The Crystal Caves

The Crystal Caves of Bermuda, in Hamilton Parish, are the island's most spectacular natural attraction, a beautiful subterranean world discovered in 1905 by two boys searching for a lost cricket ball. Descending into the caves on a guided tour, visitors find a magical realm of dramatic, delicate stalactites and stalagmites hanging from and rising within the cavern, mirrored in an astonishingly clear, deep underground lake of turquoise, tidal seawater. A floating pontoon walkway crosses the crystal-clear water, allowing visitors to gaze down through it to the cave floor far below, in a scene of remarkable, luminous beauty. The nearby Fantasy Cave adds further glittering formations.

History

The cave was found in 1905 by two 12-year-old boys, Carl Gibbons and Edgar Hollis, who were looking for a lost cricket ball. The Wilkinson family had owned the land since 1884, and Percy Wilkinson lowered his 14-year-old son Bernard into the hole on 140 feet of rope tied to a tree, with a bicycle lamp, to see what was down there; it has been shown to visitors since 1907. The cave is around 500 metres long and 62 metres deep, and its lowest 19 to 20 metres are under water - it formed when the sea was lower, and many formations that grew in air were drowned as the sea rose (Wikipedia, Crystal Cave, Bermuda).

What you'll find

• The crystal formations - the delicate stalactites and stalagmites.
• The underground lake - the astonishingly clear turquoise water.
• The floating walkway - the pontoon path across the crystal water.
• Fantasy Cave - the nearby cave of further glittering formations.

When to go

Year-round; the caves are cool and comfortable whatever the weather outside, making them a fine option in any season and on a hot or rainy day, and are explored on guided tours. Booking is wise in the busy summer and on cruise days, and comfortable footwear helps on the steps down into the caves.

Good to know

The caves are explored only on a guided tour along a set walkway rather than freely, and it is a relatively short, developed attraction rather than an extensive caving experience, involving steps down into the cave. As a genuinely spectacular and beautiful natural wonder, though, with its delicate crystal formations mirrored in an astonishingly clear underground lake crossed by a floating walkway, the Crystal Caves are a magical and unmissable highlight of Bermuda, and a cool contrast to the beaches.

Nearby

The beaches, the town of St George and the aquarium are within reach.

Key facts