Explore Crystal Cave, Bermuda’s Subterranean World

Bermuda is a beautiful place. You can walk along the pink sand beaches, dip your toes into the turquoise waters, and witness some of the most vibrant sunsets imaginable. Did you know that as you appreciate these sensational scenes, you could be standing above an underground cavern? One of the most spectacular and most easily accessible caves in Bermuda is the popular Crystal Cave.

Below the surface, there is a whole other world waiting to be explored. In fact, there are hundreds of caves and passageways in Bermuda; the country has one of the largest concentrations of limestone caverns in the world. In traditional Bermudian style, let’s enter the pastel pink building and through the gate to discover this amazing natural landmark.

It is very important that people do not touch the formations in the cave. Once the stalactites and stalagmites come into contact with our hands, the natural oils in our skin can cause the cave formations to die. As they grow at the slow rate of approximately one inch per hundred years, it is extremely important that we do not disrupt this process.

Descending into Crystal Cave in Bermuda

As we entered the cave in a single file line along with our tour group, we slowly walked down many steps, descending 200 feet below the surface. Our tour guide shared information about the history of the cave with us. It was discovered in 1905 by two teenage boys who were chasing their cricket ball that fell into a hole in the ground. As they searched for their ball, the boys found that this hole was the entrance to an impressive underground cavern. In 1907, the property owners opened Crystal Cave for public viewing.

The accessibility of the cave nowadays has vastly improved since its early discovery. Not only is there a main staircase leading down into the cave, but there is a bridge that extends across an underground lake. Visitors are able to examine the white cave formations up close while peering down into the clear blue water. The cave is fully illuminated, making it much easier to admire the million-year old creations (and take photos!).

Exploring These Fascinating Caves

On our tour to the Crystal Caves, we marveled at thousands of incredible rock formations in all shapes and sizes. There are lengthy stalactites, crystallized soda straws, and unique chandelier clusters unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. As we walked across the wooden boardwalk that extends the length of the cave, we gazed across the vibrant azure waters. The deep blue waters are brilliant in their own right, but the fascinating rock formations reflect at its surface of the water as though they’ve doubled in number.

You might feel a droplet of water hit your head now and again from the cave ceiling. No worries, it’s good luck to be hit by one! We learned so much valuable information about the caves from our tour guide. However, we had plenty of free time to explore these marvelous scenes at our own pace, too.

While there are hundreds of caves in Bermuda, you should consider a visit to Crystal Cave. It is one of the most well-lit caves I’ve ever visited, with some of the most appealing stalactites. There is a second cave right beside Crystal Cave called Fantasy Cave. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to visit the Fantasy Cave, but you can purchase a combined ticket for both caves. If we had the time, we would have definitely checked it out as well as we were thoroughly impressed by the Crystal Cave.

And it seems like a trip to any spot in Bermuda wouldn’t be complete without running into a cat! This friendly kitty roamed around the property of Crystal Caves freely, both outdoors and inside the gift shop. Of course, the cat didn’t venture down into the caves themselves and was quite content staying above the surface.

Getting There

Crystal and Fantasy Caves are easily accessible by the Bermuda public transit system. Several buses travel right past the caves – we took the city bus to get there. It was about a 25 minute bus ride from the Hamilton bus terminal. Further details, including pricing and hours of operation are available at the Crystal Cave website. You don’t want to miss taking a Bermuda Crystal Caves tour as it was certainly a highlight of our visit to this gorgeous island.

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Have you visited any amazing caves on your travels?