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  • 10 Most Famous Caves In The World That’ll Leave You In Awe With Their Natural Beauty

11 Jun 2023

Hidden mysteries, unmatched adventure and nature’s best kept secrets, these are the first thoughts that come to mind when we think of ‘caves’. Nature never fails to leave us awestruck with its splendour and myriad wonders, and caves are undoubtedly one of its most magnificent creations. When you enter one of the most famous caves in the world, you’ll surely be mesmerised by the spectacular geological formations, stalactites, lakes, caverns, and other amazing sights that await you inside.

Let us travel across the seven continents (virtually as of now) to uncover the mysteries of the most beautiful caves in the world that are worth adding to your travel bucket list.

10 Best Famous Caves Around The World

Here’s a list of the ten most famous caves in the world that are so beautifully formed that just a glance at them will leave you awestruck and your mind boggled. Take a look!

1. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, USA

Mammoth Cave National Park

Image Source

This fantastic national park is home to the longest cave system in the world with numerous interesting sections and subterranean passageways. You can tour through the spectacular Frozen Niagra, Grand Avenue and Fat Man’s Misery features using one of the many guided tours. The Historic tour and the Domes & Dripstones tours are highly recommended as they allow you to explore some amazing formations. Amongst the most famous caves in USA, Mammoth Caves is a wonderful place to visit with the family.

Tour fee: The basic Mammoth Passage Tour starts from $7/adult

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2. Blue Grotto, Italy

Blue Grotto, Italy

A brilliant blue like you’ve never seen before awaits you inside this popular cave on the coast of gorgeous Capri Island in southern Italy. An inter-play of sunlight, sea water and two holes in the cave create a magical blue hue that will leave you spellbound as you enter in a tiny rowing boat. It is a good idea to visit a little early to avoid long queues at the entrance, though 12-2 PM is considered the best time. The ticket can be bought at the pier and tipping the boatman ensures you can spend some extra moments inside the beautiful Blue Grotto, soaking in the incredible sight.

Ticket price: 14 Euros/person

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3. Fingal’s Cave, Scotland

Fingal’s Cave

This breathtaking natural marvel on the uninhabited Staffa Island off Scotland is one of the most famous caves in the world, well-known for its amazing hexagonal basalt columns of volcanic origin. The shape & size of the cave along with its naturally arched roof give it the semblance of a beautiful natural cathedral. You need to climb up a few steep steps supported by a railing to reach this amazing cave, where you can also witness spectacular views all around. The adorable puffins are another highlight of the island and can be spotted opposite Fingal’s Cave.

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4. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, USA

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Home to more than 100 caves, the national park makes for an amazing & unforgettable experience with the min-boggling range of natural formations. You can either take a ranger-guided tour or follow the two trails: the magnificent Big Room Trail or the steep Natural Entrance Trail with formations like The Devil’s Spring and Iceberg Rock. The famous Lechuguilla cave known for its unique formations & geology is also part of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Ticket price: $ 12/adult. Ranger-guided tours at an extra cost.

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5. Waitomo Glowworm caves, New Zealand

Waitomo Glowworm caves

Image Credit: 2il org by flickr

One of the most famous caves in the world, Waitomo presents the surreal experience of watching a glittering starry night inside the depths of the cave while you gaze in wonder from your boat. You can walk through part of the limestone cave-system along guided trails before embarking on your magical boat ride on the underground river. The ceiling is lit by thousands of spectacular glowworms, making it an unforgettable experience which the kids also wouldn’t want to miss!

Ticket price: 5 AUD/adult

6. Skocjan Caves, Slovenia

Skocjan Caves

The jaw-dropping natural beauty of these spectacular caves makes you want to capture those moments forever. Located in the Karst heartland of Slovenia, the awe-inspiring stalactites and stalagmites formations have earned Skocjan caves a UNESCO world heritage status. The well-organised guided tour takes you through amazing natural formations and magnificent caves with a river and waterfalls. As you traverse through the heart of the earth, the entire experience is surreal and unforgettable. You can either take the funicular or the beautiful walking trail on your way back after the tour.

Ticket price: 24 Euro/adult in peak season (April-October)

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7. Reed Flute Cave, China

Reed Flute Cave, China

Located close to downtown Guilin, this popular attraction is amongst the top famous caves in the world owing to its intricate limestone formations. The beautiful stalactite and stalagmite patterns are accentuated by the colourful lighting, making it a pleasure to walk through the well-maintained cave. Also known as ‘The Palace of Natural Arts’, the cave walls display inscriptions dating back to 8th century BCE. One of the grottos called The Crystal Palace of The Dragon King can hold 1000 people at at time.

Ticket price: 120 Yuan/person

8. Cave of the Crystals, Mexico

Cave of the Crystals

Also called the Giant Crystal Cave, this surreal cavern features amongst the famous caves of the world for its giant selenite crystal formations. However, this out-of-the-world sight can be witnessed only with the assistance of specialists, as climbing the huge crystals is not an easy task. Special equipment is also needed to bear with the unnatural temperature conditions inside this unusual chamber housing some of the largest crystals in the world.

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9. Eisriesenwelt Cave, Austria

Eisriesenwelt Cave

Located just 40 Kms away from Salzburg is one of the most famous caves in the world visited by more than 2 lakh tourists every year. Eisriesenwelt has the distinction of being the largest ice cave in the world, extending up to 42 Kms into the earth. When in Salzburg you shouldn’t miss out on this unique natural spectacle of rock and ice, formed by the Salzach river. Two small trails and a scenic cable ride take you to this amazing cave in Austria. Remember to wear warm clothes as it gets quite cold inside.

Ticket price (cave entry & cable car): 24 Euro/adult

10. Hang Son Doong Cave, Vietnam

Hang Son Doong Cave

Image Credit: vtoanstar by Flickr

This spectacular cave is at number one on the list of top 10 biggest caves in the world, with its two daylight windows spilling light inside and creating an otherworldly experience. Tall trees, taller stalagmites, huge rim pools and some of the best speleothems can be spotted inside this magical cave. There are giant cave pearls, unusual fauna and 300 million year old fossils adding to the allure of this natural wonder. You must embark on this adventurous exploration to be rewarded with one of the best experiences and sights in the heart of this magnificent cave.

Ticket price: 3000 $/person

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Along with a taste of adventure, if you’re also looking for some of the most impressive and famous cave paintings in the world, then there is no place like Lascaux Cave in France. So, don’t think much and plan your Europe trip with Travel Triangle right away to uncover the mysteries of these places with your own eyes!

Disclaimer: TravelTriangle claims no credit for images featured on our blog site unless otherwise noted. All visual content is copyrighted to its respectful owners. We try to link back to original sources whenever possible. If you own rights to any of the images, and do not wish them to appear on TravelTriangle, please contact us and they will be promptly removed. We believe in providing proper attribution to the original author, artist or photographer.

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The stunning interior of China's Reed Flute Cave

10 of the best caves in the world

These subterranean worlds combine eerie mystery with mind-blowing beauty

John Bills

Caves have intrigued and amazed humans since they were capable of being intrigued and amazed, but they are the dictionary definition of mysterious beauty, so it’s no wonder why. From the tourist-friendly subterranean paradises of Italy and Slovenia to the remarkable pilgrimage locations in Laos , caves are tucked away all over the world, and so many are just gob-smackingly beautiful. So, whether you’re a curious amateur or a professional cave explorer, here are our favourite caves from across the globe.

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Best caves in the world

Mammoth Cave, USA

1.  Mammoth Cave, USA

If you have certain expectations from somewhere called ‘Mammoth Cave’, that is entirely understandable. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the world’s longest known cave system, an incredible 420 miles of subterranean wonder. That’s twice as long as the next longest, by the way, although it isn’t unusual for the US to go all out on such things. Madly, the cave is home to some vast theatres and avenues, and tours have been known to last more than six hours.

Škocjan, Slovenia

2.  Škocjan, Slovenia

Slovenia has a lot of caves, ranging from the mainstream tourist extravaganza of Postojna to the fragile Križna Jama, but the cavernous theatres of Škocjan give it a leg-up on the competition. A Unesco World Heritage Site since 1986, this gargantuan expanse is arguably the most significant limestone cave in the region, with biological importance allied to careful tourism and local respect. People have been coming to gawp since the beginning of the nineteenth century, and tours are conducted in a wide variety of languages. 

Waitomo Caves, New Zealand

3.  Waitomo Caves, New Zealand

Glowworms, glowworms, as far as the eye can see. Okay, not literally, but the Waitomo Cave system on New Zealand ’s North Island is famous for the fluorescent fauna that light up the walls, giving it the not-particularly-creative but completely acceptable ‘Glowworm Caves’ nickname. They are more accessible than most caves on this list, with rafting and adventure tours available to those looking for something a little more adrenaline-heavy.

Marble Cathedral, Chile

4.  Marble Cathedral, Chile

What an incredible, incredible sight. The dark and dingy nature of underground life conjures something in our imaginations, but the Marble Cathedral in Patagonia shimmers without such requirements. The most beautiful cave on the planet? Beauty is subjective, but it is difficult to look past the case made by the cerulean pillars and vaulted ceilings of this stunner. Found on the shore of the General Carrera Lake in Chile, the Marble Cathedral is a pilgrimage well worth making.

Blue Grotto, Italy

5.  Blue Grotto, Italy

Sailors avoided this place for centuries because they believed it was haunted by witches and monsters, but modern tourism has since proven them very silly indeed. Sunlight filters into the cave through a teeny-tiny entrance (visitors have to lie flat in a boat to get in), filling the space with a stunning blue light that gives the cave its moniker. Swimming is forbidden and rightly so, but visitors to the Blue Grotto usually get more than enough enjoyment from, you know, just looking at it. The cave is found on Capri in the Bay of Naples .

Sơn Đoòng, Vietnam

6.  Sơn Đoòng, Vietnam

Natural caves don’t come much larger than Sơn Đoòng, close to the border between Laos and Vietnam . This mammoth abyss has the largest cross-section of any known cave on the planet, a vast area that is difficult to describe. Supposedly, a Boeing 747 could fly through without damaging its wings, but that doesn’t really do justice to the vastness of Sơn Đoòng. The stalagmites here are pretty massive too, with some reaching up to a whopping 70 metres.

Reed Flute Cave, China

7.  Reed Flute Cave, China

China ’s Reed Flute Cave is also known as the ‘Palace of the Natural Arts’, and that should tell you plenty about what to expect. Named after the reeds that grow outside (which are used to make flutes, obviously), the Reed Flute Cave’s walls are peppered with inscriptions from centuries gone by – proof if proof were needed that people have been paying attention to this place for a long old time. The interior of the cave is also lit up by multicoloured lights, giving it a real otherworldly theme that adds weight to the nickname.  

Thrihnukagigur, Iceland

8.  Thrihnukagigur, Iceland

It is pronounced Thrihnukagigur, if you were wondering. No matter how difficult it is to say, this dormant volcano in Iceland is even more difficult to get one’s head around. This is the only volcano on the planet where you can actually go inside and explore the magma chamber. If that doesn’t whet your appetite, maybe this travelling lark isn’t for you. Half volcano, half cave, all awesome. 

Pak Ou Caves, Laos

9.  Pak Ou Caves, Laos

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving, that is indeed a mass of Buddha statues hanging out inside the Pak Ou Caves. The statues have been left over the years by believers hoping for better times, although the caves are now more of a stop-off on a tourist jaunt down the Mekong river than a pilgrimage site. The caves have a curious position overlooking that famous river, meaning boats stop nearby and visitors actually have to climb a staircase to get in. Makes a difference from taking a brave leap into the abyss, that’s for sure.

Fingal’s Cave, Scotland

10.  Fingal’s Cave, Scotland

A stunning sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, Fingal’s Cave is Scotland at its rugged best. Named after the hero of a poem by eighteenth-century poet James Macpherson, this mysterious cavern was discovered in 1772 (well, brought to the attention of the masses) and has become an integral part of folklore ever since, not to mention arts and culture. It isn’t hard to see why, as the thrilling entry to the cave ticks all the boxes when it comes to the supernatural subterranean world. The natural acoustics of the cave are famously fantastic.  

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  • Travel Guide

20 Best Caving Destinations in the World

Published: October 27, 2020

Modified: December 27, 2023

by Hillary Anne

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a man wearing a headlight caving

Ever since the pandemic started, most of our days are spent sitting at our home or office desks, and the closest to nature that we do is watering our house plants — if we have one, that is. For now, all we can do is dream up our next perfect vacation, one that will allow us to experience nature at its best. Some of us would prefer a thrilling mountain biking trip , sunbathing in an all-inclusive beach resort in South America , or meditating at  the world’s best yoga retreats ; while others would prefer testing their fears and stamina through caving.

Although caving sparks so much of our imagination, exploring narrow and dark spaces, what makes caving attractive to most people is the natural sculpting of the bizarre formations that you will find inside the caves. Moreover, you are also entertained with compelling stories that envelop these mystical caves, making you forget how much calories you’ve been burning because you’re enjoying your time.

Caving vs. Spelunking

Caving and spelunking are loosely defined terms that are associated with discovering and exploring caves. Their difference only lies in the level of mastery.

In the 1960s, spelunking was used to describe the activity that amateur cave goers do. Spelunkers explore caves as a means of recreation. Perhaps, they are those who are just trying to dip their fingers in the water to find out if caving is for them. Most of the time, spelunkers are those on a vacation who want to get a glimpse of another tourist spot near them. Often, they would sign up for a tour to explore a cave with a more seasoned caver.

On the other hand, cavers are more professional caving enthusiasts who are more technically capable of exploring the caves on their own. They learn techniques, map out routes, as well as discover new caves. To sum it up, both terms refer to the same thing, but it can have a negative connotation since the difference lies in the mastery of the craft. So, for safety, you can just refer to them as cavers or the sport as caving.

What You Need to Bring when Caving?

Choosing what to bring to your first caving experience is highly dependent on different factors, namely, the type of cave, duration of your trip, weather, and your physical condition.

But to give you a general overview, here are the things that you have to bring to your next adventure:

Helmet with Headlamp

Although a cycling or construction helmet is allowed, it’s still better to use a climbing or caving helmet for durability and weight. The climbing and caving helmet is specially made to protect you from sudden whacking your head against rocks or any falling debris. You can check Amazon for a durable caving helmet and headlamp .

This is one of the most important things that you have to bring to your adventure. A flashlight will be your eyes in a pitch-black cave, so make sure to bring an adjustable LED flashlight with extra batteries. Check out  Amazon’s best selling flashlights  to give you an idea.

Knee and Elbow Pads

In any caving adventure, it is expected that you might crawl or kneel to get through the rocky and narrow spaces in the cave. So to avoid any scratches and wounds, you can also wear knee pads and elbow pads . Besides, wearing knee pads will help protect your knees against strain and tension.

Similar to knee pads and elbow pads, gloves are also for your protection against scratches and wounds especially when you’re clinging or finding balance in the rocks. Also, it can be an additional source of warmth. A synthetic glove with a rubber-like coating or a goat skin climbing glove  recommended. 

Boots or Sandals

Just like in any other sports, proper shoes are important in caving. If you’re caving in generally tropical countries, you may opt for a sandal because it’s lightweight, durable, and it has non-slip soles. Whereas, if you’re in a more arctic country, you may opt for boots with lug soles. You may also add a traction device for more security. You may check out these  caving boots and  caving sandals on Amazon to get you started.

Since GPS barely works underground, you may opt to have a map that will give you peace of mind, knowing that you will surely know the way out to safety.

Hand-line and Carabiner

These are helpful in safely moving vertically or sideways when caving. A good hand-line can be the one that is made of one-half inch tubular webbing or accessory cord. Meanwhile, a single locked carabineer is also suggested. You can check out the best selling carabiners from Amazon .

First Aid Kit

Caving is an accident-prone activity, so make sure that you have at least a first aid kit to treat wounds and cuts. This will help you avoid any more serious casualty.

You will burn a lot of energy during your adventure. Make sure to replenish your energy by drinking water. You can go for hours without food, but water is a must. In caving, you will need around 16 ounces of water every four hours. But this varies because some people need more while some less. But you can get a 2.5-gallon water jug to be sure you’ll never run out of water.

Pocket knife

You need a pocket knife in case you have to cut or repair something during your caving. A multipurpose folding knife is a perfect tool for any outdoor activities. 

1. Goa Gong — Indonesia

majestic stalactites and stalagmites in Goa Gong

Photo by Indonesia Pix from Adobe Stock

Admission Fee: IDR12,000 or US$0.82 per adult Best Time to Visit: October to December

In Pacitan or City of 1,001 caves , you will find a rich cave system made of massive limestones filled with enormous stalagmites and stalactites. But there is one cave that the Pacitan takes so much pride in, the Goa Gong. The extraordinary Gua Gong was named after the traditional Javanese instrument, Gong. However, this is not because they found ancient Gongs in the cave. It’s because when the stalagmites and stalactites are hit, they produce a resounding sound similar to of a gong.

2. Niah National Park — Malaysia

a cave with a wide caving entryway

Photo by Starlightchild from Wikimedia Commons

Admission Fee: RM20 or US$5 per adult Best Time to Visit : November to February

Believed to be the birthplace of the oldest modern Southeast Asians, Niah National Park is one of Sarawak’s pride. It is popular due to the abundant limestones where archaeologists uncovered paleolithic and neolithic burial sites, earthenware, ornaments, bone tools, food remains, and ancient paintings in the cave. But what is more spectacular is the epic size of the cave’s mouth that spans to 60 meters high and 250 wide, making it one of the world’s largest cave openings.

Today, tourists can visit the cave without a guide, and they can also witness countless swiftlets flying towards their nests and bats flying out at night.

3. Škocjan Caves — Slovenia

A massive cave with rapids beneath it

Photo by Samo Trebizan from Adobe Stock

Admission Fee: EUR6 or US$7 per adult in an Education Trail Best Time to Visit: September to November Tour Available: Various guided tours from Park Škocjan Caves Slovenia

At the Kras Plateau of South-West Slovenia, the enormous limestone cave system of Škocjan is found. Here, you will see a gushing waterfall, gigantic Martel Chamber , collapsed doline, sinkholes as well as a river canyon that seemed to be swallowed by the cave. Aside from these, you can also see an abundant collection of many endangered and endemic species like the Cave Salamander. Also, there are archeological pieces of evidence that the cave was previously inhabited by prehistoric people during the Mesolithic period.

Today, visitors can take a thrilling exploration in this fascinating natural wonder through the Underground canyon, Reka river underground, or the Škocjan Education Trail. Make sure to take the scheduled guided tour to learn more about the cave as well as be safe.

4. Mammoth Cave — Kentucky, U.S.A.

countless stalactites dangling from the ceiling of Mammoth Cave

Photo by vladimircaribb from Adobe Stock

Admission Fee: US$8 per adult for a Mammoth Passage Tour Best Time to Visit: November to December and March to April Tour Available: Various self-guided tours from National Park Service

With more than 400 miles of the Mammoth Cave explored, it is known as the world’s longest known cave system. Although an additional cave system is still being discovered, it already has a five-level limestone labyrinth mapped out, which spans to more than 365 miles. Also, tourists can skip the laborious hike because they have bridges that make it accessible for tourists regardless of age. Moreover, this cave plays a significant role in archeological research about Native Americans, since they found mummified remains in the cave.

