The Jeita Grotto

The Jeita Grotto, in the mountains a short drive from Beirut, is one of the most spectacular and beautiful cave systems in the world, a vast, glittering subterranean realm carved by water over aeons. It comprises two connected caverns on different levels. The immense upper gallery, reached by cable car and walkway, is a cathedral of stone, a colossal chamber adorned with a breathtaking forest of stalactites, stalagmites, columns and draperies, including one of the largest known stalactites on earth. The lower gallery, threaded by an underground river, is explored serenely by boat, gliding through illuminated chambers. Cool, dramatic and beautiful, Jeita is a genuine natural wonder.

History

The modern discovery of the underground river is credited to the American missionary William Thomson, who in 1836 went some 50 metres into the cave and fired a shot whose echoes told him the cavern was a large one. In 1958 the speleologists George Farra and Sami Karkabi found the upper galleries, 60 metres above the lower cave (Wikipedia, Jeita Grotto).

What's there

• The upper gallery - the colossal chamber of stalactites and columns.
• The lower gallery - the underground river explored by boat.
• The giant stalactite - among the largest known on earth.
• The formations - the glittering draperies, columns and pools.

When to go

April to November, when both galleries are typically open, as the lower, river gallery can close in the wetter winter months when water levels rise; the caves are cool and comfortable whatever the weather outside. It is an easy trip from Beirut, and note that photography inside the grotto is usually not permitted.

Practical notes

The grotto is explored on a set route by walkway, cable car and boat rather than freely, and it can be busy, while the lower river gallery may be closed in winter due to high water; photography inside is generally forbidden. As one of the most spectacular and beautiful cave systems in the world, though, a glittering cathedral of stone with a colossal stalactite chamber and a serene underground river, Jeita is a genuine natural wonder and an easy highlight from Beirut.

Nearby

Beirut, the town of Byblos and the mountains of Mount Lebanon are close by.

Key facts