Dan-yr-Ogof Showcaves

Tommy and Jeff Morgan pushed into the entrance in 1912 with candles, floating across underground lakes in a coracle and marking their route with arrows and stone piles; they got about a kilometre in. The full system is now known to run over seventeen kilometres, making it one of the longest in Britain, though visitors see the first section. Three caves are shown: Dan-yr-Ogof with its formations and lakes, Cathedral Cave, a chamber with a waterfall falling into it that is licensed for weddings, and Bone Cave, where the remains of forty-two people from the Bronze Age were found. The site also has around two hundred life-size model dinosaurs across the fields outside, which is either a draw or a distraction depending on the visitor, plus a shire horse centre and iron age farm.

What you actually see

• Dan-yr-Ogof - formations and lakes in the cave the Morgan brothers entered in 1912.
• Cathedral Cave - a large chamber with a waterfall, used for weddings.
• Bone Cave - where Bronze Age human remains were found.
• The dinosaur field - around two hundred life-size models outside.

When to go

April to October; the site closes for winter. Caves flood after heavy rain and sections close without notice. Weekdays outside school holidays are much quieter.

Honest expectations

The dinosaur park dominates the site and gives it a theme-park character that surprises visitors expecting a caving experience. Caves are wet with uneven floors and low sections. Flooding closures are frequent and there is no discount when a cave is shut.

Nearby

The Brecon Beacons and Waterfall Country lie east; Swansea is south.