There are many self-guided tours that tourists can join. The Mammoth Passage tour runs for one hour and 25 minutes and will take you to about 0.75 miles of walk. This is recommended for beginners, handicapped, and family with children.

5. Cango Caves — Africa

an impressive caving location in Cango Valley

Photo by Dariusz Jemielniak (Pundit) from Wikimedia Commons

Admission Fee: ZAR150 or US$9 per adult for a Heritage Tour Best Time to Visit: October to December Tour Available: Various guided tours from Cango Caves

Cango Caves is an underground cave network in the Cango Valley that has been sculptured by nature since the Precambrian era. It is particularly famous for its marvelous showcase of dripstone caverns that will lead you to vast halls of breathtaking stalagmites and stalactites. One of the main attractions in the cave is a 9m high stalagmite called Cleopatra’s Needle .

Make sure to join the guided tours such as Heritage Tour or Adventure Tour to get the most out of your escapade. The Heritage Tour is for beginners and it runs for an hour. It explores the first six halls leading to the African Drum Room . While the Adventure Tour is more for experts because it runs for an hour and a half and it includes crawling into narrow tunnels.

6. Marble Cave — Chile

Marble cave boasting its hued cave formations

Photo by R.M. Nunes from Adobe Stock

Admission Fee: CLP10,000 or US$13 per adult for a Marble Cave Boat Tour Best Time to Visit: December to February Tour Available: Guided Tours available at the lakefront of Puerto Rio Tranquilo

If you’re looking for a unique cave to explore, come to Marble Cave. It doesn’t have innumerable stalactites and stalagmites that you usually see in limestone caves. In fact, it is quite similar to Italy’s Grotta Azzurra. The cave is located at General Carrera Lake and is made up of three formations such as the Cathedral, Chapel, and the Cave . It was formed through the mixing of melted glaciers and solid rocks. Slowly, after thousands of years, nature carved these caves with a spectrum of blue and yellow marbling in its formation.

In this Marble Cave Boat Tour, you will be taken to the core of the cave to appreciate its vibrant hues, an incredible tunnel system, and pristine waters. Another way to explore the cave is through a kayak tour (around US$51 per person), which allows you to paddle through the caves for three hours together with your group.

7. Feengrotten — Germany

a stunning reflection of the stalagmites in a cave pool

Photo by Ansgar Koreng from Wikimedia Commons

Admission Fee: EUR12.50 or US$15 per adult for an all-season entry to Feengrotten and Grottoneum Best Time to Visit: May to October Tour available: Audio Guide from Feengrotten

During the 16th century, Feengrotten, also called the Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes , used to be a mine filled with black Alum Shale. But it was abandoned during the 19th century. However, when it was rediscovered after a century, surprisingly the dilapidated cave turned into a colorful grotto occupied by multi-colored mineral deposits. With this, Adolf Mützelburg turned the grotto into a tourist attraction and they added more lights to further emphasize the mineral deposits. Moreover, in 1937, scientists also found out the scientifically-proven health benefits of visiting the cave. So they created the Emanatorium, making Feengrotten one of the first healing caves in Germany. 

Over the years, tourists visit the grotto not only because it is one of the world’s most colorful grotto, but also because of its scientifically-proven health benefits.

8. Eisriesenwelt — Austria

the world's largest ice cave in Austria

Photo from the Eisriesenwelt website

Admission Fee: EUR14 or US$17 per adult for a Cave Tour without Cable Car Best Time to Visit: July to August Tour Available: Guided tours from Eisriesenwelt

Dubbed as the world’s largest ice cave, Eisriesenwelt  has a total length of 25 miles. This marvelous site will definitely give you another perspective of natural wonder. From frosted stalactites to icebound masses, you will see enormous landscapes that seemed to have been magically frozen.

Today, you can visit the ice cave by either taking the cable car or trekking for an hour and a half in alpine terrain. It will be strenuous, but once you join the guided tour that runs up to a little more than an hour, you will tell yourself that it was all worth it.

9. Grotta Azzurra — Italy

a sea caving paradise in Italy

Photo by Judit Herbert from Pixabay

Admission Fee: EUR15 or US$18 per person Best Time to Visit: June to September  Tour Available: Various guided tours with roundtrip transfers from Marina Grande to Blue Grotto from Capri

One of the highlights in the Capri Islands in Southern Italy is the Grotta Azzurra. The grotto was once a Roman marine temple during the reign of Tiberius, and most of the Roman statues found are now exhibited at Casa Rossa . Today, although the statues are no longer found in the grotto, there are still a lot of tourists wanting to see the cavern because of the natural azure blue light water. The azure blue light illuminates the water through the sunlight that enters the cave through the underground opening under the cave’s mouth. So, make sure to visit them on sunny days, especially around 12 to 2 PM to get the most fascinating view of the water.

The grotto is only 60m long and it will only take you around five minutes to pass through it. However, it will take a while to get in as the boats need ample distance from each other because the strong waves might cause collisions.

10. Zhijin Cave — China

a unique caving decoration in Zhijin Cave

Photo by JiangQi from Pixabay

Admission Fee: CNY120 or US$18 per adult Best Time to Visit: April to October

One of China’s largest caves, Zhijin Cave occupies an expansive size of 2.7 square miles. It features a spectacular landscape of massive and bizarre karst formations. Inside, you will also marvel at the extraordinary works of nature. Some of them are the arhat-shaped stalactites and a flower-like transparent crystal. Don’t forget to join guided tours to know more about this impressive natural wonder.

11. Tham Lod Cave — Thailand

A river flowing towards a cave

Photo by nirutft from Adobe Stock

Admission Fee: THB550 or US$18 per adult for a Guided tour with a Round Trip Rafting Best Time to Visit: November to May Tour Available: Guided Tours available from My Chiang Mai Tour

Tham Lod Cave is one of the accessible limestone caves in Thailand. With an expansive size of a mile, you will be rewarded with its stunning stalactites and its spitting image in the vast clear freshwater. You can also see towering columns and impressive rock formations naturally sculpted by nature. You may also occasionally see bats and swifts who are living in the cave.

In this tour, after taking the bamboo raft, you will later climb towards the inner cave on foot. Inside, you will see more impressive works of nature as well as learn about the Hoabinhian hunting tribe who used to reside in the cave during the 9,000 BC to 5,500 BC. After, you may also visit the surrounding village and temple.

12. Vatnajökull Glacier Cave — Iceland

an extraordinary caving location in iceland

Photo by Aayush Gupta from Unsplash

Admission Fee: ISK16,900 or US$22 per adult for an Ice Cave Adventure Tour Best Time to Visit: January to February Tour Available: Various guided tours from Visit Vatnajokull

Vatnajökull Glacier Cave, also called the Anaconda Ice Cave and Crystal Ice Cave , amazes its visitors with its spectacular design. Upon entrance, you will see an arc that seemed like frozen waves waiting to crash against the current. But this wave-like arc is a crystal that glistens with the little sunlight it receives. Also, due to the density of the ice, they seem bluer and larger.

In the Ice Cave Adventure Tour, you will be guided by a local that will tell you about the history of Iceland’s largest ice cave, as well as learn about the science behind the ethereal beauty of Vatnajökull Glacier. Apart from this, you will also take a super jeep ride in the vast glacier. It will take you around three to four hours including the transfers, but the tour inside the cave only lasts 30 minutes.

13. Carlsbad Cavern — New Mexico, U.S.A.

a walkway leading you to the unique caving decorations in carlsbad caverns

Photo by Coveredinsevindust from Wikimedia Commons

Admission Fee: US$23 per adult for a King’s Palace Tour with Entrance Fee Best Time to Visit: October to June Tour Available: Various guided tours from Recreation

Carlsbad Cavern is one of the limestone caves in the Guadalupe Mountains. It has a long history of Native Americans settlement to Spanish colonization, American expansion, and the cultural conflicts in between, and to finally becoming a World Heritage Site. The captivating limestone cave in the Chihuahuan Desert tells an enthralling story within its uniquely formed fossil reefs, impressive soda straws, jaw-dropping draperies, mighty flowstone, and natural lily pads. Also, you will see an array of diverse animals and an array of lush vegetations within the national park.

Tourists can visit the Carlsbad National Park and explore the Carlsbad Cavern through the guided tours from Recreation. The trouble-free tour is the King’s Palace tour that runs for an hour and a half. In this tour, the rangers will take you to the deepest portion of the cave allowed for tourists without arduously descending and ascending the steep cave formations.

14. Harrison’s Cave — Barbados

an army of stalagmites erecting at Harrison's cave

Photo by Berit from Wikimedia Commons

Admission Fee: BBD60 or US$30 per adult for a Tram Tour Best Time to Visit: January to April Tour Available: Various guided tours from Harrison’s Cave Barbados

Initially, Harrison’s Cave was inaccessible due to the challenging natural entryway. However, in the 1970s, through the efforts of the Danish engineer Ole Sorensen and the Barbadians Tony Mason and Allison Thornhill, the cave was mapped out and became more accessible to the public. Since it was opened to the public, it never ceased to amaze its visitors with its countless stalagmites that are still growing up to this day.

Today, tourists can choose from different tours to explore Harrison’s Cave. One easy way to explore the cave is through the Tram Tour that runs up to one hour. However, if you want a more real adventure, you can reserve for an Eco-Adventure Tour or a Walk-in Cave Tour.

15. Luray Caverns — Virginia, U.S.A.

a perfectly paved way for easy caving experience at luray caverns

Photo by Robert Thiemann from Unsplash

Admission Fee: US$30 per adult Best Time to Visit: September to December Tour Available: Self-guided tours from Luray Caverns

You can find a lot of underground labyrinths in Virginia. One of its pride is the Luray Cavern which is the third most visited caves in the U.S.A., following Mammoth Cave and Carlsbad Cave which are also on this list. Inside, you will find different halls such as the Giant’s Hall that houses towering columns, the Dream Lake  — a wide and shallow lake that mirrors the stalactites, the Titania’s Veil that showcases the stupendous calcite formation that looked like a cascade of flowing rock, and, of course, the Saracen’s Tent,  which is a collection of thin folded red rocks that seemed to produce light from its sides.

Today, visitors can do a self-guided tour in this well-manicured cave. Unlike other caves that will require you to crawl into small cave openings, you can explore Luray Cavern like you’re exploring a park or a museum. Make sure to also visit the Cathedral, where you can see the electric church organ that is wired to bang against the stalagmites and stalactites. So when you press a key, you will hear literal rock music.

16. Fingal’s Cave — Scotland

a peculiar cave enveloped by basalt columns

Photo by andreaobzerova from Adobe Stock

Admission Fee: GBP25 or US$33 per adult for a three-hour Staffa Boat Tour Best Time to Visit: April to June Tour Available: Various guided tours from Staffa Tours

Fingal’s cave is famous for its hexagonal basalt columns that were formed after enormous lava stretched to the Atlantic Ocean and met with the battering waves against the cave. In 2001, this extraordinary work of nature was enlisted as a National Nature Reserve. Moreover, it was already visited by many prominent figures like Queen Victoria.

Today, tourists can marvel at nature’s extraordinary masterpiece by joining tours to visit the inside of the cave or the surrounding islands.

17. Waitomo Glowworm Caves — New Zealand

a cave illuminated by glowworms in New Zealand

Photo by Манько Марко from Wikimedia Commons

Admission Fee: NZD55 or US$36 per adult for a one-hour Waitomo Glowworm Cave Tour Best Time to Visit: November to April Tour Available: Various guided tours from Waitomo Caves

Home to innumerable Arachnocampa Luminosa or glowworms, Waitomo Glowworm Caves is a surreal subterranean realm. As you take a silent boat ride to the cave, you will find yourself not only amazed by the innumerable turquoise-colored lights on the ceiling but also with its history and legends. Moreover, since most of the guides are descendants of the Maori chief who originally explored the cave, you will get a perspective that also touches preservation, sustainability, and environmentalism.

Aside from taking the boat to enter the cave, you can also see the glowworms much closer through the Ruakuri Cave Tour (NZD79 or US$52). Or, if you’re looking for more thrill then you may join caving tours or rafting tours . The normal tours take around an hour or two, but for caving tours and rafting tours, they usually take three to seven hours depending on the tour you choose.

18. Puerto Princesa Underground River — Philippines

a group of people caving in Palawan

Photo by Jessartcam from Wikimedia Commons

Admission Fee: PHP2,090 or US$43 per adult for a Day Tour Best Time to Visit: March to May Tour Available: Guided tour from Guide to the Philippines

One of the New 7 Wonders of Nature and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999,  Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park,  or more commonly called Puerto Princesa Underground River, should be on your bucket list. It stretches more than 8km long, but only more than 4km is allowed to be visited by tourists. But don’t worry, because in that four kilometers slow boat ride, you will be able to appreciate the pristine waters and the breathtaking limestone formation inhabited by bats and swallows.

Tourists don’t only find this day tour educational with the well-informed tour guides but also convenient because the day tour already includes pick-up and drop-off from the hotel as well as lunch.

19. Barton Creek — Belize

a creek leading to an appealing cave in Belize

Photo by Thomas Shahan from Wikimedia Commons

Admission Fee: US$85 per adult for a Barton Creek Canoe Halfday with optional Zipline and Waterfall or Botanical Garden with Butterfly Farm Best Time to Visit: March to June Tour Available: Guided tours from Mayawalk Tours

A remote cave in Belize, Barton Creek is where Mayans settled during the Classic period. It is believed to be used as a burial site since they found around 28 people interred. Aside from this, they also found thousands of pottery and artifacts on ten ledges. Today, you can take a calm canoe ride to see the spooky Mayan remains as well as the profuse number of cave stalagmites and stalactites. Also, you can explore the outside of the cave by riding a zipline or freshening up at the waterfalls.

Tourists can visit Barton Creek from different tour operators. But for Mayawalk Tours, aside from the tour inside the cave, it also includes an optional Zipline and Waterfall trek or a visit to Botanical Garden with Butterfly Farm.

20. Sơn Đoòng — Vietnam

the world's largest cave in Vietnam

Photo by Dave Bunnell from Wikimedia Commons

Admission Fee: VND69,800,000 or US$3,007 per adult for a four-day expedition Best Time to Visit: February to April Tour Available: Guided tour from Oxalis Adventure

The world’s largest cave by cross-section, Sơn Đoòng Cave is a massive cave system discovered by a local man named Ho Khanh in the 1990s. It spans an expansive size that could fit a 40-story New York City building, and it’s also home to bizarre formations such as tremendous cave pearls, colossal stalagmites, and epic phytokarst. You will also find two cave ceiling collapses that allow sunlight to shine on the verdant greenery.

Today, tourists can only visit the Sơn Đoòng Cave through a four-day expedition by Oxalis Adventure. In this tour, you will paddle across broad underground rivers, trek through the underground rainforests, traverse to the two monumental cave ceiling collapses, and experience being officially a caveman in the world’s largest cave’s campsite. This is the only tour that is recommended for intermediate to expert cavers. However, Oxalis Adventure also offers tours for beginners to the surrounding caves and a national park.

Final Notes

Although there are caves that have similar formations, each cave is still unique in their own ways. Each natural wonder has its own compelling history, culture, and science that make each one unique, exciting, and mystical. By being up-to-date with information on the weather, clothes to wear, equipment to bring, difficulty level, as well as the risks that you will take in the adventure, you will be equipped in the caving escapade you are planning for. 

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cave tourism examples

23 Most Famous Caves (and some you don’t know) in the World

cave tourism examples

Want to get to know some of the most famous caves in the world? In this article, I’ll walk you through 23 of the most famous caves. And also some that are not as widely known.

Every cave has its mystery because they are all formed differently. Each cave stands to fascinate you in its way. Some of the incredible caves in the world might seem bizarre at first glance, while others are just stunning. One thing for sure is that every cave will leave you craving to experience the next one.

So here are the 23 most famous caves in the world:

In this article:

Marble caves, chile, waitomo glowworm caves, new zealand, vatnajokull glacier cave, iceland, cave of the crystals, mexico, son doong cave, vietnam, krubera cave, georgia, deer cave, malaysia, fingal’s cave, scotland, blue cave, greece, predjama castle, slovenia, antelope canyon, arizona, tham lod cave, thailand, ellison’s cave, georgia, batu caves, malaysia, reed flute cave, china, blue grotto, italy, eisriensenwelt ice cave, austria, mammoth cave, kentucky u.s.a, škocjan cave, slovenia, harrison cave, barbados, orda cave, russia, dongzhong cave, china, datdawtaung cave, myanmar.

Cave with bright blue water and white and yellow streaks

Mother Nature never ceases to mesmerize us. Visiting the Marble caves in Chile should be enough proof. We are talking about several well-coiffed breathtaking Marble caves. These caves are said to have been formed 6000 years ago, and they are still a spectacular sight. You’d need a boat ride to reach these caves as they sit on the water.

Waitomo Cave

Glowworms are amazing insects that like to light up wherever they inhabit an area for various reasons such as scavenging for food. The Waitomo Glowworm caves in New Zealand are a chosen inhabitant for the Arachnocampa Luminosa, which are rare Glowworms only found in New Zealand.

The combination of a dark cave and these glowworms is astounding. You can experience all this while enjoying a boat ride.

Glacier Ice Cave with blue glow and wavy walls

In all probability, it is hard to imagine a cave inside a glacier. This is a reality in Iceland, the home of the Vatnajokull glacier cave. What’s more riveting is that this cave resulted from the heat emanating from volcanic activities. As much as it is a great site to visit, it helps to be aware of the dangerous zones within the site.

Huge crystal formations in cave with small man

Popularly known as the Giant crystal cave, the Cave of the Crystals is one of a kind. The natural giant crystal structures are quite unusual. It is odd enough that they are in a cave. Although you’d love to go there and explore it by yourself, that is highly unlikely. You’ll need special guides as it is a risky excursion. Further to that, the conditions there are not quite friendly.

  • When visiting a cave, you need to dress accordingly.  Learn what is best to wear to different kinds of caves. Read my article  What to Wear on a Cave Tour .

Large opening in ceiling Son Doong Cave

Ever heard of a 5 km long cave? This cave’s ceilings are over 200 meters high at some points. If you’d want to have the rare experience of walking in such a cave, then you should head out to Vietnam. The Son Doong cave is the largest cave in the world. What makes it even more enchanting is the fact that it has its climate, a jungle, and a river.

To get an idea of the sheer size of this place, check out this great video:

Birds eye view on Arabika Massif, with clouds and mountaintops and snow

While some caves are known for their sheer size, the Krubera cave, which is found in Georgia, is famous for its depth. It has a frightening depth that goes beyond 2000 meters.

The sight of this cave is bewildering. You’ll probably want to pay attention as you try to find out what 2000 meters deep looks like. Read my previous article on  the 5 Deepest Caves in the World  (new tab).

Ray of light falling into Deer Cave

Before Son Doong was found, the Deer Cave was ranked as the largest cave in the world. Though it no longer holds that spot, it is still one of the most famous caves in the world. It has a distinct stromatolite formation, which looks like a statue of Abraham Lincoln when seen from certain angles.

cave tourism examples

Located in the remote Staffa area in Scotland, the Fingal’s Cave was formed by hexagonal jointed basalt columns. While walking in this idiosyncratic cave, you can’t help but notice how colorful it is. Occasionally, you will hear some interesting sounds that rouse your curiosity throughout the expedition.

