippery that you have to remember all the mothers in order not to fall.

However, the cave itself is quite beautiful and even large-scale, although it includes only one hall.

The first thing that is, of course, cognitive dissonance is the stairs down. It seems like heaven, there must be heaven ... but no, you have to go down. And not just go down, but go through 345 steps! And now you go down deeper and deeper, and the sun's light becomes less and less ... and you feel goosebumps running down your skin, because it's really cool below. It's better to take a jacket with you.

The length of the failure-cave itself is about 250 meters, width - 90, and height - 70 meters. Depth - 135 meters.

At the bottom of the cave there are sand and stones, it is quite cold. And here you can also hear some kind of rumble, as if trams are running upstairs. In fact, this sound is from a stream and an underground river. It was this river that ancient people considered the river separating the realm of the living and the dead, and called it the Styx.

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7 PLACE. CAVE ASTYM (ASTMA).

Location: Mersin
Coordinates: 36°27′5″N 34°6′17″E
Entrance: 5 lira per person (85 rubles)
Working hours: from 9 to 17
Equipment: stairs, light.
Popularity of the cave: very popular

The cave is located next to the cave (failure) of paradise, so you can visit two places at once! This is definitely a plus. At first, we looked for an entrance to it for a long time, until we realized that it was going through a cafe and a souvenir shop. Disguised :)

They say that this cave is great for asthmatics, they can breathe here and be cured of their diseases. But I dispelled this myth in my head by stepping onto the spiral staircase. The smell is disgusting! Stuffy, disgusting, everything squeezes inside. Going down to the cave itself, the nasty smell disappears, but, as they say, the sediment remains.

The cave is equipped and illuminated. It is not the largest in Turkey, but still quite interesting. There are several halls, some of which you have to crawl through on your haunches. And, as in any cave, you can see unlit corridors, which you just want to go into ... we went in, since we always have flashlights with us. Almost all such moves end in dead ends.

Why does this cave take the 7th place, and did not enter the top five, because it is really very beautiful? Because there are a lot of people here, the atmosphere of mystery and magical attraction of the place disappears from this.

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6 PLACE. CAVE BULAK MENTSELIS.

Location: Safranbolu
Coordinates: 41°16′30″N 32°37′30″E
Entrance: 3.5 lira per person (60 rubles)
Working hours: from 8 to 18
Popularity of the cave: almost no visitors

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The cave is located in a very picturesque area, among forests and mountains. To get to it, you need to climb the stairs. If it is raining outside, the stairs become very slippery, so you need to be careful.

Bats live in the cave, sometimes you can hear their squeak and rustle of small wings. After entering, you will be met by a small corridor that will lead to the main hall, where the fun begins.

The cave is quite long and you can listen to pleasant music all along the way. By the way, we heard musical accompaniment only in two caves in Turkey. In this and in another, which will be discussed below.

I consider the 6th place very honorable, and I gladly give it to Menzelis for several reasons: there are no people here, the cave is located in a very picturesque place, it is well equipped and has retained an atmosphere of pleasant mystery.

5 PLACE. KAKLIK CAVE.

Location: Pamukkale
Coordinates: 37°51′20″N 29°23′7″E
Entrance: 2 lira per person (34 rubles)
Opening hours: from 8 to 20
Equipment: stairs, light
Popularity of the cave: very popular

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Not far from Pamukkale there is a cave under the dissonant name for the Russian ear, Kaklik. If you don’t know that there is a cave here, you won’t find it right away. It is located in the field, and not in the mountains, as we are used to. And the descent to it - underground.

The first thing you feel when descending into the cave is its pungent smell of hydrogen sulfide. Although then you get used to it, and it does not seem so terrible.

The entrance to the cave is a staircase, which you need to walk very carefully, because in some places it is slippery. At the very entrance, tourists are greeted by an unearthly beauty mini-lake with stunning water.

The cave itself is, as it were, circular, and you will completely go through it, leaving almost the same place where you entered.

In appearance, the cave is an underground Pamukkale. Here, too, there are travertines and water. Only here, plus more bats and nests of swallows.

