Mysterious, yawning caves hold some of Nature’s best kept secrets. Are any of them on your bucket list?
Click start to play today’s Spell It, where we journey to some of the most beautiful ‘caves’ around the world.
Where you expect darkness, you’ll find ethereal light. Where you expect smooth rock, you’ll find otherworldly, natural structures of various textures and sizes. Many of the world’s caves throw up incredible surprises, and not all of them are the dank and dark holes you think you’ll find when you enter.
Take a trip to some of the world’s best caves, in our list below:
1. The Blue Grotto, Italy
An iconic sea cave in Capri, Italy, the Blue Grotto can be found on the island’s coast. It’s known for its brilliant blue glow within, which is a result of two sources – the small entrance to the cave that can be accessed by only one rowboat at a time, and a bigger hole underneath the entrance. The interplay of sunlight and blue sea never fails to leave visitors mesmerised.
2. Fingal’s Cave, Scotland
When you come up to the uninhabited Staffa Island, off the coast of Scotland, you’re greeted by a breathtaking sight: a natural cave opening up to the sea, carved out of hexagonal volcanic basalt columns. The enormous shape and size of the cave, along with its naturally arched roof, give it the look and feel of a vaulted cathedral. As if the cave wasn’t reason enough to visit, the area also provides spectacular views of the sea, and adorable puffins are a common feature of the island.
3. Waitomo Glowworm Caves, New Zealand
An ancient cave network that’s 30 million years in the making, the Waitomo Glowworm Caves feature a starry wonderland. Thanks to thousands of tiny glowworms or arachnocampa luminosa, which are unique to New Zealand, the subterranean caves are a galaxy of living lights. Travellers can view the serene area via boat, and visit both levels of the Caves – the upper is dry and features delicate cave formations, while the lower level is full of stream passages. Indigenous Maori guides bring the cave to life with their storytelling, as they talk about the history and legends surrounding it.
4. Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave, Austria
A natural limestone ice cave in Werfen, Austria, the Eisriesenwelt, which aptly means ‘world of the ice giants’ in German, is the largest of its kind, extending 42km into the earth and welcoming about 200,000 tourists every year. Even though the cave is gigantic, only the first kilometre of it is covered in ice (the rest is made of limestone), and open to tourists. The oldest layer of ice in this cave dates back nearly 1,000 years. Walking through the cave means navigating through a labyrinth of ice, passing by enormous icy walls, and stunning, crystal-like stalactites and stalagmites.
Have you ever visited a world-famous cave? Play today’s Spell It and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.