Entrance of sea cave with white rock and blue water

For many people, blue is a cool color. But wait until you see it dominate a superb cave, you will appreciate its beauty and tranquility. If you think that’s impossible, the Blue cave in Greece can certainly prove you wrong. Thanks to the illumination of the blue color caused when the sun shines on the water, it is distinguished by balmy waters and can only be accessed by a boat.

Castle carved in mountain wall

You’ve undoubtedly heard of castles and caves separately, but the Predjama castle in Slovenia combines them both. As you can imagine, the site of this rare union is awe-inspiring. As history would explain it, the gothic castle was built close to the caves to make it a fortress. When you get there, you can’t help but notice the white walls of the ancient castle sitting on the black rocks that form the cave.

cave tourism examples

The Antelope Canyon is a cave in Arizona , which attracts thousands of tourists each year. The scenery is magnificent, and the cave itself is divided into an upper and a lower canyon. The cave itself was entirely formed by water.

These caves illuminate a spectrum of beautiful colors whenever the sun shines on. The feeling in these caves is that of serenity, as the cave is far away from the chaos of the city life.

High cave entrance with rays of light and jungle

Located in Mae Hongson province in Thailand, Tham Lod cave was discovered along with some ancient tools, pots, and carvings believed to be from the Iawa people. It stands out as it is surrounded by a forest with just narrow paths leading to the entrance.

The dug entrance of Ellison Cave, Georgia

Every year, Ellison’s cave, which is situated in the state of Georgia , draws out throngs of cavers. These cavers only come to witness one thing; the Fantastic Pit, which is popular for being the deepest unobstructed underground cave in the entire USA. This makes it extremely thrilling and dangerous. Therefore, all cavers looking for a trip to this cave have to practice immense caution.

Golden statue in front of long entry stairs to Batuh Caves

As you approach the north Kuala Lumpur, you are greeted by a tracery of caves with temples sitting beside them. What you might not know is that these caves are said to be over 400 million years old. They are inhabited by a humungous number of bats. It is said that locals excavate the bats waste and use it as manure to grow vegetables.

Blue and purple lighting in large cave

Want to see some ancient Chinese inscriptions that are centuries old? You can find them on the Reed flute cave that is located in China. The cave is naturally carved out from limestone. Its name was crafted from its most unique characteristic; the reeds that sprout from its entrance. These reeds can be used to make flutes by musicians.

Blue glow in sea cave

The Blue Grotto is the pride of the city of Capri in Italy, as far as tourism is concerned. What makes it popular is the naturally occurring blue glow within the cave. The glow is as a result of a small opening at its entrance coupled with a larger hole below it. From under the water, this appears to be a blue glow while from the inside of the cave, it is a radiating white light above the water.

cave tourism examples

Given that it is the largest occurring lime ice cave, the Eisriensenwelt is a prominent cave in Werfen Austria. Though it stretches to about 42 km, it is only the first 1 km that is covered by ice. Beyond that, it is predominantly limestone. The ice is not seasonal as it remains intact even during the summer. This is what sets it apart from many other caves. Only the first kilometer remains open for the public.

Broad and dimly lit tunnel in Mammoth Cave

The Mammoth cave can be described best as cave systems. Its surface is estimated to be about 80 square miles, making it the largest cave system in the world. Apart from the already mapped caves, new caves continue to be found within this system. As it was described by a young slave by the name Stephen Bishop long ago, it is grand, gloomy and peculiar. 

cave tourism examples

Found in Slovenia, Škocjan is yet another interesting cave system. This cave system is found in the town of Divaa. It is characterized by stalagmites, stalactites among other incredible rock formations. It is best known for having an underground river, the Reka River. It also bears the largest underground cavern in Europe.

cave tourism examples

Though the Harrison cave was named after Thomas Harrison who owned the area in 1700, it was forgotten until Ole Sorensen rediscovered it. He was a Danish engineer with interests in caving.

Its formation revolved around activities of soil erosion, which occurred through limestone rocks.

Huge cave entrance in white gypsum with stairs

A gypsum cave is unheard of for most parts of the world except for the Orda cave in Russia. It is even more interesting that the Orda cave is underwater. The minerals in this cave filter the water , making it crystal clear.

The thought of spending hours in a cave every day is scary to many. However, the DongZhong cave in China is famed for having housed a school. The Maio village people loved sending their children to that school until the government ordered it to be shut down. The cave remains to be a renowned tourist destination for cavers around the world.

The story behind the Datdwtaung cave in Myanmar is a total mystery. It is said that the locals used it as a hiding place from the Ghengis Kahn, who was the head of the feared Mongol empire. It is now a majestic cave inhabited by monks. A Buddhist temple lies at its entrance, making it a great meditation getaway.

In Conclusion

Whether you are an experienced caver, or just starting on this beautiful journey, caves are (and will continue to be) tremendously exciting. Before booking an exploration trip to one of these caves, please make sure to check with your tour company what the required caving skill is for each one of them

When you’re ready to get started caving, be sure to  read my Beginners Guide .

I’m Rob, the owner of StartCaving. I enjoy exploring and writing about caves. I live in Ohio and like going out to Ash Cave at Hocking Hills with my family. I plan to hit up more caves across the states in the coming years but until then I will continue to write about them.

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What Is Meant by Cave Tourism?

By Michael Ferguson

Cave tourism, also known as spelunking or caving, is a type of adventure tourism that involves exploring caves and other underground systems. This activity has become quite popular in recent years, attracting thrill-seekers and nature enthusiasts alike.

The History of Cave Tourism

Cave tourism has a long history, dating back to ancient times when caves were considered sacred places and used for religious rituals. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that cave tourism became a popular activity in Europe and North America.

One of the earliest examples of cave tourism can be traced back to 1828 when the first guided tour of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky was offered to the public. Today, Mammoth Cave National Park attracts over half a million visitors each year.

The Benefits of Cave Tourism

Cave tourism offers a unique experience that combines adventure with education and appreciation for nature. It allows visitors to explore underground worlds that are often hidden from view and learn about geological formations such as stalactites and stalagmites.

In addition, cave tourism can provide economic benefits to local communities by generating revenue through visitor spending on accommodations, food, transportation, and souvenirs.

  • Physical risks: Caving can be physically demanding and requires climbing, crawling, and maneuvering through tight spaces. It’s important for visitors to be physically fit and follow safety guidelines.
  • Environmental risks: Visitors must be careful not to damage fragile ecosystems within caves or disturb wildlife that may inhabit them.
  • Safety risks: Caves can be dangerous environments with potential hazards such as falling rocks or flooding. It’s important for visitors to take precautions and follow safety guidelines provided by tour operators.

Types of Caves

There are different types of caves that offer varying levels of difficulty and experience. Some of the most common types of caves include:

Show caves are caves that have been developed for tourism and have features such as lighting, walkways, and guided tours. They offer a safe and accessible way to explore underground environments and are ideal for beginners or those with limited physical abilities.

Wild caves are natural cave systems that have not been developed for tourism. They offer a more challenging experience as visitors must navigate through unmarked terrain without the aid of lighting or walkways. Wild caves require experienced guides and proper equipment.

Adventure Caves

Adventure caves offer a combination of show and wild cave experiences. They may include elements such as zip lines, rappelling, and swimming through underground rivers. Adventure caving requires physical fitness, experience, and proper safety equipment.

The Importance of Responsible Cave Tourism

Cave tourism can have negative impacts on the environment if not done responsibly. Visitors must be aware of their impact on fragile ecosystems within caves, avoid disturbing wildlife, and follow safety guidelines provided by tour operators.

Additionally, it’s important for visitors to respect local laws and customs when visiting caves in foreign countries. Many caves hold cultural significance to indigenous communities who may have strict rules about how they can be accessed and explored.

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cave tourism examples

18 of the World's Best Cave Tours Open to the Public

I f you love outdoor adventure, you’ll be please to know there’s a whole other landscape to explore under the ground. In the most basic sense, caves are formed when water dissolves rocks. Over thousands of years, it forms caves. Some are filled with water, and other times, the water totally recedes, creating dry caves. You can find cave tours in dry and water-filled caves — in fact, you can even scuba dive, swim, and take boat tours through caves.

But for dry cave tours, all you need are a pair of shoes with good grip, and maybe a flashlight and a helmet. And a ticket, of course.

These are the 18 best cave tours in the world open to the public to see before you die.

Blue Grotto: Capri, Italy

cave tours - blue grotto

Photo: Gimas /Shutterstock

The entrance to the Blue Cave is so close to sea level that visitors usually drive up in a motorboat, then change to a small rowboat and lie flat on their backs as they pass under the rock entryway and into the cave. Inside, a second underwater entrance — which is 10 times bigger than the surface level entrance — provides light that makes the cavern appear bright blue. Cave tours are available through most hotels and run about two hours.

ATM Cave: Belize

best cave tours in the world - atm cave

Photo: Jamen Percy /Shutterstock

ATM stands for Actun Tunichil Muknal, and it’s deep in the jungle in Belize. There’s a river that flows through the cave, and much of the tour into the cave involves a mix of swimming and walking along narrow ledges to reach the end point: a raised area with the skeleton of a Mayan girl sacrificed to the gods. This cave tour is very active and starts with a hike through the jungle to reach the entrance, so it’s not for the faint of heart.

Minnehaha Falls: Minnesota

cave tours minnesota

Photo: Douglas R. Feltman /Shutterstock

Near where the Minnehaha Creek meets the Mississippi River, a 53′ waterfall that freezes during the winter creates a temporary cave behind a wall of ice. The Falls are part of the 193-acre Minnehaha Park near Minneapolis.

Sea Lion Cave: Oregon, US

sea lion cave tours

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Sea Lion Cave , on the Oregon coast, is a privately owned cave that contains the wintering grounds for over 200 Stellar Sea Lions. There are also spots to view whales and bald eagles. Tickets are about $16 per adult as of 2023, and no reservations for the cave tours are needed — just swing by and pay at the visitors center.

Crystal Cave: Bermuda

bermuda crystal cave tour

Photo: Alexander Sviridov /Shutterstock

According to local legend, Crystal Cave was discovered by two boys searching for a cricket ball in the grass. Another boy, the property owner’s son, was lowered into the cave to check it out. Today, the 1,500-foot-long underground cave is Bermuda’s most famous , and Crystal and Fantasy cave tours are among the most popular non-beach things to do in Bermuda. Each individual cave tour takes about 35 minutes, and you can buy tickets on-site or in advance by calling the visitors center .

Tadrart Acacus desert cave: Algeria

cave tours cave paintings

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In the Tadrat Acacus desert, between the Tadrart Acuscus Mountains near the Algerian border, are caves containing UNESCO World Heritage rock-art dating 12,000 BCE to 100 CE. The rock art in this region is in danger due to petroleum drilling, so see it while you can. You’ll need to visit with a guide.

Cueva de los Verdes: Canary Islands

cave tours Lanzarote

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Greens’ Cave, in English, is technically a lava tube. So instead of being formed by water permeating rock, it was formed by lava seeping through the rock, then cooling down and condensing, leaving the tube-shaped route of its flow behind. It’s almost five miles long and and includes a concert hall with occasional performances. Cueva de los Verdes cave tours are available through various operators on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands , and usually cost no more than $15 or so.

Cenotes: Yucatán Penninsula, Mexico

cenote in mexico

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A cenote is a cave with no roof, or a sinkhole. Cenote Ik Kil is about 200 feet across and 130 feet deep with vines hanging from the ceiling to the water. It’s a popular swimming destination for tourists. This part of Mexico has hundreds of cenotes , many of which you can swim, scuba dive, and snorkel in. Scuba diving cave tours are popular for advanced divers, but you can also sign up for more relaxed tours that include swimming and rope swinging into the many cenotes.

There are too many operators to list, so just do an online search for cenote tour + wherever you’re going around the Yucatán, and you’ll find plenty of options.

Carlsbad Caverns: New Mexico, US

carlsbad nm cave tours

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Carlsbad Caverns is a national park just more than 117 caves, three of which are developed for public tours. One even has an elevator. There are also several other caves available for visitors who prefer their cave tours with a bit more adventure, including one lit by lamps.

Which tour is available varies throughout the year, and you can make reservations online at Recreation.gov.

Badami Caves: India

badami cave in india

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The Badami Cave Temples in Karnataka, India, is an example of Indian rock-cut architecture from the 6th and 7th centuries. Four distinct caves were carved into limestone walls: three dedicated to gods Vishnu and Shiva, and the fourth is a Jain Temple. No cave tours are offered — just arrive at the ticket booth, pay the relatively low entry fee (about $7, as of 2023) and explore away.

Mammoth Cave National Park: Kentucky, US

cave tours mammoth usa

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Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky was established in 1941. It is the home of the longest cave system known in the world with 390 miles of passageways. Thus the name “Mammoth” — the cave is named for its size, not the extinct animal. The park offers more than a dozen cave tours, including a wheelchair-accessible option, historical tours, tight adventure tours that require hard hats, self-guided tours, and more. Buy tickets in advance at Recreation.gov .

Batu Caves: Malaysia

batu caves cave tours malaysia

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The Batu Caves are both an important Hindu shrine and a popular Malaysian climbing site. During the Hindu festival of Thaipusam , a procession ends at Batu Caves ,where offerings are left for Lord Murugan (to whom the shrine is dedicated). It’s 272 steps to reach the main cave, or you can sign up for rock climbing cave tours from various outfitters and explore the sides and outside of the cave.

There’s no fee to go inside the main part of the shrine, but smaller caves that branch off have small fees of a few dollars. You don’t need any reservations, but keep in mind that midday is usually the most crowded, so going early or late is better.

Blue Caves Zakynthos: Greece

blue caves cave tours greece

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“The Blue Caves” are one of the most gorgeous sea caves in Europe. They’recut into the cliffs around Cape Skinari on the Greek Island of Zakynthos, and are only reachable by boat. The white walls and pebbles of the floor reflect light, giving the caves their blue hue. Several operators in the area run cave tours, including Greeka and Peter Tours Zante . Tours are often paired with a visit to a nearby shipwreck to go snorkeling.

Jenolan Caves: Australia

cave tours australia

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Jenolan Caves in Australia’s Blue Mountains, just west of Sydney, are the oldest discovered open system in the world, according to Australian geologists. It was also the first cave to install electric lighting back in 1880.

There are about 25 miles of passages, and cave tours are a big tourist draw. That means the area around the caves has no shortage of restaurants and hotels, making a caving adventure a fun overnight trip from Sydney. There are 10 caves that are developed for self-guided and regular daily walking tours, but much of the system is undeveloped and only explored by cavers. You can buy tickets for the various cave tours online for options ranging from an easy tour to one where you’ll have to smush your body through tiny cracks in the rock.

Reed Flute Cave: China

reed flue cave tours

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The Reed Flute Caves are more than 180 million years old and have ink inscriptions inside that date back to 792 BCE. The cave was rediscovered by Chinese refugees fleeing Japanese troops in the 1940s and named for the reeds growing outside its entrance. Cave tours are offered through various operators in Guilin and are often included as part of longer multi-day tours of the area.

Surprise Cave: Vietnam

suprise cave vietnam

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On Bo Hòn Island, Surprise Cave is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Halong Bay. The cave was discovered in 1901 and was used by the Viet Cong as a hideout during the Vietnam War. The cave is big, but so are the crowds and tour groups that come here by boats from the Bay.

If you can’t make it that far north, you can visit many of the caves within Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park. The park is home to the largest cave system in the world, and visitors can do everything from week-long treks to camp in the caves to one-day boat tours to explore underground rivers.

Fingal’s Cave: Scotland

scotland cold weather cave

Photo: ABO PHOTOGRAPHY /Shutterstock

On the uninhabited Scottish island of Staffa, Fingal’s Cave is famous for its mysterious echoes and its hexagonally shaped basalt stone columns. It can be reached by boat; tours run from April to September and usually depart from the nearby town of Oban, on the mainland.

Qumran caves: Israel

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The Most Incredible Caves Of The World

marble caves chile

Caves have a special place in the imagination. To explorers, they are portals to secret worlds filled with fantastical shapes and creatures. It is no wonder that the Guardian  points out that these natural formations are a central fixture of some of the most renowned literature in history . From the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus in Homer 's "Odyssey" to the Mines of Moria in J.R.R. Tolkien 's "The Lord of the Rings," it is clear that these hidden worlds are meaningful to humanity at a core level.

What is also remarkable about caves is that there are perennially new ones being discovered, making spelunking truly one of the last bastions of exploration. And for those many caves that are known, they continue to attract spellbound visitors. So put on your Wellington boots and strap on your headlamp as we look at a selection of some of the most incredible caves in the world.

Veryovkina Cave

In 1999, the territory of Abkhazia broke away from the Republic of Georgia. According to Britannica , only Russia (which maintains a military presence there), along with a handful of other countries, recognizes its independence. The strip of territory, which lay as a narrow region along the Black Sea, features lowlands and mountain spurs. It also contains the world's deepest caves and the deepest of these is Veryovkina Cave.

Atlas Obscura informs us that the cave, located in the Arabika Massif of the Westerns Caucuses, descends down 1.3 miles under the Earth. The location itself, between Fortress and Umbrella Mountains, sounds — and is indeed — remote. In fact, the cave itself is a vertical cave system, which means that any exploration of it is like reverse mountaineering. At its lowest level, it flattens out into a catacomb of tunnels that have yet to be fully explored.

Exploring the cave is incredibly time-consuming. Even a professional cave explorer will take a week to plumb to the lowest depths of Veryovkina. National Geographic details one expedition that reached the deepest levels of the cave system. Along the way, they found what were new species of scorpions. Yet they had to terminate their stay since sudden floods drove them back to the surface. One of the cavers commented, "This is the pinnacle of human endeavor in the caving world."

In Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the tropical forests of Vietnam is Son Doong, the largest cave system in the world. How large? CNN  says Son Doong has over 1.35 billion cubic feet of space. The cave system features a swift-moving river, which was the ultimate tool that carved the canyon. It even features its own little jungle areas where streams of sunlight pierce in through openings where the ceiling had collapsed, called dolines (sinkholes). It is truly otherworldly.

Interestingly, Son Doong was completely undetected until 1990 when Ho Khanh, who was hunting, stumbled across it. However, after his initial discovery, he could not locate it again until 2009. Proper exploration began shortly thereafter. The cave opened to tourism in 2013, and it continues to be explored. Travel & Leisure , for example, notes that in 2019, cave divers found an underwater tunnel that connected the cave to another large system, thus expanding its official size even more.

How to visit this cave? Son Doong is very difficult to access since it is in a remote section of the Vietnamese jungle. However, for those of you who cannot mount an expedition, National Geographic has provided an interactive exploration of the cave system, which is awesome, but most likely pales in comparison to actually being there.

Mammoth Cave

One of the finest caves in the continental United States, and certainly one of the most renowned in the world, is Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Maintained by the National Park Service , Mammoth Cave started forming between 10 to 15 million years ago as rain percolated through the surface to erode away a vast deposit of limestone. The result, as reported by Brittanica , is an 83 square mile cave system which at its longest, is at least 400 miles. This statistic makes it the longest known cave system in the world.

What's more, it is incredibly diverse as caves go. A caver would encounter canyon passages, tubes, vertical shafts, and wild natural formations of stalactites and stalagmites. The cave is also home to over 130 kinds of creatures, including troglobites, varieties of animals that only live in caves. While fossils have been found in the cave system, it earned its name not because remains of extinct pachyderms had been found inside, rather it references the size of the cave system itself. In addition, the National Park Service reports that humans have been visiting the caves for at least 5,000 years. In fact, there are over 1,000 archeological sites in the cave system. For these reasons, the site has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981.

