Near Benigal Beach, Portugal, this cave a literally a sight to sea (get it?). The entrance is covered in fine sand with a “rooftop” window where the sun rays beam in. The rich, warm colors of the formations and the sounds of the waves make this cave an alluring and welcoming sanctuary.
While it isn’t advised to swim around to the cave to get as tides change quickly, and currents in this area can be very strong, but don’t worry, there are plenty of boats around you can hop on. This cave is truly a natural wonder and all visitors will leave it inspired.
Walk through the Longest Cave in the World
Mammoth Cave National Park, located in Kentucky, is the longest cave system in the world. It spans for more than 400 miles (640 km) with astonishing passageways, measuring twice as long as the second longest cave system- Sac Actun in Mexico's, which is an underwater cave.
The National Park offers fascinating tours, that informs visitors about numerous notable features of the cave, such as the Frozen Niagara, Grand Avenue, and the famous Fat Man's Misery. There's so much to see in this caves that tours tours can last up to six hours.
The Homes of Hobbits
A cave in Indonesia called the Liang Bua is able to offer solid proof that our planet was once home to humanoids that stood a stumpy 1m (3 ft 7 in). They are called Homo floresiencis, a name derived from that of the Indonesian island where they were found: Flores. The dominant consensus is that they are a distinct species from modern humans, as supported by genetic findings and their obvious anatomical differences.
The initial belief was that Homo floresiencis existed until 12,000 years ago, but this was superseded by new discoveries that indicate they actually ceased to exist some 50,000 years before the rise of the Neanderthals.
Cannibalism in Ancient Societies
Researchers have been trying to flesh out more details about how the Neanderthals lived thousands of years ago. Over the years we have been able to unearth some vital clues as to their appearances, as well as odds and ends about their culture. Then a Spanish cave delivered some shocking new developments. Evidence found within suggest the practice of cannibalism may have been rife among Neanderthals.
Are you ready to be creeped out? In this cave, human bones were found with bite marks in them. They are estimated to be around 10,000 years old, and have clearly been cooked and chewed on. What actually happened here is for our imagination to fill in. But studies suggest the Neanderthals likely did this as a tactic to intimidate rival tribes, rather than for nourishment.
Aquatic Lemurs
The ancient creatures that once roamed the Earth were gargantuan, even in comparison to the largest of the creatures we share the planet with today. So much so that there even used to be giant dragonflies buzzing across virgin forests, colossal birds and deer that stood more than ten-feet tall.
Lemurs probably aren’t the first creatures to come to mind when you think about large animals. But divers have uncovered lemur bones in an underwater cave in Madagascar, which startled them because of their enormous size. These mammals are arboreal, meaning they normally live in trees. How their bones came to rest in this deep, underwater cave is a mystery. For now, the most likely explanation is that they were washed away by the currents. Though the idea of giant, swimming lemurs migrating via the ocean is pretty cool (if far-fetched).