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World's Best Caves: Jeita Grotto

July 27, 2007 at 11:23 AM | 0 Comments

Maybe this grotto doesn't come filled with women whose breasts double as flotation devices (a la the Playboy Mansion hideaway), but Lebanon's Jeita Grotto gives us something to worship other than impossible standards of beauty. Visitors who paddle through the water, under the soaring ceilings and beside the intricate rock formations of the limestone cave say they can feel God's presence. For centuries, humans have tried to recreate this kind of natural grandeur by building gothic cathedrals.

The site is located about 11 miles from Beirut, in the valley of Dog River, or Keserwan. It's a full-fledged tourist site, complete with an old-fashioned train, a petting zoo, an overpriced snack shack, and a theater continuously showing a 20-minute documentary about the formation of stalactites.

Despite the cheesiness outside, the caves maintain their beauty. The grotto consists of two sections. The Lower Gallery is submerged in water and accessible only by boat. It was discovered in 1836 and opened to the public in 1958. Visitors take cable cars up the mountain to the entrance to the Upper Gallery. Inside the cave is a crystallized structure resembling a castle. The whole place sounds very Middle-earth. We half expect Frodo and Gandalf to guide the tours.

World's Best Caves Map

Related Stories:
·Lebanon Hotel Reviews [HotelChatter]
·Blue Grotto [Jaunted]
·Dos Ojos [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wayfaring]