Mammoth Cave is highly accessible to the public. About 600,000 people visit Mammoth Park annually, of which 400,000 tour this glorious monument to nature.

Blue Grotto

In the Tyrrhenian Sea off the coast of Naples is the small and lovely island of Capri. This picturesque Mediterranean locale was a chosen refuge for the Roman Emperor Tiberius who, as reported by Ancient World Magazine , wished to escape the politics of Rome.

Atlas Obscura reports that one of the appeals of the island to the emperor may have been a secret seaside cave known as the Blue Grotto. The cave is only accessible by a small boat at low tide in which passengers must lie low while the vessel passes through an opening in the rock face. Upon passing through the narrow aperture it suddenly opens up. Passengers are awed by translucent blue waters which stand in contrast to the nearly 200-foot-high domed cave. The Romans apparently venerated this cave, since statues of the sea gods Neptune and Triton had been found there.

The Blue Grotto was long known to the locals of Capri as a place of evil spirits, but it became lost to general knowledge since the fall of Rome. However, according to Britannica , in 1826, it was rediscovered, becoming a place that awed the likes of Mark Twain and Hans Christian Anderson.

Benagil Sea Caves

It can be argued that the Benagil Sea Caves of Portugal are the most aesthetically pleasing set of caves in the world. Located in the Algarve region of the country, Atlas Obscura reports that this series of caves has been formed by the Atlantic through millennia of the surf pounding the limestone cliffs.

There are two points that make the Benagil Sea Caves so special. The first is that there are beaches inside the caves where visitors (by kayak and paddleboat only) can disembark onto the sand. Second, while on those beaches, visitors would experience the large apertures in the caves' roofs. These oculus-like features were caused by centuries of rainfall and allow light to pour into the caves creating rosettes of beautiful shadow against the surf.

Naturally enough, the cave is incredibly popular. Moon Portugal tells us that the Benagil Sea Caves are only accessible by water. However, regular tours depart from Benagil, which because of the natural beauty of the region has become a tourist mecca. The only downside is that on these tours, you can only pass through the caves and not lounge on the secret beach.

Crystal and Fantasy Caves

The island of Bermuda in the Caribbean is typically visited by tourists seeking to sit by the beach drinking daiquiris rather than plumb into the deepest depths of the Earth. However, two caves can be found on that island that stand out among the most beautiful in the world: Crystal and Fantasy Caves.

Conde Nast Traveler explains that the caves, some 120 feet deep, are narrow and filled with fantastical cave formations. Frommers tells us that visitors descend deep stairwells where they cross a pontoon bridge. This is the highlight of the tour since it crosses a subterranean lake where installed lights accentuate the natural beauty of the crystalline stalactites and stalagmites creating playful shadows. Apparently, these caves formed the basis for the design of the home of the Fraggles and Doozers in Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock."

Considering that Bermuda is pretty tiny, it is surprising that Crystal and Fantasy Caves are a relatively recent discovery. In 1907, two boys stumbled upon them while trying to recover a lost ball.

Giant Crystal Cave

Under the Sierra de Naica Mountain in Chihuahua, Mexico is one of the most awe-inspiring gypsum caves in the world. The cave, located over 900 feet below the surface, was discovered in 2000 when, as reported by Chemical & Engineering News , miners stumbled upon it while seeking new ore deposits. Dubbed simply the Giant Crystal Cave, or Cave of the Crystals, How Stuff Works explains that the cave was formed by magma pushing up from the Earth's crust that chemically reacted with mineral forming gypsum crystals. This resulted in a cave system that has been rightfully compared to Superman's Fortress of Solitude. To give you an idea of the scale of these crystals, the longest are 36 feet long and over 3 feet thick. The singularly largest one is almost 40 feet long, over 13 feet thick, and weighs about 55 tons.

While the Giant Crystal Cave is definitely a sight to behold, only a few people have been able to visit it. This is because it is highly dangerous. Temperatures reach 113 Fahrenheit due to the magma right below and, because of groundwater, there is 100% humidity. These created conditions where explorers were prone to having fluid condense in their lungs, which can be fatal. Recent explorations pumped much of the groundwater out of the cave which made it less dangerous, but it also endangered the crystals. Since then, the water has been allowed to return.

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

The North Island of New Zealand offers one of the most enchanting visions combining geology and biology in the world. The name Waitomo Glowworm Caves describes exactly what these caves are about. 

As Atlas Obscura details, these caves are mainly accessible via raft. In fact, the name Waitomo is Maiori for what CNN translates as "water passing through a hole." As the boats pass through into Waitomo, the dark vaults of the cave are lit up by what appear to be blue jewels. These fairy lights come from the bioluminescence of the many thousands of glowworms hanging from the ceilings. Glowworms, curiously enough are not a singular species, but, as explained by Britannica , can be one of several species of bioluminescent insects, usually larvae. In Waitomo, the primary species is arachnocampa luminosa . Thus, it is the bugs that make Waitomo so astounding. 

You can imagine the reaction of British surveyor Fred Mace and Maori chieftain Tane Tinorau when they first discovered the cave in 1887. Tinorau later found an entrance to the caves via land. These caves are popular and accessible via small group tours that operate mainly during the Southern Hemisphere's summer.

Skocjan Caves

One cave system in Slovenia is so vast in scope that it has been called the "Underground Grand Canyon." Called Skocjan Caves, this cavern system features, according to the  Skocjan Cave website , inner caverns with spans of up to 200 feet and 460 feet in height. The entire cave system is almost four miles in length. The system, formed over the course of thousands of years by the Reka River where it plunges underground features magnificent formations of stalagmites, which can be seen in such places as the Chamber of Rimstone Pools and the Great Chamber.

What also makes Skocjan Caves remarkable is, as reported by Smithsonian , its long history of human habitation. People have been using the caves for at least 5,000 years with evidence of it being a burial site. In fact, it is one of the oldest known caves mentioned by written sources, dating to the 2nd century BCE. Modern exploration of the caves did not begin until the 1800s and is continuing to this day. It is for these reasons that since 1986, the Skocjan Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Cuevas de Mármol

In Patagonia, Chile near the Argentinean border there is a peninsula on a glacial lake made of marble that has formed some of the most marvelous caves in the world. According to Atlas Obscura , the Cuevas de Mármol (literally "Caves of Marble") were formed over a 5,000 year period as waters from Lake General Carrera eroded calcium carbonate. The result, as noted by Travel + Leisure , is a cave system of soft curves and multiple surfaces which exponentially enhances the light. The aesthetic qualities of the Cuevas de Mármol are such that it has also been nicknamed the "Marble Cathedral."

Yet seeing these caves is an adventure in and of itself. They are located some 120 outside of the city of Balmaceda which requires journeying over rough dirt roads. Then, even after you arrive, you need a boat since the caves are only accessible by water. Luckily there are ferries available from the nearby town of Chile Chico.

Near the town of Orda, Russia there is an underwater cave that is considered by the diving community to be one of the most stunning. However, as reported by Diver , there is nothing remarkable about Orda Cave on the surface. It is frankly just a big hole. Yet when divers gear up and submerge themselves into the cave, they enter a wonderland. In fact, a local tongue-in-cheek myth holds that the Lady of Orda Cave inhabits the underwater caverns and watches over divers so long as they are righteous and pure of heart.

The caves are of white gypsum, which from the diver's viewpoint is stunning since the water itself is also exceedingly clear due to the gypsum's filtration of the water. Scuba Diver Life notes that a diver can see up to 150 feet. Yet the clear water is also one of the cave's biggest drawbacks. It is typically 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which means that cave divers must always wear very well insulated gear. When diving the Orda Cave, it seems endless to the diver, since it is the longest underwater cave in Russia at over 3 miles. In fact, it is not fully explored with new passages still being located in this underwater labyrinth. This is why Orda cave has become one of the most desired destinations for the cave diving community.

The most dangerous cave dive in the world is the Blue Hole, found in the Gulf of Aqaba off the coast of Egypt. As reported by the Guardian , this nearly 400-foot sinkhole has been dubbed "the divers' cemetery." While it is unknown how many have died, some have estimated about 200 have paid the ultimate price in trying to plumb its depths.

The hazard does not prevent divers from flocking to the site, but not, as ABC News maintains, because of any inherent beauty of the cave. Rather, it is the allure of sudden death. This has particularly been the case with freedivers, those divers who try to descend into the cave on a single breath. Perhaps the most deadly spot is the so-called "arch" at a depth of just over 170 feet. Here the cave opens up to an 85-foot-long tunnel that cuts through the reef and into the open sea. Memorial stones litter the site. The Blue Hole of Aqaba is the Mount Everest of cave dives. 

Crystal Caves

When most people think of caves, limestone, gypsum, and all kinds of minerals come to mind. Yet the Crystal Caves of Iceland are uniquely made of the commonest crystal: ice. National Geographic's Complete National Parks of Europe says that the Vatnajökull national park covers 14% of Iceland. It is a place of raw nature where lava fields are adjacent to the magnificent Vatnajökull glacier.

The glacier, which is difficult to access without professional knowledge or assistance, is riven with numerous ice caves. These were formed, according to " Winter Tourism ," when summer melting caused ice melt rivers that ate into the glacier. It is for that reason that the Crystal Caves are only safe to visit during winter when it is all frozen up. But even then there is danger. As Iceland Magazine reported in 2018, an experienced guide died in the caves because of the release of poisonous geothermal gasses. It is common for those entering the Crystal Caves to carry a gas monitor.

Still, the danger of the ice caves and the discomfort of visiting Iceland during the winter are made up for by the experience. Each descent into one of these caverns offers a journey into a bluish translucent world that could have come out of the sagas of Norse mythology .

Reed Flute Cave

Located near the city of Guilin, the Reed Flute Cave is possibly the best attraction for cavers in the country of China. The cave, Atlas Obscura tells us, was given its name for the reeds that grow near the entrance which were often converted to flutes. As for the interior, it is a showcase of a diversity of geologic formations. These are so inspiring that humans have been visiting the Reed Flute Cave since at least 792 CE, the time of the Tang Dynasty. Curiously, the cave had fallen out of memory in recent centuries and was only rediscovered by refugees who were escaping from the Japanese during World War II. One can only imagine their wonder upon stumbling inside.

Today, the cave is highly commercialized. Frequent tours come through and are treated to an array of neon lights, which are meant to enhance the geologic features of the cave. As pointed out by National Geographic's China travel guide, the overt exploitation of the Reed Flute Cave by tour groups evaporates some of its allure. They recommend going in alone if you can.

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November 16, 2022

Knowledge is power: How can we make cave tourism more environmentally friendly?

by Pensoft Publishers

Knowledge is power: How can we make cave tourism more environmentally friendly?

Throughout history, people have used caves for a number of reasons: as shelters, places for rituals, food storage, and, in more recent times, as touristic attractions. In these so-called show caves, visitors can experience the natural beauty of caves, usually by following a guide on constructed, artificially lit trails.

But caves are also very fragile ecosystems, bursting with underground life. They are home to numerous invertebrate and bat species, including ones that are threatened or endemic. The human disturbances caused by the changes in the infrastructure and environment, coupled with the influx of tourists, often affect the ecological processes and, consequently, these organisms. But how much do we know about the influence of tourists on cave ecosystems?

According to a new study in the open-access journal Nature Conservation , not enough.

Going through more than 1,000 scientific papers , an Italian team of scientists, led by Marco Isaia and Elena Piano from the University of Torino, prepared a literature-based dataset relative to the knowledge on the ecological status of 265 show caves in 39 countries across the world. Their database includes a georeferenced set of show caves, where researchers have evaluated a number of environmental indicators that help monitor the impact of tourism and its related activities on subterranean ecosystems. They also list cave characteristics for each cave, including its natural heritage that attracts tourists.

Knowledge is power: How can we make cave tourism more environmentally friendly?

There are many ways in which tourism can disturb life in a cave. For example, the presence of visitors may help increase cave temperature, which, combined with the increase of CO 2 air concentration caused by tourists' breath, may enhance carbonate dissolution, damaging geological formations. Moreover, tourists can carry pollutants and propagules of microorganisms into the cave through their clothes and hands, which then land on geological formations, in the water, in the air, and on the ground. Apart from affecting subterranean invertebrates, the artificial lighting and noise related to tourist visits may also affect the life of bats, making it harder for them to reproduce or overwinter in caves.

The dataset published in Nature Conservation set a baseline towards the integrated and multidisciplinary study of the impacts caused by tourism on these fragile ecosystems, but the research team points out that much remains to be done. For example, they found out that there wasn't enough research on show caves outside of Europe, or on the possible impacts of tourism on the subterranean fauna in the context of climate change.

Ultimately, the data in this study can help managing authorities come up with guidelines that will allow a sustainable touristic development of show caves, not only from an environmental perspective, but also from an economic and social point of view.

Knowledge is power: How can we make cave tourism more environmentally friendly?

"Overall, this data paper could fill the lack of awareness towards the fragility of the natural heritage of show caves to favor a sustainable touristic use that would guarantee their preservation for future generations as well as the economic development of local communities", the authors conclude.

Journal information: Nature Conservation

Provided by Pensoft Publishers

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  • Saturday, March 9, 2024

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The mystery and beauty of cave tourism

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  • 19 November, 2019
  • In Depth , Uncategorized

The mystery and beauty of cave tourism

This isn’t a new opportunist fad with “tourism” stuck on the end. In fact, cave tourism is older and more traditional than popular contemporary varieties such as wine tourism, active tourism and cycling tourism. In cave tourism, visitors select a destination based on their love of caves: whether they’re looking to stay in a cave house or fancy trying their hand at caving.

Feel like a neanderthal by sleeping inside a cave or unleash your adventurous side by caving in beautiful underground cave networks. whether used for sporting or accommodation purposes, caves have a strong influence on tourists when choosing their destination and searching for new experiences..

From an experience tourism perspective, many people are looking to stay in cave houses where they can enjoy the unique accommodation and its beautiful surroundings. This is a fantastic opportunity to emulate your forefathers while enjoying all of the mod cons of the 21st century.

cave tourism examples

Andalusia is one of Spain’s autonomous communities with the highest concentration of touristic cave houses. The province of Granada has several excellent cave houses, such as those in the Cuevas Tiana complex in Baza or the Cuevas Al Qulayat in Castilléjar .

cave tourism examples

Northern Spain is also home to various intriguing destinations. One such example are the cave houses in the Cuevas Rurales Bardeneras complex in the municipality of Valtierra (Navarre).

If you’re looking to combine cave tourism with the benefits of an island holiday, you should consider visiting the village of Artenara in Gran Canaria. The main advantage of these cave houses is their ability to maintain a constant temperature. These cave houses remain at a delightful 18ºC all year round.

The world’s best natural caves

According to a survey carried out by the flight and hotel search engine Jetcost.es for its new Explore section, four Spanish caves feature in a list of more than 20 of the world’s best caves.

Spain is represented in the rankings by La Cueva de Valporquero in León, El Soplao in Cantabria, Las Cuevas del Drach in Mallorca and Las Cuevas de Nerja in Málaga . The list also includes fantastic caves from other European countries such as Portugal, Italy and Austria, as well as non-European countries such as Mexico, China, the USA and South Africa.

According to the survey results, a high number of tourists (38%) select their holiday destination based on the caves that are found nearby, along with other natural features that can be visited. Survey participants were asked to choose their favourite regions based on their surrounding natural features—particularly their nearby caves—taking into account their beauty, rarity, facilities, lighting, accessibility and other somewhat surprising aspects. With over 10,000 caves, Spain has an impressive network of underground caves of incalculable value. Cantabria was one of Spain’s highest-rated autonomous communities, with the world’s greatest concentration of cave art (with over 60 caves bearing paintings on their walls).

La Cueva de Altamira and the region’s nine other caves to have received UNESCO World Heritage Site status are the universal symbol of this valuable Palaeolithic heritage, which coexists with another equally impressive underground legacy: the network of 9000-plus caves of impressive geological shapes and spectacular landscapes, such as El Soplao .

cave tourism examples

Discovered in the early 20th century during the excavation of the La Florida mines, El Soplao is considered internationally to be a true geological wonder.

Its most impressive features are its ‘eccentric’ rock formations found along its floors, ceilings, walls and other parts of the route, which make El Soplao special. These unusual formations, combined with the capricious shapes of its stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flows, etc., make for a fascinating immersion into the underground world. Las Cuevas de Valporquero are found relatively nearby, in León. These are some of Spain’s most beautiful caves. Seven huge galleries, offering a variety of unique structures, can be visited, which are sure to leave an immediate impression on you. Furthermore, the caves have a watercourse that can be navigated by experts.

cave tourism examples

In any cave or cavern, lighting is essential. In Las Cuevas de Valporquero, this is simply exquisite. Their lighting creates a magical and surreal atmosphere, in which visitors can gain an understanding of how stalactites are formed, drop-by-drop, over thousands of years. Survey participants also chose Las Cuevas del Drach , the largest cave network in Mallorca, found in Porto Cristo, as one of the world’s best caves. These caves stretch almost 2400 metres long, with a maximum depth of 25 metres below ground level. Really, these are four interconnected caves: La Cueva de los Franceses, La Cueva de Luis Salvador, La Cueva Blanca and La Cueva Negra.

cave tourism examples

These caves are shaped by the entrance of seawater and are believed to date back to the Miocene period. Inside, you’ll find one of the world’s largest underground lakes—Lago Martel—measuring 117 metres long by 30 metres wide. This charming and mysterious setting hosts classical music concerts daily. After the performance, attendees are welcome to take a boat trip around the lake.

cave tourism examples

Finally, Málaga’s La Cueva de Nerja has also been included in Jetcost’s list of the world’s best caves. This cave is highly regarded as it contains almost every type of natural rock formation known to man. The spaciousness and height of its chambers make this a relatively easy-to-access cave.

The Sala del Cataclismo is particularly impressive, where you can see proof of a seismic movement that occurred 800,000 years ago in the area. The Sala de la Torca also bears various anthropomorphic cave paintings. Sala de los Fantasmas, meanwhile, offers symbolic representations and animal paintings.

We recommend heading to the viewpoint in the Sala del Colmillo del Elefante for the best views of the cave’s stalactites and stalagmites. The world is home to many wonderful caves. Below is a short list of some of the top-ranked caves in the survey: Vatnajökull Glacier Ice Cave (Iceland) Er Wang Dong Cave (China) Mira de Aire caves (Portugal) Marble Caves (Chile) The Blue Grotto (Italy) Kyaut Sae Cave (Myanmar) Mendenhall Glacier Ice Caves (Alaska, USA) Castellana Caves (Italy) Waitomo Glowworm Caves (New Zealand) Algar do Carvão (Portugal) Giant Crystal Cave (Mexico) Batu Caves (Malaysia) Benagil Caves (Portugal) Tham Lod Caves (Thailand) Sơn Đoòng Cave (Vietnam) Muntovsky Volcano Cave (Russia) Ellison’s Cave (USA)

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A Global Perspective on Sustainable Show Cave Tourism

Veronica chiarini.

1 Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 67, 40126 Bologna, Italy

Jochen Duckeck

2 Nuremberg, Germany

Jo De Waele

Associated data.

