Cayman Crystal Caves

Tour Information
Each guided tour is approximately one-and-a-half hours and takes guests through three spectacular caves and the surrounding tropical forest.

Visitors will start their tour with a 45-minute guided walk through the caves. There are three separate caves to explore in the area, including the open-ceiling cave, the roots cave, and finally, the lake cave.

At the end of the tour, visitors can enjoy the scenery from the vantage point of the viewing deck, snapping photos and taking in the surrounding nature before it is time to say goodbye. There is also a restaurant and gift store here if guests are looking for souvenirs or refreshments.

Please note that the maximum group size for each tour is 15 people, and all participants must be able to walk up stairs unaided. All tours require pre-booking before arrival.

History
Over the course of millions of years, the Cayman Crystal Caves were created by nature. Fossilised shells and animal life found within reveal that they first originated under the sea.

As time went by, sea levels around the Cayman Islands changed and the erosion from these events helped carve out a series of interior rooms within the rocks. A beautiful cave system developed.

Within these caves, spectacular stalagmite and stalactite crystals began to form. Rain water dripping through the limestone ceiling left calcium deposits, and as the rain travelled from the surface, it also passed through the surrounding plants, earth and organic matter. This made the rain water turn acidic, and it dissolved parts of the limestone, dripping through the cave ceilings. Over time, these single drops have formed incredible otherworldly crystal structures – a natural phenomenon that is still happening today!

Hundreds of years ago, these caves provided hideouts for pirates and shelter for sailors looking for respite from the elements and tropical hurricanes. Legend has it that pirate treasure may still exist today, buried deep within the caves!

When the island eventually became home to permanent settlements, locals used the lush forest around the caves as farmland. The community mined the caves for the rich fertiliser which was produced by the bat guano.

However, in the last half-century, farming around the area came to a close, and the caves sat mostly forgotten until the early 1990s, when proper search and exploration began. It took almost two decades to officially open the caves, and now, many years later, locals and tourists have the opportunity to experience this incredible part of Cayman’s history.