Why 5th place? The cave got its rightful 5th place because it is not like the others - it has its own little world, as if Pamukkale was reduced and placed here. It's unusual and worth a look. The cave did not occupy a more worthy place because it is not very large, there is no light in it (or rather, it is, but almost not noticeable), it is not deep, and there are many people here.

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4 PLACE. CAVE DIM.

Location: Alanya
Coordinates: 36°32'23.3"N 32°06'33.8"E
Entrance: 13.5 lira per person (230 rubles)
Working hours: from 8 to 19
Equipment: stairs, light
Popularity of the cave: quite popular

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It is located on Mount Jebi-Reis, at an altitude of 1649 meters above sea level. Therefore, next to the entrance to the cave there is a small platform from which a magnificent view opens.

The cave is vertical and holds the title of the second longest cave in Turkey. It was discovered not so long ago, only in 1986, and visiting it became possible only in 1998. But the cave is well equipped and illuminated. And not only the cave, but also the territories adjacent to it. For example, parking (by the way, paid - 3 lira per car).

The length of the cave is 410 meters. To the left of the entrance to the cave is a vertical section 360 meters long, which ends in a large hall of 200 square meters with a small lake. Very nicely lit!

To the right of the entrance is a small horizontal section 50 meters long.

The temperature in the cave is always constant, which is 18-19 ° C.

Why 4th place? The cave is very beautiful, really long and really well lit. But the proximity of such a resort as Alanya makes itself felt: the place is a little commercial, the entrance to the caves of Turkey is relatively expensive, paid parking, many tourist buses.

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3RD PLACE. OILAT CAVE.

Location: Bursa
Coordinates: 39°56′37″N 29°35′24″E
Entrance: 7.5 lira per person (130 rubles)
Working hours: from 8 to 19
Equipment: stairs, light
Popularity of the cave: quite popular

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The top three finalists are opened by the interesting Oilat Cave. It is said to be the third largest cave in Turkey. Although, for example, it cannot boast of its length - only 650 meters. However, there is something unique about her. It consists of two floors. And you can get to the second floor only by stairs, which, fortunately, are available here.

There are a lot of stalactites and stalagmites in the cave, which are beautifully illuminated. In Oilat, there are no problems with light at all - bright corridors made of LED wires illuminate the road along the entire route.

But you will have to walk up the stairs, so be prepared for the fact that your legs get a little tired. But you will immediately forget about it when you see all the beauty that the cave has prepared. Especially on the second floor :)

Why 3rd place? The cave is quite large, unusual, well-equipped and is located in the mountains, in a very picturesque place. These ingredients are the key to success!

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2ND PLACE. INSUYU CAVE (INSU).

Location: Burdur
Coordinates: 37°39′34″N 30°22′27″E
Entrance: 5 lira per person (85 rubles)
Working hours: from 8 to 18
Equipment: stairs, light, music
Popularity of the cave: quite popular

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On the 2nd place, the largest cave in Turkey, which is called Insu - the cave of water, is legally located. As for its size. On some Turkish site, I even read that "this is the second largest cave in the world." Oh, I do not believe this information :) Especially after we visited the caves of Vietnam. That's where you understand what "big" means :)

Insu is the first cave in Turkey open to tourists. It is well equipped - there are railings, lights and even music. So it won't be boring.

As always, we arrived almost at the very opening, so there were few people. We are lucky - we enjoy the cave all alone! So this is a definite plus. Although the cave is popular, and during the day there are a lot of people here.

The cave has many branches that are not highlighted. Yes, and you can notice them only if you very, very carefully shine a flashlight on the walls. Walking along these branches, you can easily get lost, so be careful.

In front of the entrance to the cave there is a map with lakes drawn on it. But we didn't see everything in the cave. Some of them have dried up, it's a pity.

Why 2nd place? Because the cave is well equipped, it is quite large and beautiful. And there are also many passages that you just need to climb through! At these moments you feel like a speleologist and enjoy your personal discoveries :)