Caves are among the most visited geological features in the world, attracting over 70 million people every year in more than 1,200 caves worldwide, and amounting up to 800 million Euros in entrance fees alone. The global business of show caves employs roughly 25,000 people directly (management, guides), and at least 100 times more people if we consider the connected tourist activities (souvenir shops, local transport, travel agencies, restaurants, and bars). It is estimated that the whole show cave business has a global commercial value of roughly 2 billion Euros, a number that is increasing constantly. Show caves are generally fragile ecosystems, and care should be taken in their management to safeguard their value for future generations. The international scientific (speleological) community has issued international guidelines for the sustainable development and management of show caves eight years ago, but their application is still far from being applied globally, especially in developing and least developed countries. Cave tourism is expected to increase, especially in countries where caves are abundant but not yet considered as tourist attractions, and where economic and political instability slow down the development of tourism. There are still a lot of possibilities for the opening of new show caves, especially in countries with low Gross Domestic Income (GDI), but their management needs to be sustainable, so that caves become a means of sustaining local economies, educating people on these fragile geo- and ecosystems, and protecting contemporarily their scientific and cultural heritage for future generations.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12371-022-00717-5.

Introduction

Caves have been used by our ancestors since prehistoric times, often limiting frequentation to the areas close to the entrance, where daylight still penetrates, and the fireplace smoke could easily be dispersed without suffocating these early sheltering inhabitants. From at least 64,000 years ago Neanderthal people first, Modern Humans later, have started going deeper into caves, as testified by their rudimental (La Pasiega Cave, Cantabria, Hoffmann et al. 2018 ) and story-telling rock art (Sulawesi, 43.9 ka, Aubert et al. 2019 ). These deeper explorations were often driven by cultural needs (worshipping) or later also by the need of exploiting local resources such as flint or precious salt minerals (e.g. mirabilite or gypsum). Later on, caves were visited for several reasons, but records are often very fragmentary, such as the one of Assyrian King Shalmaneser III to the springs and caves of the Tigris River around 853–852 B.C. (Shaw 1992 ). The oldest historical inscriptions in caves are those found in Lu Di Yan (Reed Flute Cave) dating back to 792 A.C. (Tang Dynasty), but it is not known whether these visits were guided or whether they were just occasional and self-guided tours by some early adventurers. Postojna Cave, in Slovenia, has old signatures dating back to the dark Medieval times (a signature reporting “C.M.” and the probable date of 1213) (Kempe and Hubrich 2011 ).

According to the International Show Cave Association (ISCA) a show cave is defined as “a natural occurring void beneath the surface of the earth that has been made accessible to the public for tours” (Cigna 2019 ). Many caves in the world would fall under this broad definition. Most show caves have three things in common: 1) you need to pay an admission fee; 2) the cave has some kind of infrastructure that facilitates access (pathways, stairs, lights, artificial entrance, etc.); 3) visits are generally carried out under the supervision of a guide.

Guided visits to some of the oldest known show caves were surely taking place since the thirteenth century and became rather common especially in the fifteenth and sixteenth century, as shown by signatures on walls in Jasovská Cave in Slovakia (inscriptions from 1452) (Hvizdák et al. 2014 ), Sontheimer Höhlen in Germany with repeated visits by Herzog Ulrich von Württemberg (1516) (Shaw 1992 ), and Postojna Cave, where sixteenth-century signatures are frequently seen (Fig.  1 ) (Kempe et al. 2006 ; Kempe and Hubrich 2011 ). Some kind of adaptation was often carried out in these early visited caves, to make the paths somewhat more comfortable for people not used to enter dark and damp places such as caves.

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Signatures of visitors in ( a ) the “Speleovivarium” of Postojna Cave, Slovenia, where visitors left their signs at least since the sixteenth century, and maybe even earlier (photograph by Jo De Waele); ( b ) seventeenth-century signatures in the Grotta di Santa Lucia superiore, Toirano (northern Italy), massively visited by pilgrims since the fifteenth century (photograph by Jean-Yves Bigot)

Most probably, some kind of payment was asked for to enter the cave since the early beginning of underground visits, but these “fees” were probably extemporary. It appears logical to hypothesise that occasional paid visits might have occurred since Roman times, although a solid documentation on this has not been found in the literature. For example, some cave entrances with exiting hot air of the Kronio cave complex, near Sciacca (Sicily, Italy), were used as a calidarium since Greek and especially Roman times (Badino and Torelli 2014 ). If we define a show cave as one in which an admission fee needs to be paid on a regular basis, then Vilenica (Corniale, in Italian), close to Sežana in Slovenia, can be considered the first show cave in the world (Fig.  2 ) (Cigna and Forti 2013 ). The first reported payment of a ticket to enter this cave dates back to 1633, when Count Benvenut Petac started charging cave visitors, donating the money to the local church of Lokev (Cigna 2019 ). During this early-stage tourism phase, caves were often visited with local guides: groups were usually composed of few adventurous visitors relying on the experience of these early cave guides. The first official cave guide appears to be Valentin Wagner, working on stable terms from 1649 in Baumannshöhle, in the Harz Mountains in Germany (Kempe et al. 2004 ).

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A representation of the large halls in Vilenica cave (also known as Corniale Cave), close to Sežana, Slovenia. ( a ) By Nagel (1784) and ( b ) by an anonymous traveller in a manuscript entitled “Das buch unserer ausflüge durch berg & thal.” (Trieste, 1852) (courtesy of Library “Centro di Documentazione Speleologica F. Anelli”, Bologna)

At the beginning, different lighting systems were used to illuminate these dark environments, including candles, torches, magnesium wire, oil lamps, and gas, but it was the introduction of electric lights that provided an important impulse to the development of cave tourism (Shaw 2003 ). Indeed, this promising new technology was experimented in caves only one year after the patenting by Thomas Edison of the vacuum light bulb with carbon filament. It was the 22 nd of July 1880 when in Chifley Cave, which is part of the famous Jenolan Caves in New South Wales (Australia), Lieutenant Colonel E.C. Cracknell introduced for the first time an electrical illumination in a show cave (Cook 1889 ). A rudimental infrastructure was built in the following years, and part of Jenolan Cave was paved to allow the installation of a wiring system empowered by a heavy battery. This work was completed in 1887 (Betteridge 2019). More permanent installations were made in Sloupsko-Šošùvské Jeskyně (Czech Republic, 26 July 1881) and Luray Caverns (Virginia, USA, September 1881) (Shaw 2003 ), where electric arc lamps with carbon electrodes were used (Fig.  3b ). In 1883 Kraushöhle (Austria) was the first to use the light bulbs similar to those invented by Edison, although they functioned only for 7 years, and were then substituted by carbide lamps (Fig.  3c ) (Shaw 2003 ). Postojna Cave, the largest and most visited show cave in Europe, installed its electric lights in 1884 (Fig.  3a ) (Shaw 2003 ).

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Some old drawings and postcards of historical show caves: ( a ) a Postojna postcard of 1900, showing the ballroom; ( b ) a 1906 postcard of Luray Caverns (photograph by J.D. Strickler); ( c ) a 1980 postcard of Kraushöhle, in Austria with historical visit using carbide lights; ( d ) the typical colourful scenery of a Chinese cave (Lu Di Yan or Reed Flute Cave), where caves are mostly used as “sceneries” and not as scientifically interesting “world-aparts”. Postcards are courtesy of library “Centro di Documentazione Speleologica F. Anelli”, Bologna

In the twentieth century many more caves started to be used for tourist purposes, creating local income to private owners, local communities, caving organizations, private enterprises, and companies. Caves are indeed among the most important geotourism resources in the world, attracting large amounts of visitors (Cigna and Forti 2013 ). Although none of the show caves reaches the enormous numbers of tourists visiting famous geological landmarks such as Grand Canyon (5.9 million visitors per year), Yosemite N.P. (4.5 million/year), Yellowstone N.P. (4 million/year), or the Shilin Stone Forest in China (4 million/year), some of them (e.g. Huanglong Dong (Yellow Dragon Cave) and Lu Di Yan (Reed Flute Cave)) have over 1 million visitors/year (Fig.  3d ). Earlier estimates of the importance of show caves reported around 500 caves with over 50,000 tourists/year, and 150 million visitors globally, worth around 3.5 billion US $ (c.a. 2 billion Euros) (Cigna 2016 , 2019 ). A dedicated website ( www.showcaves.com , consulted in 2021) lists almost 1400 show caves, but they include artificial mines, caves not open to public anymore, and duplicate entries (show caves with two names).

Many papers have been published dealing with show caves and their management in the world (Cigna et al. 2000 ; Cigna and Burri 2000 ; Cigna and Forti 2013 ; Spate and Spate 2013 ; Cigna 2019 ), and in different countries, including France (Biot 2006 ), Australia and China (Crane and Fletcher 2016 ), China (Cao et al. 2017 ), Brazil (Lobo et al. 2008 ; Lobo and Moretti 2009 ), Croatia (Bočić et al. 2006 ), Italy (Garofano and Govoni 2012 ), Romania (Meleg et al. 2019 ), Serbia (Tomić et al. 2019 ), Slovenia (Tičar et al. 2018 ), and the USA (Foster 1999 ). The worldwide increasing interest of people in visiting show caves has led to the development of this kind of tourism in several countries, also becoming an important economic income, especially for local communities in the proximities of these tourist sites. However, opening of caves to mass tourism has caused an increasing pressure on the vulnerable karst and cave environment, giving rise to global concerns on the management and protection of these important geo-ecosystems (Watson et al. 1997 , Gillieson et al. 2022 ). A sort of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was proposed at the start of the twenty-first century (Cigna and Burri 2000 ; Cigna et al. 2000 ). In these last 20 years, the caving associations in developed countries have increasingly been involved in the preliminary assessment of future show caves, since this process requires a combination of different expertise, including marketing (market surveys: e.g. will the show cave be attractive to visitors, and thus be economically sustainable?), economy (economic constraint: e.g. how much money is needed to equip the caves, and the related infrastructure and accessibility?), and cave and karst environment knowledge (to define critical factors of geological, biological, and environmental nature through monitoring campaigns and scientific investigations). At present, this approach is not (or is poorly) adopted in developing countries. In such countries, cavers, if present, are poorly organised and the scientific karst community is often not well established or has poor influence in the political and socio-economic spheres, with greater consequences on the sustainability (both economic and environmental) of show cave tourism.

This paper aims at giving a general overview on show caves in the world, providing information about their location and geographical distribution and some statistics on the economy generated by them based on pre-COVID data available online, providing a fairly detailed picture on this profitable business in various parts of the world. It is in fact certain that the number of show caves will further increase in the next decades, especially in developing or least developed countries. This paper also provides some general guidelines, based on well-established international practices, that will allow future developments of show caves to be foresighted and sustainable, making the use of these precious karst resources both profitable and endurable.

Caves, fragile geo-ecosystems

Caves can be considered natural voids in the Earth’s crust, and in an anthropocentric perspective they should be big enough to be potentially explored by humans (Ford and Williams 2007 , p. 209).

Their formation depends on several geological processes which are used as a reference for cave classification: wind, volcanism, tectonics, ice, and dissolution in water, which is the major process involved in speleogenesis. As a result, the majority of Earth’s cave systems are mainly represented by carbonate rocks, even if remarkable karst phenomena occur in gypsum, halite, and poorly soluble rocks such as quartzites (Wray and Sauro 2017 ). A significant number of caves are also hosted in lava fields, with classical lava tubes being the most representative (Sauro et al. 2020 ).

Caves are unique geo-ecosystems thanks to their strong geodiversity, their relatively stable environmental conditions, the absence of strong seasonal modifications, and permanent darkness. They can also be considered “conservative environments” able to preserve information for long period of times. As an example, information about past environmental and climate oscillations can be preserved in cave sediments (e.g. pollen content) and speleothems (Fig.  4a ) (e.g. calcite stable isotope composition, petrography, trace elements, etc.) (Fairchild and Baker 2012 and references therein). Their specific environmental conditions can lead not only to the precipitation of rare speleothems (Fig.  4b ) and mineral phases, making these environments extremely interesting for earth science research (Hill and Forti 1997 ), but also to the creation of a specific habitat which is extremely interesting for the study of ecological adaptation of both vertebrates, invertebrate species (Mammola 2019 ; Mammola et al. 2020 ) (Fig.  4d ) and bacterial colonies (Barton and Northup 2007 ), with a potential important impact for medical research and for the understanding of the origin of life on Earth (Barton and Northup 2007 ). Given the characteristics of stability and the “conservation” properties of these environments, caves can also be a source of information about past cultures and the origin and evolution of the genus Homo, since they were often used as shelters or for ritual purposes (Fig.  4c ) (e.g. Facorellis et al. 2001 ; Sadier et al. 2012 ; Herries et al. 2020 ). Thus, also archaeologists and anthropologists find these places particularly interesting for the huge amount of information they can provide.

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( a ) Stalagmite growing on vertebrate bones in Pozzo Cucù cave, Apulia (southern Italy). The stalagmite is > 110 ky old, so the bones are of extinct Pleistocene animals (photograph by Jo De Waele); ( b ) the famous delicate “butterfly” helictites in Sonora Caverns, Texas (USA), the most famous of which was damaged by a visitor in 2006 (photograph by Lukas Plan); ( c ) the Crystal Maiden, a Maya skeleton of a young girl, died over one thousand years ago, in Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave, Mexico (photograph by Mark Burkey); ( d ) Leptodirus hochenwartii , the first troglobitic species described from Slovenian caves (photograph by Teo Delic)

However, the same geological and environmental characteristics which provide caves with an extremely important scientific value make them vulnerable environments, which can be easily damaged causing an irreparable loss of scientific information and natural habitat. These environments are particularly sensitive to the activities carried out at the surface above and in the recharge area of the karst systems (Gillieson 2011 ). Indeed, caves are a fundamental part of the subterranean drainage network, whose recharge lies in the surrounding catchment areas. Not only water, but also air masses are exchanged between the external atmosphere and the internal cave environment (Badino 2010 ). These fluxes of water and air are the main natural perturbators of the subterranean world, causing subtle changes in air temperature, chemical composition of waters and air, and physical movements of fluids.

Besides surface activities which can indirectly modify the cave environment (e.g. modification of the catchment basin, groundwater, and soil pollution, etc.), when caves are opened to speleologists and/or tourists an additional impact is produced (e.g. Calaforra et al. 2003 ). The mere passage of people causes the original surfaces to be touched, leaving foot- and handprints (Fig.  5a ). In addition, in some show caves, to allow a comfortable progression cave sediments or speleothems have been sometimes cut down permanently, and natural cave passages have been enlarged modifying the original morphologies (Fig.  5b ). Another impact produced by humans entering a cave is the modification of the cave atmosphere composition and microclimate. Indeed, the human body temperature releases energy into the cave, breathing causes an influx of CO 2 , and clothes and skin introduce alien particles (lint, epithelial cells, bacteria, spores, and seeds, etc.) (Jablonsky et al. 1993 ; Balestra and Bellopede 2022 ). In addition, when a cave is also equipped with a lighting system and other infrastructures, the energy balance increases (more energy is released into the cave environment). Infrastructures introduce foreign materials (plastic, steel, wood, glass) which alter the natural nutrient-poor cave environment (Fig.  5c-d ), and the artificial light creates the favourable environment for photosynthetic plants to grow (the problem of lampenflora) (Mulec and Kosi 2009 ; Mulec 2014 ; Baquedano Estevez et al. 2019 ), which also alters the nutrient availability in the cave (Fig.  5e-f ). The microbiological impact caused by visitors must be considered too (Saiz Jimenez 2012 ; Mulec 2014 ). Attention towards this topic was first raised when, starting in the 60s, after artificial lights were installed, the famous Lascaux Cave got impacted by the growth of photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria, and later by fungi and a variety of microbial communities (Bastian and Alabouvette 2009 ). In more recent times, these environmental concerns have increased drastically with the insurgence of the “White Nose Syndrome” in 2006, which decimated the bat population in northern America in a few years’ time (Blehert et al. 2009 ), and the present pandemic situation (COVID-19), which required the adaptation of strategies to avoid the spreading of the coronavirus (Barton 2020 ).

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( a ) A wild cave tour trail in Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico (USA). The trail is clearly visible, but note the two footsteps in loose sediments to its right (photograph by Jo De Waele); ( b ) steps cut into a thick flowstone in Toirano Cave, northern Italy. These “heavy” works were carried out in the 60 s (photograph by Philippe Audra); ( c ) Wooden walkways in Bijambare Cave, Serbia. The small inset on the right shows fungi on the wooden trunks (photograph by Jo De Waele); ( d ) a pool with hundreds of coins, which have created a toxic environment, in Sonora Caverns, Texas (USA). The green colour derives from copper oxides (photograph by Jo De Waele); ( e ) Fern (Pastena Cave, central Italy); and ( f ) bryophytes (Collepardo Cave, central Italy) growing on speleothems close to lights (photographs by Jo De Waele)

To sum up, caves, both the wild (i.e. caves non-equipped for tourist visits) and the tourist ones, are fragile and precious environments and must be protected for several reasons, in particular:

1) they are part of a vulnerable aquifer system; underground karst water is an extremely important drinkwater resource, but it can be polluted very easily and has no natural depuration processes that can lead to mitigation of any possible pollution (Moldovan et al. 2020 ; Ruggieri et al. 2017 );

2) caves, and the fissures around it (the underground ecosystem) are extremely rich in biodiversity, hosting important endemic species, often relicts of past climate conditions, and geological landscapes and ecosystems (Mammola et al. 2016 ; Culver and Pipan 2019 ). Alongside the precious invertebrate community, caves are also often home to vertebrates, such as the olm ( Proteus anguinus ), the Texas blind cave salamander ( Eurycea rathbuni ), or bats, just to mention the most important ones. Bats are protected by international laws, and their utility in the natural environment (most species being insectivorous) is beyond any doubt. In particular, hibernation colonies and breeding roosts of these mammals are extremely vulnerable to human presence. If present, the caves should be protected and closed to any visits (Medellin et al. 2017 );

3) caves are also important geological and archaeological repositories, in which fossil bones and different archives of past climates and environments are hosted and preserved. Most of these deposits are still to be studied and must be protected from destruction for future studies. Caves were often used by animals, including our human ancestors, as shelters, burial places, or living quarters. These deposits are often protected from the external processes (wind, erosion) by the cave environment, and activities inside the caves can alter their original state of deposition (Gillieson 2011 ).

Evolution of show cave management

In the early days of cave tourism, adaptations to the underground environment were limited, and visiting a cave was often an adventure relying on local guides involving complex logistics with many people assisting the, often, “honourable” and “noble” guests. Travellers in those years were generally of important and wealthy families (including kings and governors) or writers, with sufficient financial possibilities to cope with travel expenses and all kinds of costly side activities. Travelling to the caves and their karst areas often involved strenuous trips across mountains with poor connections, involving a certain number of supporting staff, and this type of leisure was restricted to few (wealthy) people. The visits of important people to caves, however, pushed local stakeholders and governors to invest in the caves and their surroundings, thus leading to the construction of more accessible roads, the first ground facilities close to the entrances, and internal pathways and stairs, or even electric lights. But prior to WWII, most caves were scarcely adapted, and one of the attractive things of cave tourism was the “sense of adventure”, with most caves accessible via more or less well laid-out paths both to get to the entrance, and into the cave. Many of these early cave exploitations were family based, with no real urge to be economically rentable: the income of visitors to the cave was often a welcome “extra” in the family budget (Gauchon 1996 ). If we count these caves as “true show caves”, in several European countries there were more show caves than there are today.

The industrial revolution increased the transport infrastructure, and thus the mobility of more people, in turn increasing the number of visitors to the caves. Several show caves became real commercial enterprises, in which the number of visitors had to increase to drive up the economic benefit, and this required larger paths, easy access and walk-through-the-caves, and new infrastructure both outside and inside the cave. Many of the family-driven caves were progressively abandoned, being unable to compete with the fewer but larger show caves. Abandonment of earlier show caves was related to three main reasons (Gauchon 1996 ): 1) remoteness and difficulty in access: as visitors were getting used to easy access roads and cars (or trains), caves reachable only after long walking through the mountains were progressively skipped in favour of caves close to communication ways. 2) Progressive loss of naturalistic appeal: the early visits often were without guides, and visitors often took “souvenirs” from the caves, resulting in a loss of aesthetic value and in a progressive visitor number decrease. 3) Many of the earlier show caves were connected to the thermal baths, and with the decline of the thermal business, also many show caves nearby lost their main source of visitors. 4) Some caves, after a period of activity, were declared economically not-sustainable. Income from visitors did not cover the management costs.

Unfortunately, some of these abandoned show caves have undergone great and irreversible damages (especially if they were easily accessible, with paths, and left uncontrolled) and are truly lost for future uses. Other caves have been equipped but were never opened to public for a variety of reasons: in general, these infrastructures required an investment to be removed, so pathways, electric light systems, etc., were left in place, doomed to decay over short time periods (Gauchon 1996 ).

Despite these failures, during the last 50 years or more, show caves have become a reliable source of investment and income, a true “cave business” (Cigna and Forti 2013 ), with a rapidly rising trend until the 80s. In more economically developed countries (e.g. Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea, and Australia-New Zealand), after the boom in the late 70s–early 80s, numbers started decreasing, pushing show cave managers to raise the quality of their tourist offers (Biot and Gauchon 2005 ). Visitors are increasingly becoming more culturally demanding, and they have a growing desire to increase their knowledge on karst, the natural and wonderful world of caves, their biodiversity and geodiversity. This has led to the creation of networks of show caves, and the participation of show cave guides in refresher courses on the multiple aspects of cave science. The opening of new show caves, the increasing quality in their management, and better transport infrastructures, started to invert this negative visitors’ trend in the beginning of the third millennium for some of the better managed caves. An increasing number of caves are being opened to public in developing and least developed countries, such as Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, and China. The economic and cultural gap in these countries is leading them to make the same mistakes made by early cave managers in the USA and Europe.

Caves can have different types of ownership and management: they can be public (municipalities, states, federal agencies) or privately owned. In both cases, they can be managed by public authorities (especially the caves falling under the management of Nature Protection administrations such as Parks), by private organisations (even at a family level) or have a contracted management. In all cases, there is always a conflict between conservation and tourism exploitation, and generally the economical return is being considered a priority as compared to natural heritage conservation and management. Only the biggest show caves, and those managed (and financed) by public stakeholders, can afford to invest in high-quality infrastructures, modern lighting systems and monitoring networks. Some of these also devolve part of their income to scientific research and development, and to the training of cave guides. Smaller show caves prefer (or are obliged) to invest only in tourism development, advertising, and safety of both guides and visitors. In economically developed countries, however, the greater networking (allowing guides to have easier ways of getting trained) and importance of public opinion (with visitors evaluating the visited sites, and social networks increasing the visibility of such polls), and the greater density of show caves, pushes cave managers to raise the quality of their offer. Earlier bad experiences of the recent past (show caves that have been closed because of irremediable damages, or other caves that were opened for a few years but soon abandoned because economically unsustainable) aid in making managers understand that they have essentially non-renewable resources at hand. Unfortunately, the same conditions do not occur in developing and least developed countries. In these areas of the world show cave development and management is often poorly controlled, and this “wild” development often resembles to what happened in the 70s in Europe and the USA, generally with detrimental effects on the cave and karst environment.

Existing guidelines for the protection of cave and karst environments

Cave and karst protection policies are generally defined on a national, regional or local scale, and differ from continent to continent, between countries and even within single nations. The most comprehensive guidelines on cave and karst protection are reported by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Watson et al. 1997 ; Gillieson et al. 2022 ). These indications are often used by legislators worldwide as the starting point for defining the protection framework and the local management practices in these delicate areas. Caves can be protected by the creation of natural reserves (i.e. National and Regional Parks), or directly by creating a cave-dedicated legislation that considers all actions threatening cave conservation (e.g. speleothem collection, illegal waste disposal, etc.) as a criminal offence (Middleton 2016 ). Cave environments can also be “indirectly” protected through the inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List: indirectly because this list does not assume further environmental protection, since all the proposed UNESCO sites must already be protected areas, but it raises awareness towards the importance of this unique environment. In addition, an international tool to protect endangered fauna and flora is represented by the institution of the IUCN red list of endangered species, which is recognised to be the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of flora and fauna (Rodrigues et al. 2006 ).

In the USA, the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act, enacted in 1988 (Huppert 1995 ), had the purpose of protecting “significant caves on Federal lands”, with ambiguity regarding the true meaning of “significant”, and the fact that only caves in Federal land might get protection. Fortunately, all caves falling in National Parks are considered “significant” and thus fall under the protection of this law. A major drawback of this law, however, is that only the cave is protected, regardless of its surroundings (the karst landscape around and the catchment basin). Many show caves are on private lands and have no legal protection at all. In the same years, another large country with important karst areas (Brazil) started to enforce laws regarding cave and karst protection, especially related to the growing mining industry. Directive 887 (1988) of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) included caves, as well as lakes, rivers, and other natural resources, as “State properties”, and therefore, they should be included in environmental studies and protected (Auler and Piló 2015 ). This law brought to the creation of the inventory of caves all over the country, and to further laws to define the significance of caves, since not all caves could be integrally protected. In fact, cave protection in this country severely interferes with the ore and mining industry, one of the greatest economic sectors in this country. Unfortunately, in 2022 the Brazilian Government has changed this law seriously putting in danger the many caves hosted in host rocks of economic interest, which will now be viable to commercial exploitation (i.e. mining and quarrying) (de Oliveira et al. 2022 ).

The most important international directive regarding the protection of cave environments is the Council Directive “Habitat” n. 92/43/CEE of the European Union. It provides guidelines to protect and/or restore different habitats and species (animals and plants) of Comunitary Interest identified in the same document, through the creation of a network of protected areas (Natura 2000; art. 3) and the promotion of scientific research (European Commission 1992 ). Habitats are grouped in Annex 1, which includes “caves not open to the public” in the group “Rocky habitat and Caves” and corresponding to the code 8310. In addition, annex II of Directive 92/43/CEE identifies “Animals and plant species of Comunitary interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation”, a list that includes several species specialised to cave environments (e.g. bats, several amphibians, etc.). This Directive, although essential in protecting caves with important zoological and botanical assets (since it essentially protects animal and botanical species and their habitats), does not directly protect caves in which these biological values are not strongly represented, such as caves with unique morphologies, speleothems, or sedimentary archives.

At present, the only important official document produced by international associations regarding guidelines for cave frequentation is related to show caves and was issued by the International Show Cave Association (I.S.C.A.) and the International Union of Speleology (U.I.S.) in 2014 (ISCA 2014 ). This document does not represent legal requirements but aims at providing indications as “best practices” regarding the creation of new show caves and the management of caves open to public. These international guidelines are based on the expertise of the caving community and the experience of show cave management all over the world. Despite the existence of these guidelines, even in the recent past, not all show caves have adopted these good practices, and poor attention has been paid to cave environments during the opening of caves to tourists, because of a lack of awareness towards the fragility and the scientific, geological, and ecological importance of these environments. As a result of this, a strong impact was often produced in these poorly managed caves. However, in recent years, owners and managers of show caves have been realising that it is of primary importance to keep the show cave as clean, natural, and beautiful as possible, in order to ascertain its touristic appeal also in the future and for many generations to come. A show cave can be an important source of income also creating a wide range of secondary economic activities and should therefore be managed in a sustainable and endurable manner. A summary of these guidelines is reported below and is schematically reported in Fig.  6 .

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Flowchart showing the various steps that are required to develop a natural cave into a well-managed show cave. See text for details

Choice of the cave to be opened to the public

Not all caves can be eligible as show caves or places suitable for speleological guided trips. The suitability of a cave to be subjected to mass tourism or occasional speleological guided visits depends on a series of factors, including its location, its physical, biological, and environmental characteristics, and the economic viability of a potential tourist adaptation and related use as a show cave.

A true show cave must be adapted for the frequentation by groups of visitors. Such caves are generally large and more or less horizontal, so that there is no need to overcome large vertical drops or pass through long narrow passages. To be attractive for tourists these caves must also be beautiful, with rich and pristine speleothems, or special natural shapes and characteristics (e.g. river, waterfalls, nice cave wall morphologies, etc.) that may be of interest to the visitor. These characteristics can also include archaeological, palaeontological, and cultural heritage of high value (at least at a regional scale). The physical adaptation of the natural pathway must not require too extensive enlargements, heavy infrastructure and costly operations, and must always be weighed against the potential economical revenue of the visits. Permanent damages (opening of passages, excavation of artificial tunnels, pumping of flooded passages, etc.) must always be accompanied by an environmental impact assessment.

Certain caves (or cave passages) are not suitable to be opened to tourists, like the ones hosting large roosting (breeding)/hibernating bat colonies, or cave chambers decorated with fragile speleothems which may be damaged by the installation of artificial walkways, or caves that are seasonally flooded, or vertical shafts with no appreciable horizontal passages, just to name a few examples.

Some caves that are not deemed suitable to be equipped for common tourist visits, as well as some non-equipped parts of show caves, can sometimes be used for speleological guided tours. These visits are carried out with suitable equipment (helmets, boots, caving suits) and can eventually require the use of special tools (vertical rope equipment), depending on the type of visit (normal cave or extreme visits). However, also these speleological visits require the installation of an obligate route (signed pathway) to avoid leaving foot- and handprints everywhere, with the aim of keeping the cave environment as pristine as possible. Nevertheless, speleological visits which do not require specific caving techniques (e.g. abseiling shaft) should always be preferred for safety reasons also, since cave rescuing operations are always complex. In all these cases (normal show cave tour or speleological visits) the presence of cave guides is mandatory, in order to have a control on the participants (both for their own safety and for the safeguarding of the cave environment) and give explanations during the visits.

Scientific and speleological investigations

Once a specific cave has been chosen as a potential show cave and/or for guided speleological tours, it needs to be investigated in detail. This means that all these caves have to be explored (a cave is never fully explored, but all main branches of the cave need to be scouted with modern speleological techniques at least up to some technical obstacle (sump, rising shaft, boulder choke, etc.)). A detailed survey of the known cave needs to be produced (if not existing). These maps require sufficient detail to allow the planning and construction of the cave paths (both tourist and speleological) and of the electric lighting systems (if required), and the decision on where cave monitoring instruments need to be placed (see next paragraph).

Sufficient information about the scientific aspects of the cave needs to be available, including knowledge on archaeological deposits, palaeontology, geology, hydrology, and biology. This last branch is particularly important to understand whether there are reasons for limiting visits to the cave (or certain parts of it) because of the presence of endangered and vulnerable species (e.g. Proteus anguinus or olm) or bat colonies (reproductive summer or winter hibernation colonies). Prior investigations are also useful to determine which places should be part of the guided tours (beautiful corners, impressive speleothems, nice morphologies, scenic spots) and those places that need to be excluded from the future cave tour (places with delicate speleothems, chambers with large bat colonies or presence of delicate ecosystems, areas subjected to seasonal floods, etc.). If no such information is present, it is mandatory to perform such investigations prior to any action in the cave itself.

Monitoring before opening and during show cave management

Caves are natural environments with relatively more stable conditions with respect to the external atmosphere. They can be classified in high-, medium-, and low-energy caves, depending on the amount of energy flowing through the underground passages (Gillieson 2011 ). The energy flow in a cave, in natural conditions, mainly depends on the flow of fluids (water and air) through them (Badino 2010 ), and these depend on the isolation of the cave from the external environment. Caves in which large water flows are introduced (sinking rivers, or caves with significant hydrological changes) are always high-energy caves. On the other extreme we find deep isolated karst voids with no natural entrance. The energy balance of a cave is also greatly influenced by its depth from the surface and the consequent presence (or not) of multiple entrances. Caves with multiple entrances located at different altitudes will be crossed by strong air currents, thus greatly influencing the underground micrometeorology. Local micrometeorology is also influenced by processes such as evaporation and condensation, since the thermal capacity of water is great and latent heat is significant (thus absorbing or releasing great energy fluxes where these processes are active).

Opening a cave for tourist or speleological visits introduces an artificial amount of energy, both directly and indirectly. Visitors introduce both heat, water vapour, and carbon dioxide, which must be considered when defining the possible carrying capacity of the cave (the number of visitors per time unit that is sustainable for the cave environment, i.e. allowing environmental parameters such as temperature and CO 2 concentration in air to return to the initial natural values from one day to the other). Also, modifications to the cave morphology (opening or enlargement of entrances or cave passages) create changes in air flow, and thus energy flow, which can have great negative impacts on the underground environment.

Therefore, it is necessary to measure the cave air characteristics, and especially temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), and CO 2 levels (De Freitas 2010 ). If these parameters are not monitored, then a possible long-term increase in cave temperature and cave air CO 2 may occur, resulting in a potential impact on chemical and physical parameters (temperature, pH, etc.) of isolated water ponds as well, where even very small changes can interfere with the sustenance of any kind of lifeform. Not only the organisms living in water can be threatened by temperature and CO 2 modifications, but also all the troglobiont species of a specific cave. Furthermore, in karst caves, temperature, as well as air flow modifications, can produce changes in moisture condensation and water evaporation, triggering the development of condensation-related morphologies, thus modifying the cave’s original aspect. Nonetheless, considering the essential role of carbon dioxide both in speleogenesis (in carbonate rocks) and in speleothem deposition, the long-term modification of its concentration can trigger carbonate speleothem corrosion (Baker and Genty 1998 ). It is thus clear that artificial modifications of cave microclimate parameters can have important negative consequences not only on cave ecosystems, but also on their intrinsic beauty, considerably lowering the appeal and the attractiveness towards visitors and causing both biodiversity, geodiversity, and economic loss.

Besides these parameters, also radon concentrations in air should be measured in each season of the year, at least for one year and in different areas of the cave, to see whether natural radioactivity related to this gas needs to be taken into account for the safety of the people working underground (cave guides). High levels of radon might cause exposure levels to radioactivity above those recommended for underground labourers (based on international and national regulations) (Gillmore et al. 2000 ; Cigna 2005 ). Finally, cave water should be analysed on a regular basis for the early detection of leakage of wastewaters from the tourist infrastructures above the cave.

General monitoring should be continuous, with measures every 30 min or an hour for T, RH, and CO 2 and should last at least 12 continuous months (in order to reflect all seasons). Experiments should be carried out with groups of visitors of various dimensions, especially in places where cave guides give their explanations and visitors stay for longer times, monitoring the changes of all parameters and their return to natural values. These experiments will allow to define the carrying capacity of the cave, which should be taken into account during the management of the visits.

After the year of preliminary monitoring, during the normal management of the cave, measurements should be continued for T, RH, and CO 2 , with timing and placing to be defined case-by-case and based on the results of the first monitoring campaign.

Management of cave visits

The number of visitors that can be allowed into the cave depends on a series of factors, mainly related to the dimension of the cave, the length of the underground visitor trail, and the environmental conditions of the cave itself. The safety of visitors is the main factor that needs to be accounted for, but visitor numbers should also take into account the carrying capacity of the cave, which has to be defined according to cave monitoring.

Each group of visitors should be accompanied by two cave guides, at least when relatively large groups are allowed into a cave: one of these will be responsible for the explanations and will guide the tour. This guide normally will be in front of the visitors and will make different stops in places suitable to give logistical, historical, and scientific explanations. The second guide will close the visitor group, making sure no one is left behind and controlling the correct behaviour of visitors. If tourists are not supervised by a cave guide, it is more likely that negative behaviours threatening the cave habitat occur, such as speleothem touching, people leaving the trails, introducing food and beverages, smoking, rubbish disposal and coin launching, leading to a visible degradation of the cave environment and introduction of alien microorganisms, causing darkening of speleothem surfaces and accumulation of rubbish and/or coins in natural spots.

Special consideration must be reserved for tourist caving tours. Indeed, several show caves around the world offer this type of visit in some wild portions of the cave, while some wild caves can be visited using speleological equipment and accompanied by a speleological guide. Unfortunately, internationally recognised guidelines do not exist for this form of tourism, but only some indications provided by national speleological associations (e.g. The National Speleological Society), local public authorities, or national governments. This type of tourism can have a strong impact on cave ecosystems since it is rarely regulated, and it is not limited to the artificial walkways but to the entire underground environment, exposing all cave surfaces to a direct interaction with visitors. Cave managers and/or public authorities should produce specific regulations for each cave including minimal impact caving codes (i.e. group composition, identification and delimitation of tracks, cave equipment maintenance protocols, forbidden activities such as smoking, etc.) in order to minimize the impact of speleological tourism.

Logistics outside and around the cave entrance

Caves are an integral part of a landscape and, for those formed by dissolution, of a karst environment. Protection measures for show caves should not be limited to the cave itself, but must extend to the surface above the cave, the areas adjacent to the entrance, and ultimately, to the entire recharge area of the cave. Infiltration of waters must be assured: this means that construction above the cave footprint needs to be avoided, or at least surface runoff must be allowed to go underground through natural pathways, preventing flow to be too concentrated. Often the construction of large parking lots and buildings causes the creation of concentrated runoff, with negative impacts on the underground environment. It is often advisable to create parking lots and build infrastructures at some distance from the cave footprint and from the cave entrance, limiting the direct impact on the karst environment. In that case, a shuttle service may be a good solution, using electrically powered trains or buses, or creating a dedicated walking trail. All activities that create white and grey water need to be managed carefully, with a wastewater management that is sustainable in a karst aquifer area. Many techniques exist for treating waste waters (including natural systems), but decision needs to be based on the quantities of wastewater that is produced and logistical requirements.

Materials to be used for in-cave infrastructure

Trails with the minimum impact on speleothems and water bodies are the most suitable to realise artificial paths in a show cave. The best material to be used to build artificial pathways is high-quality stainless steel: indeed, this material does not deteriorate over time and does not cause contamination in cave environments, and, if carefully planned, these infrastructures can be entirely removed from the cave (in case pathways are abandoned for some reason). Its counter indications are the rather high cost (for high-grade stainless steel), its relatively important visual impact, and the rather complicated installation (i.e. weight, assemblage, and welding). Although new plastics are becoming increasingly resistant and are much lighter and cheaper, their use should not be preferred to stainless steel since it introduces a potential source of contamination. Indeed, microplastic pollution is becoming more and more diffuse in underground environments, including karst groundwater systems (e.g. Panno et al. 2019 ; Balestra and Bellopede 2022 ). The cave walkway should be carefully designed and subdivided in portions which should be prepared before bringing them into the cave. The only process that should be carried out inside the cave is represented by the assemblage of the walkway portions in order to minimize the disturbance to the habitat, including bats, and pollution. For caves developing in limestone bedrock, concrete pathways may be considered. However, since concrete is extremely difficult and expensive to be removed, it should be used with care over small portions of pathways or along relatively narrow tracks. Any type of organic material must be avoided. Even if wood is considered an environmental-friendly material to be used in natural areas, it does not belong to the cave environment. Indeed, wood in caves does not last long because of the high humidity, and it introduces organic material and microorganisms (bacterial colonies, fungi, moulds) which are not naturally found in caves, thus altering the local microbial and invertebrate communities. Pathways in show caves must always be equipped with stainless steel handrails. This is needed to ensure visitor’s safety and to avoid them to exit the designed path. In wild caves opened to speleological tours and/or in wild portions of show caves where tourists can access with guides, paths should be identified as well and indicated with resistant reflective tape to avoid tourists to walk everywhere. Today also wires supported by small rods are used, having a smaller visual impact on the cave (Ayuso and Calaforra 2016 ). Long-lasting materials need to be used to avoid the introduction of microplastics and other foreign microparticles.

Caves are naturally dark environments, and any artificial light introduces strong modifications to their natural conditions. There is no need to light up the cave entirely: only important scenic spots might be highlighted for short periods, leaving most of the cave in its natural dark state. Permanent, low-level led lights are required only on the cave path, pointing to the floor and functioning as safety lights during the entire opening period of the day. The main cave lighting systems must release the lowest amount of heat as possible (i.e. light-emitting diodes—LED lights or cold cathode lamps—CCL), and light intensity should be kept as low as possible. Every light point must be set at least 2 m away from any surface, especially if wet and muddy (speleothems, cave walls, and floors) to inhibit the development of lampenflora. Permanently turned-on lights should be limited, preferring the realization of a system that can be switched on and off easily (with two independent circuits, one for the main lighting system, and one for the smaller and dimmed safety lights), in order to reduce the time of artificial illumination inside the cave. Note that electronics can often have trouble working well and over long times in the wet and harsh conditions of caves. The artificial illumination system should be monitored as well in order to identify the early development of lampenflora and take actions at the first evidence of its development (e.g. modifying the orientation of lights, their positioning, the light intensity, etc.).

Cave guides

We define “show cave guide” the person leading a group of people along the paths of an illuminated show cave, and “speleo-guide” the person leading a group of people along signed but less equipped paths through a wild cave area (where no fixed lights are placed).

A show cave guide is a professional figure able to safely guide people along the cave paths and simultaneously provide correct information about cave ecology, geological features (e.g. speleothems), cave formation (i.e. speleogenesis), cave conservation, historical, and/or archaeological features of a cave. It should be someone with good communication skills, able to involve tourists and introduce them to this underground world providing correct information about cave habitat and its fragilities. A show cave guide should also have basic knowledge on safety measures while leading people along artificial paths in relatively safe environments (presence of paths, lights, etc.).

A “speleo-guide” should have the same cultural background and communication skills of a show cave guide. However, this figure is far more specific, guiding tourists outside the artificial paths of a show cave, leading people to explore hidden treasures which can sometimes not be easy to reach. Thus a “speleo-guide” should be an expert caver combining good knowledge of cave habitat and technical skills. Besides providing correct information to tourists, a profound knowledge of the cave environment is a must for a speleo-guide, since leading tourists outside the artificial paths using proper equipment (cave helmet, suit, boots, etc.) can have a strong impact on both cave habitat, its conservation, and tourist safety.

Materials and methods

Our investigation is primarily based on the private website www.showcaves.com . The authors have carried out an Internet search for all these caves, often finding dedicated websites where information on the caves, entrance fees, and curiosities is readily available for external use. Where no website was available, different travelling information websites (e.g. tripadvisor, trip, Tong Cheng, Xin Xin Travel, etc.) were used to get an idea of entrance fees, popularity of visited show caves, and geographical information. Simple independent Internet searches using key words such as “show cave”, “commercial cave”, were also carried out to find the caves listed in Dukeck’s lists, but also to discover caves that were not reported in his lists. These Internet investigations have taken place between May and June 2021 and enabled 95% of the listed caves to be traced and consulted. The list of show caves was then divided into countries, and these shortlists were sent to prominent cave and karst researchers or cavers of 30 countries (the ones with more than 10 show caves listed) to check completeness and reliability of data. Accuracy of the entrance fees (based on values relative to 2019–2021 and their exchange rates in June 2021), cave name, and location is judged very high, since this information is reported in good detail for over 95% of all caves. Regarding entrance fees, whereas in most show caves (95%) the visits are of one type (thus one entrance fee), we normally took the fees of a single adult (and not that of children, family discounts, or groups), thus overestimating the income deriving from ticket sales. In about 5% of the caves multiple visits are offered, from long and shorter tours, to combined tickets, or adventure (“wild cave”) tours. For our research we took the normal, most chosen, guided tour as an indication for the total income from tickets.

Also, the length of the show cave path is less precise but corresponds to the true internal cave paths for 70% of all listed caves. In several caves the cave path length could be estimated based on the time of the visit (which is often reported as a practical information for visitors). The less precise information is related to the total length of the caves (50% is based on registered and certified data, in countries where cave registers exist and are freely available) and, especially, number of visitors per year, a figure that is often not reported (only 10% of all show caves has a reliable estimate of yearly visitors for pre-COVID-19 conditions, whereas another 10% has been estimated by local collaborators and can be judged as being rather reliable). For some countries, and the most visited caves, these visitor numbers are relatively reliable but become less precise for smaller and less visited caves. The yearly visitor number, in these cases, is estimated based on a combination of web-based information (tripadvisor comments, picture posts, etc.) and cave proximity to populated areas or transport systems (railroads, highways, tourist routes). Unfortunately, there is no other efficient manner of getting correct numbers in most cases, but for our global analysis they give a good (although rough) idea of global visitor numbers and, consequently, incomes from entrance fees.

In this paper we regarded show caves having a combination of at least two out of three criteria: 1) some kind of adaptation of the entrance and/or of the internal path, to make the cave easily accessible to most people (entrance gate or door, artificial entrance, stairs or elevators, delimited pathways often with handrails, lighting system); 2) an “official” ticket has to be paid to enter the cave at some kind of ticket office (not to an improvised guide only); 3) visits are generally carried out accompanied by an official and recognised guide (who normally gives some explanations and takes care of visitor’s safety) or can sometimes be self-guided along fixed and clearly delimited underground paths, with or without an audio-guide or a leaflet (e.g. Carlsbad Caverns in the USA, Nerja Cave in Spain). Most of these caves are advertised in Internet, and by other means, thus they can be easily discovered by travellers. Especially in developing and poorly developed countries show caves can be rudimental, but as long as trails are clearly set out, a ticket (fee) needs to be paid, some kind of equipment is given to visitors (helmets, lights), and the visit is with a guide we considered these caves as “show caves”. Truly self-guided cave tours in poorly modified caves, not closed by gates, and without guides or equipment given to visitors have been excluded, even if a fee is paid to enter these caves.

For all caves geological information has been provided and the type of rock hosting each show cave has been indicated. To allow for analyses about the presence of show caves in relation to the hosting rock, the geological data have been subdivided into 7 major categories: 1) carbonate rocks (clastic and organogenic limestones); 2) evaporite rocks (halite and gypsum); 3) intrusive rocks (e.g. granites); 4) quartzite and quartz sandstone rocks; 5) volcanic rocks (ignimbrites and basalts); 6) true calcitic and dolomitic marbles (thus the high-grade metamorphic carbonate rocks, excluding meta-limestones and meta-dolostones); 7) artificial caves (i.e. reproductions of the original cave which is not visitable for conservation reasons). Show caves in conglomerate rocks, being rather rare, have not been considered here and were classified under the carbonate class (since these caves often are formed by conglomerate rocks composed of limestone or dolostone pebbles in a carbonate cement).

Considering that the main process leading to cave formation involves the action of water on soluble rocks, the extension of karst outcrops in each country has been investigated and put in relation with the number of show caves. For this purpose, a map representing the global distribution of karst areas was required. Two GIS (Global Information Systems) datasets exist and have been developed, respectively, within the KROW Project (Hollingsworth 2009 ) and the WOKAM Project (Chen et al. 2017 ; Goldscheider et al. 2020 ). The KROW Project (Karst Regions of the World) was dedicated to the creation of a database of karst distribution and biodiversity. It was developed by the Nature Conservancy and the University of Arkansas (USA) aiming at producing a worldwide map including global distribution of karst habitats and species. In this map, exposed carbonate karst (limestones and dolomites), evaporite karst (gypsum and halite), and pseudokarst are represented. The reliability of KROW is dependent on the accuracy of literature and reference data and the intrinsic error introduced during the digitalisation of maps at different resolution; in addition, data related to evaporite and non-carbonate karst outcrops in the Asian countries are to be considered less documented (Hollingsworth 2009 ). The WOKAM Project (World Karst Aquifer Map) was mainly focused on groundwater resources associated with karst reservoirs and the creation of a global map of karst aquifers developed by the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) Karst Commission and supported by both IAH and UNESCO and is based on the Global Geological Map (GLiM) developed by Hartmann and Moosdorf ( 2012 ) (Chen et al. 2017 ). The world karst aquifer map, developed in the framework of the Worldwide Hydrogeological Mapping and Assessment Programme (WHYMAP), includes both carbonate and evaporite outcrops worldwide. Note that this map considers the aquifers, which means it takes into account also the carbonate and evaporite units that have no outcrops. However, as for the KROW dataset, its reliability is spatially variable, and inaccuracies may be present. In this paper, we compared the two datasets to identify eventual discrepancies. To calculate karst percentage for each country the TM_WORLD_BORDER-0.3 shapefile map was used ( http://thematicmapping.org/downloads/world_borders.php ) in association with WOKAM, whereas for KROW datasets, the shapefile world border map provided by the author was used. Both WOKAM and KROW shapefiles were used to identify countries where there are carbonate rocks, but which do not have show caves, thus aiming in finding places where, although caves could potentially be found, this form of tourism is not yet exploited.

All caves have been geographically positioned using available data in Google Earth and Google Maps, and when the location was not available, cave coordinates found on different websites have been reported in Google Earth. The location of each cave can thus be considered reliable, although a certain degree of uncertainty must be considered, depending on the accuracy of coordinate data found in Internet which cannot be verified. To create maps and spatial analyses, the open-source software QGIS3.16 was used. Population, country surface, and GDP(PPP) per capita (i.e. the gross domestic product at purchasing power parity) data were collected using the website www.worldometer.info , which is run by an international team of developers, researchers, and volunteers without any political, governmental, or corporate affiliation and which is largely used in several research fields. Caves have been grouped per country, and the total estimated yearly visitors of show caves have been compared with data about yearly international tourist presence downloaded from the United Nations Statistic Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs ( https://unstats.un.org/unsd/snaama/downloads ). When available, data related to the year 2019 have been used. In a few cases it was necessary to use data from 2018, 2017, and 2016 (about 22% of all countries with show caves) since data from 2019 were not available. Countries have been subdivided into 3 main categories to identify the wider potential tourism basin (if domestic or international): 1) countries with yearly international tourist presence greater than the country’s population; 2) countries with international tourism presence higher than 50% of the country’s population; 3) countries with international tourism presence lower than the 50% of country’s population. Data have been analysed on both country and regional basis. For this purpose, countries with at least one show cave have been further grouped into geographical regions, in particular: 1) Europe; 2) Africa; 3) Middle East; 4) Central and Eastern Asia; 5) South-Eastern Asia; 6) Oceania; 7) North America; 8) Central America; 9) South America. Pearson correlation coefficients have been calculated between the number of show caves and country GDP(PPP) and karst surface calculated using both WOKAM and KROW datasets. The results have been compared with data related to international tourism presence, ticket income, and country GDP(PPP).

Results: analysis of show caves of the world

A total of 1223 show caves have been identified in 95 countries over the world (Fig.  7 ; Tab. ​ Tab.1; 1 ; and Tab. ​ Tab.2 2 ).

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Global show cave distribution (orange dots)

Data from all the show caves identified within this work

Countries with show caves in the world. Data about population, GDP (PPP)/capita, and country surface are from www.worldometer.info . Karst surface percentage is expressed with respect to each country surface and is calculated using both KROW and WOKAM datasets. Additional data about show caves in each country are given in Online Resources 1 and 2

(*) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita at Purchasing Power Parity (considering the relative cost of living) relative to 2017

Around 712 km of cave pathways has been visited by about 79.3 million people in 2019 and producing an income of almost 800 million Euros in the same year (Tab. ​ (Tab.1 1 ).

The majority of show caves is hosted in carbonate bedrocks (93.62%). They are followed by show caves hosted in volcanic rocks (3.27%) and evaporite rocks (1.39%), while only few caves are found in intrusive rocks, quartzites and quartz sandstones, and marbles; only 3 caves in the world have been artificially reproduced to safeguard the archaeological content (mainly rock paintings) of the original ones (Tab. ​ (Tab.3 3 ).

Show cave subdivision according to the hosting bedrock

Figure  8 shows the worldwide cave distribution per country. The USA hosts the highest number of show caves (149), followed by France (105) and China (74), while 28 countries out of the total 95 countries have only one show cave in their territory. 45.54% of show caves are found in Europe, followed by Central and Eastern Asia (16.03%) and North America (15.13%); the number of show caves found in South-East Asia, Oceania, South America, Central America, Middle East, and Africa attests between 7.52 and 1.8% (Tab. ​ (Tab.2 2 ).

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Show cave distribution in the world ordered by country. Darker colour indicates a higher number of show caves

The comparison between the WOKAM and KROW datasets shows some discrepancies (Tab. ​ (Tab.2, 2 , Fig.  9 ). The relation between the percentage of karst territories calculated using the two available datasets shows a general overestimation of karst coverage calculated with WOKAM with respect to the ones calculated with KROW dataset (positive difference higher than 30% for: Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jordan, and Iran), with few exceptions showing a marked opposite trend and corresponding to data of Monaco, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Cuba, and Haiti (Fig.  9 ). About 40% of the analysed countries presents a difference greater than 10% in calculated karst extension between the two datasets (WOKAM and KROW), but only 11% presents a difference between the two datasets greater than 30%.

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Difference between each country karst percentage calculated using WOKAM and KROW shapefile and subdivided by geographical region

The Pearson correlation coefficient between the number of show caves and karst extension in each country with at least one show cave is 0.5 for both datasets (both WOKAM and KROW). At a regional level, the correlation is not significant in Africa, while it is stronger in Asia, Oceania, Central America and South America (Tab. ​ (Tab.4). 4 ). The differences identified using the two datasets suggest that they could be both used for analyses at the global scale, but using them for more detailed and regional investigation would require further research to test their accuracy.

Pearson correlation coefficients between the number of show caves and karst surface calculated using both the WOKAM and KROW datasets and country GDP (PPP) in each geographical region

The number of show caves in each country has been compared with both country and karst surface, showing a marked higher density of show caves in Europe (Figs. ​ (Figs.10 10 and ​ and11; 11 ; Tab. ​ Tab.5). 5 ). If we exclude islands and small countries where the presence of only one show cave would result in a high density, Slovenia is the country with more show caves according to its territory with a density of 0.002 caves/km 2 . At a regional scale Europe has the highest density, while Africa is the geographical region presenting the lowest density of show caves with respect to country surface (Tab. ​ (Tab.5 5 ).

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Show cave density (*100) according to each country’s surface area. Darker colour indicates higher density

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Show cave density in each geographic region according to the surface of countries including at least one show cave (grey bars) and surface of karst areas of the same countries calculated using WOKAM (white bars) and KROW dataset (black bars)

Show cave density (*100) in all countries grouped according to their geographic region

Considering the relatively low reliability of KROW and WOKAM datasets for high spatial resolution analyses, to identify countries of the world where we have not found important show caves, but having karst rocks in their territory, we decided to select countries with a karst coverage above 10% of their own territory calculated either using KROW and WOKAM datasets (Fig.  12 ).

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Orange: countries of the world having at least one show cave; blue: countries of the world with a karst coverage higher than 10% of their territory (according to either WOKAM or KROW datasets) but with no known show caves

The most visited caves can be found in central and eastern Asia, followed by Europe and North America. This also corresponds to the geographical regions where the highest income from show cave entrance fees is registered. Africa, which is the geographic region with the lowest GDP(PPP), is also the one with lowest income and lowest tourism associated with show caves (Fig.  13 ; Tab. ​ Tab.6 6 ).

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Number of visitors (whited bars) and income from entrance fees (grey bars) of show caves in the chosen geographic regions

Estimated show cave visitors and income in 2019 subdivided by geographic region. The average GDP (PPP)/capita is calculated between the countries with at least one show cave in each geographic region

Finally, to identify the potential importance in show cave economy of international tourism with respect to the domestic one, data about the international presence have been compared with each country population. All countries have been subdivided into three main categories highlighting the ones for which the number of international tourists is greater or lower than 50% of the country’s population, or even exceeds the total population of the country. Although this subdivision does not provide the nationality of show cave visitors, it can give an idea of the wider basin of potential visitors (Fig.  14 ).

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Relation between each country population and international tourists in 2019 in countries with at least one show cave

Present and future of cave tourism

The research carried out using online platforms allowed for the identification of 1223 show caves distributed in 95 countries of the world producing an overall income of almost 800 million Euros for more than 79 million visitors. Although it must be stressed that these data (i.e. total visitors and income) represent an estimation, it is also true that the number of show caves underestimates the actual number of caves open to the public, since all sites not having an official website in English and/or poorly promoted online have been excluded. Thus, the presented data can be considered reliable in providing an order of magnitude for global show cave tourism.

The distribution of show caves is markedly not uniform with most of them found in the boreal hemisphere (Western countries, China, and Japan). Europe hosts more than 45% of total show caves and has the highest density in relation to its surface (Fig. ​ (Fig.10). 10 ). This distribution clearly reflects the global “maturity” of cave tourism, with Europe showing an older tradition as compared to the rest of the world. Indeed, if we look closer at the European continent, it appears that the highest density of show caves occurs mainly in the northern Balkans, where karst phenomena were first studied, and the first caves have been equipped for tourist visits (Fig.  15 ).

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Europe show cave density in relation to each country’s surface area

Considering that the main process leading to cave formation involves the action of water on soluble rocks and the majority of worldwide show caves is found in carbonate rocks (93.71%), the extension of karst formations can be considered a limiting factor for the presence of caves and thus show caves. The analyses carried out using both WOKAM and KROW datasets showed a certain degree of correlation between the number of show caves and karst formations extensions (0.5). Unfortunately, the low resolution of the two datasets at a national scale prevented a deeper data elaboration which might be possible in the future if the resolution of existing datasets will be improved. Indeed, at regional scale the correlation coefficients calculated using both datasets show some discrepancies (Tab. ​ (Tab.4), 4 ), but still indicate that in some regions of the world, the African continent in particular, a correlation between the two variables is lacking. Africa, that is the geographic region with the lowest GDP(PPP), is also the continent hosting the majority of countries without show caves but with relatively vast karst outcrops. Thus, another limiting factor for cave tourism and show cave success must be considered: the country’s economic development and the presence of a well-established tourism network.

Although Europe hosts the majority of show caves, the most visited ones are found in central and eastern Asia (especially in China). Interestingly, in this region international tourism is relatively low if compared to local population, while Europe, which holds the second place in the ranking of most visited show caves, presents opposite conditions (Fig.  14 ), thus suggesting a potential prominent importance of domestic tourism in Chinese show caves which may be further enlarged to international visitors. The number of show caves has markedly increased in the last decades from the 500 “major” show caves cited by Cigna and Forti ( 2013 ) to the 1223 identified in this work, and considering the important income produced by this subterranean tourism, a further increase is expected in the near future. However, although caves may be considered natural resources that can be exploited to improve local economy, they are extremely fragile environments hosting an enormous scientific and, in some situations, archaeological heritage which can be permanently damaged by mass tourism or by an incorrect show cave management. Conversely, show caves can also be an excellent tool for cave conservation. If the cave is chosen carefully, the existing guidelines are strictly followed, cave guides are specifically trained, and best management practices are maintained through time, then opening a cave to tourists can protect the cave itself from uncontrolled visitors while becoming an excellent opportunity for environmental education and scientific advertising among the wide public. As an example, many show caves have installed temporary or permanent exhibits regarding caves and karst, speleology, or peculiar scientific interests (Columbu et al., 2021 ). Another aspect that must never be forgotten is the economic feasibility. Opening a show cave requires not only a detailed scientific investigation, but also a specific market survey addressed to the future economic sustainability of the show cave. When equipping a cave for tourist visits some permanent damages will always be introduced, thus if the cave is abandoned soon after its opening because of low tourist affluence, then a double damage is introduced: the first one produced within the show cave development phase and the second related to the abandonment of an easily accessible cave which will be left at the mercy of uncontrolled visitors.

Conclusions

A detailed research of global show caves has been carried out within this study, leading to the compilation of a database of worldwide show caves including some geologic (hosting bedrock) and economic (number of visitors, entrance fees, etc.) information, associated with a summary of existing guidelines for sustainable show cave development and management.

A global picture of current show cave tourism has been produced showing a prominent presence of show caves in Europe, followed by Western countries (USA and Australia), China, and Japan.

A total number of 1223 show caves visited by more than 79 million people and providing almost 800 million Euros income (entrance fees only) witnesses the high potential of these natural sites in the tourism industry and the potential further development of show caves. In addition, the increasing demand for adventure tourism may boost the number of speleological guided tours, making it necessary to develop specific guidelines to regulate this high-impact activity. Caves are fragile but extremely important environments which can be permanently damaged by irresponsible tourism. On the other hand, opening a show cave can be an excellent tool for the protection of the cave and karst environment and scientific promotion. Following the international guidelines for show cave development such as the ISCA, UIS, and IUCN guidelines, carrying out a continuous monitoring of cave parameters and investing in cave guide training would ensure not only the conservation of these delicate and rich geo-ecosystem, but also of the beauties attracting tourists, thus preserving also the economic value of these environments.

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the many cave scientists around the globe which helped putting together the list of show caves and their data, especially Lasha Asanidze, Augusto Auler, Pavel Bella, Didier Cailhol, Angel Fernández-Cortès, Csaba Egre, Camille Ek, Andrew Farrant, Paolo Forti, Ergin Gökkaya, Rogelio Hernandez Vergara, Bob Holt, Olga Kadebskaya, Alexander Klimchouk, Michael Laumanns, Georgios Lazarides, Armstrong Osborne, Aurel Persoiu, Lukas Plan, Mitja Prelovšek, Ana Sofia Reboleira, Wei Shen, Paul Williams, Kyung Sik Woo.

Many thanks to Emily Brickman (former Hollingsworth) for the help in making the world karst map, based on her “Karst Regions of the World” (KROW) dataset created during her Bachelor Thesis at Arkansas University in 2006, which has formed the basis for our GIS on show caves of the world. Also, thanks to the WOKAM working group, and especially to Zhao Chen and Nico Goldscheider, for sharing their shapefiles.

Part of this work was carried out in the framework of the Interreg ADRION Project “Adriaticaves” (Project number 608) in collaboration with the Authority for the Management of Parks and Biodiversity—Romagna, and the Majella National Park, in Italy. Finally, thanks to an anonymous reviewer and the editor for the insightful comments and suggestions which improved this paper.

Author contributions

The main idea was developed by Prof. Jo De Waele, who drafted the introduction and the paper structure. Jo De Waele and Veronica Chiarini collaborated to draft Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5. Data have been collected by Jo De Waele, Veronica Chiarini, and Jochen Duckeck. Veronica Chiarini revised and elaborated the collected data, producing all maps, graphs, tables, and the shapefile, and she drafted Chapter 6, 7, and conclusions.

Open access funding provided by Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna within the CRUI-CARE Agreement.

Declarations

All authors contributed to the realisation of this review paper. No funding was received to conceive and develop this work, and none of the authors has neither conflict of interests nor financial interests regarding the manuscript contents.

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Knowledge is power: How can we make cave tourism more environmentally friendly?

A new study in Nature Conservation presents a literature-based dataset on the ecological status of 265 show caves in 39 countries across the world.

cave tourism examples

Throughout history, people have used caves for a number of reasons: as shelters, places for rituals, food storage, and, in more recent times, as touristic attractions.  In these so-called show caves, visitors can experience the natural beauty of caves, usually by following a guide on constructed, artificially lit trails.

cave tourism examples

But caves are also very fragile ecosystems, bursting with underground life. They are home to numerous invertebrate and bat species, including ones that are threatened or endemic. The human disturbances caused by the changes in the infrastructure and environment, coupled with the influx of tourists, often affect the ecological processes and, consequently, these organisms. But how much do we know about the influence of tourists on cave ecosystems?

According to a new study in the open-access journal Nature Conservation , not enough .

Apart from affecting subterranean invertebrates, the artificial lighting and noise related to tourist visits may also affect the life of bats, making it harder for them to reproduce or overwinter in caves.

Going through more than 1,000 scientific papers, an Italian team of scientists, led by Marco Isaia and Elena Piano from the University of Torino, prepared a literature-based dataset relative to the knowledge on the ecological status of 265 show caves in 39 countries across the world. Their database includes a georeferenced set of show caves, where researchers have evaluated a number of environmental indicators that help monitor the impact of tourism and its related activities on subterranean ecosystems. They also list cave characteristics for each cave, including its natural heritage that attracts tourists.

cave tourism examples

There are many ways in which tourism can disturb life in a cave. For example, the presence of visitors may help increase cave temperature, which, combined with the increase of CO 2 air concentration caused by tourists’ breath, may enhance carbonate dissolution, damaging geological formations. Moreover, tourists can carry pollutants and propagules of microorganisms into the cave through their clothes and hands, which then land on geological formations, in the water, in the air, and on the ground. Apart from affecting subterranean invertebrates, the artificial lighting and noise related to tourist visits may also affect the life of bats, making it harder for them to reproduce or overwinter in caves.

The dataset published in Nature Conservation set a baseline towards the integrated and multidisciplinary study of the impacts caused by tourism on these fragile ecosystems, but the research team points out that much remains to be done. For example, they found out that there wasn’t enough research on show caves outside of Europe, or on the possible impacts of tourism on the subterranean fauna in the context of climate change.

cave tourism examples

Ultimately, the data in this study can help managing authorities come up with guidelines that will allow a sustainable touristic development of show caves, not only from an environmental perspective, but also from an economic and social point of view.

“Overall, this data paper could fill the lack of awareness towards the fragility of the natural heritage of show caves to favour a sustainable touristic use that would guarantee their preservation for future generations as well as the economic development of local communities”, the authors conclude.

Research article:

Piano E, Nicolosi G, Mammola S, Balestra V, Baroni B, Bellopede R, Cumino E, Muzzulini N, Piquet A, Isaia M (2022) A literature-based database of the natural heritage, the ecological status and tourism-related impacts in show caves worldwide. Nature Conservation 50: 159-174. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.50.80505

All images are from Bossea show cave in Italy, by Simone Marzocchi.

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What Is Ecotourism? Definition, Examples, and Pros and Cons

  • Chapman University
  • Sustainable Fashion
  • Art & Media

Ecotourism Definition and Principles

Pros and cons.

  • Examples of Ecotourism
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Ecotourism is about more than simply visiting natural attractions or natural places; it’s about doing so in a responsible and sustainable manner. The term itself refers to traveling to natural areas with a focus on environmental conservation. The goal is to educate tourists about conservation efforts while offering them the chance to explore nature.

Ecotourism has benefited destinations like Madagascar, Ecuador, Kenya, and Costa Rica, and has helped provide economic growth in some of the world’s most impoverished communities. The global ecotourism market produced $92.2 billion in 2019 and is forecasted to generate $103.8 billion by 2027.

A conservationist by the name of Hector Ceballos-Lascurain is often credited with the first definition of ecotourism in 1987, that is, “tourism that consists in travelling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with the specific object of studying, admiring and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas.”

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of ecotourism since 1990, defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education [both in its staff and its guests].”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) looks at ecotourism as a significant tool for conservation, though it shouldn’t be seen as a fix-all when it comes to conservation challenges:

“There may be some areas that are just not appropriate for ecotourism development and some businesses that just won’t work in the larger tourism market. That is why it is so important to understand the basics of developing and running a successful business, to ensure that your business idea is viable and will be profitable, allowing it to most effectively benefit the surrounding environment and communities.”

Marketing an ecosystem, species, or landscape towards ecotourists helps create value, and that value can help raise funds to protect and conserve those natural resources.

Sustainable ecotourism should be guided by three core principles: conservation, communities, and education.

Conservation

Conservation is arguably the most important component of ecotourism because it should offer long-term, sustainable solutions to enhancing and protecting biodiversity and nature. This is typically achieved through economic incentives paid by tourists seeking a nature-based experience, but can also come from the tourism organizations themselves, research, or direct environmental conservation efforts.

Communities

Ecotourism should increase employment opportunities and empower local communities, helping in the fight against global social issues like poverty and achieving sustainable development.

Interpretation

One of the most overlooked aspects of ecotourism is the education component. Yes, we all want to see these beautiful, natural places, but it also pays to learn about them. Increasing awareness about environmental issues and promoting a greater understanding and appreciation for nature is arguably just as important as conservation.

As one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry, there are bound to be some downsides to ecotourism. Whenever humans interact with animals or even with the environment, it risks the chance of human-wildlife conflict or other negative effects; if done so with respect and responsibility in mind, however, ecotourism can reap enormous benefits to protected areas.

As an industry that relies heavily on the presentation of eco-friendly components to attract customers, ecotourism has the inevitable potential as a vessel for greenwashing. Part of planning a trip rooted in ecotourism is doing research to ensure that an organization is truly providing substantial benefits to the environment rather than exploiting it.

Ecotourism Can Provide Sustainable Income for Local Communities

Sustainably managed ecotourism can support poverty alleviation by providing employment for local communities, which can offer them alternative means of livelihood outside of unsustainable ones (such as poaching).

Research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that communities in regions surrounding conservation areas in Costa Rica had poverty rates that were 16% lower than in areas that weren’t near protected parks. These protected areas didn’t just benefit from conservation funds due to ecotourism, but also helped to reduce poverty as well.

It Protects Natural Ecosystems

Ecotourism offers unique travel experiences focusing on nature and education, with an emphasis on sustainability and highlighting threatened or endangered species. It combines conservation with local communities and sustainable travel , highlighting principles (and operations) that minimize negative impacts and expose visitors to unique ecosystems and natural areas. When managed correctly, ecotourism can benefit both the traveler and the environment, since the money that goes into ecotourism often goes directly towards protecting the natural areas they visit.

Each year, researchers release findings on how tourist presence affects wildlife, sometimes with varying results. A study measuring levels of the stress hormone cortisol in wild habituated Malaysian orangutans found that the animals were not chronically stressed by the presence of ecotourists. The orangutans lived in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, where a local community-managed organization operates while maintaining strict guidelines to protect them.

Ecotourism May Also Hurt Those Same Natural Ecosystems

Somewhat ironically, sometimes ecotourism can hurt ecosystems just as much as it can help. Another study in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution found that ecotourism can alter animal behaviors in ways that put them at risk. If the presence of humans changes the way animals behave, those changes may make them more vulnerable by influencing their reaction to predators or poachers.

It's not just the animals who are at risk. As ecotourism activities become too popular, it can lead to the construction of new infrastructure to accommodate more visitors. Similarly, more crowds mean more pressure on local resources, increased pollution, and a higher chance of damaging the soil and plant quality through erosion. On the social side, these activities may displace Indigenous groups or local communities from their native lands, preventing them from benefiting from the economic opportunities of tourism.

Ecotourism Offers the Opportunity to Experience Nature

Renown conservationist Jane Goodall has a famous quote: “Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved.” It can be difficult to understand something that we haven’t seen with our own eyes, and ecotourism gives travelers the opportunity to gain new experiences in natural areas while learning about the issues they face. 

Ecotourism also educates children about nature, potentially creating new generations of nature lovers that could someday become conservationists themselves. Even adult visitors may learn new ways to improve their ecological footprints .

EXAMPLES OF ECOTOURISM

The East African country has some competitive advantages over its neighbors thanks to its rich natural resources, paired with the fact that it has allocated over 25% of its total area to wildlife national parks and protected areas. Because of this, an estimated 90% of tourists visit to Tanzania seeking out ecotourism activities. Ecotourism, in turn, supports 400,000 jobs and accounts for 17.2% of the national GDP, earning about $1 billion each year as its leading economic sector.

Some of Tanzania’s biggest highlights include the Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro , and Zanzibar, though the country still often goes overlooked by American tourists. Visitors can take a walking safari tour in the famous Ngorongoro Conservation area, for example, with fees going to support the local Maasai community.

The country is also known for its chimpanzees , and there are several ecotourism opportunities in Gombe National Park that go directly towards protecting chimpanzee habitats.

Galapagos Islands

It comes as no surprise that the place first made famous by legendary naturalist Charles Darwin would go on to become one of the most sought-after ecotourism destinations on Earth, the Galapagos Islands .

The Directorate of the Galapagos National Park and the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism require tour providers to conserve water and energy, recycle waste, source locally produced goods, hire local employees with a fair wage, and offer employees additional training. A total of 97% of the land area on the Galapagos is part of the official national park, and all of its 330 islands have been divided into zones that are either completely free of human impact, protected restoration areas, or reduced impact zones adjacent to tourist-friendly areas.

Local authorities still have to be on their toes, however, since UNESCO lists increased tourism as one of the main threats facing the Galapagos today. The bulk of funding for the conservation and management of the archipelago comes from a combination of governmental institutions and entry fees paid by tourists.

Costa Rica is well-known throughout the world for its emphasis on nature-based tourism, from its numerous animal sanctuaries to its plethora of national parks and reserves. Programs like its “Ecological Blue Flag” program help inform tourists of beaches that have maintained a strict set of eco-friendly criteria.

The country’s forest cover went from 26% in 1983 to over 52% in 2021 thanks to the government’s decision to create more protected areas and promote ecotourism in the country . Now, over a quarter of its total land area is zoned as protected territory.

Costa Rica welcomes 1.7 million travelers per year, and most of them come to experience the country’s vibrant wildlife and diverse ecosystems. Its numerous biological reserves and protected parks hold some of the most extraordinary biodiversity on Earth, so the country takes special care to keep environmental conservation high on its list of priorities. 

New Zealand

In 2019, tourism generated $16.2 billion, or 5.8% of the GDP, in New Zealand. That same year, 8.4% of its citizens were employed in the tourism industry, and tourists generated $3.8 billion in tax revenue.

The country offers a vast number of ecotourism experiences, from animal sanctuaries to natural wildlife on land, sea, and even natural caves. New Zealand’s South Pacific environment, full of sights like glaciers and volcanic landscapes, is actually quite fragile, so the government puts a lot of effort into keeping it safe.

Tongariro National Park, for example, is the oldest national park in the country, and has been named by UNESCO as one of only 28 mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Sites. Its diverse volcanic landscapes and the cultural heritage of the indigenous Maori tribes within the create the perfect combination of community, education, and conservation.

How to Be a Responsible Ecotourist

  • Ensure that the organizations you hire provide financial contributions to benefit conservation and find out where your money is going.
  • Ask about specific steps the organization takes to protect the environment where they operate, such as recycling or promoting sustainable policies.
  • Find out if they include the local community in their activities, such as hiring local guides, giving back, or through initiatives to empower the community.
  • Make sure there are educational elements to the program. Does the organization take steps to respect the destination’s culture as well as its biodiversity?
  • See if your organization is connected to a non-profit or charity like the International Ecotourism Society .
  • Understand that wildlife interactions should be non-invasive and avoid negative impacts on the animals.

Ecotourism activities typically involve visiting and enjoying a natural place without disturbing the landscape or its inhabitants. This might involve going for a hike on a forest trail, mountain biking, surfing, bird watching, camping, or forest bathing . 

Traveling in a way that minimizes carbon emissions, like taking a train or bike instead of flying, may also be part of an ecotourism trip. Because these modes of travel tend to be slower, they may be appreciated as enjoyable and relaxing ecotourism activities.

The Wolf Conservation Center ’s programing in New York State is an example of ecotourism. This non-profit organization is dedicated to the preservation of endangered wolf species. It hosts educational sessions that allow visitors to observe wolves from a safe distance. These programs help to fund the nonprofit organization’s conservation and wildlife rehabilitation efforts.

Stonehouse, Bernard. " Ecotourism ." Environmental Geology: Encyclopedia of Earth Science , 1999, doi:10.1007/1-4020-4494-1_101

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" Tourism ." International Union for Conservation of Nature .

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2015.09.010

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Book cover

Geotourism in the Middle East pp 235–248 Cite as

Assessing Caves for Geotourism Development—An Example from Türkiye Using a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Based Multi-Criteria Approach

  • Deniz Arca 6 &
  • Hulya Keskin Citiroglu 7  
  • First Online: 25 May 2023

181 Accesses

Part of the Geoheritage, Geoparks and Geotourism book series (GGAG)

The provincial land of Zonguldak in Türkiye contains many caves due to its tectonic and climatic features, especially its lithological features. This chapter reports on a study aimed at analysing the caves in the Zonguldak province through Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to determine their geotourism potential by creating suitability zones with the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) method. Factors used in multi-criteria decision analysis method include the distance to roads, settlements and port locations, elevation, slope and aspect. On the basis of the results obtained, it is argued that 42.11% of all caves in the study area are located in highly sensitive areas in regard to geotourism potential.

  • Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
  • Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis method (MCDA)

Türkiye has been designated the new name of Turkey by the United Nations as of June 2022. https://turkiye.un.org/en/184798-turkeys-name-changed-turkiye .

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Arca, D., Keskin Citiroglu, H. (2023). Assessing Caves for Geotourism Development—An Example from Türkiye Using a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Based Multi-Criteria Approach. In: Allan, M., Dowling, R. (eds) Geotourism in the Middle East. Geoheritage, Geoparks and Geotourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24170-3_14

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    For example, some cave entrances with exiting hot air of the Kronio cave complex, near Sciacca (Sicily, Italy), were used as a calidarium since Greek and especially Roman times (Badino and Torelli 2014). ... In the early days of cave tourism, adaptations to the underground environment were limited, and visiting a cave was often an adventure ...

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    A race against pine: Wood-boring wasp in North America threatened by a Eurasian invader. There are many ways in which tourism can disturb life in a cave. For example, the presence of visitors may help increase cave temperature, which, combined with the increase of CO 2 air concentration caused by tourists' breath, may enhance carbonate ...

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    Caving in a muddy section of Black Chasm Cave in California Stephens Gap, a vertical cave in Alabama. Caving, also known as spelunking (United States and Canada) and potholing (United Kingdom and Ireland), is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves).In contrast, speleology is the scientific study of caves and the cave environment.

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