The upper cave
Paths among stalactites.
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Two linked limestone caves in the Nahr al-Kalb valley, about 18 km north of Beirut, with some 9 km of galleries between them. The lower cave was rediscovered in 1836; two Lebanese cavers found the upper galleries, 60 m higher, in 1958. The upper cave is walked on safe paths among stalactites and stalagmites and holds what is described as the largest known stalactite in the world. An underground river runs through the lower cave, which is seen from a small boat; the same river supplies drinking water to more than a million Lebanese. A small cable car and a little tourist train link the gardens to the upper cave, and there is a café and a souvenir shop on site. Photography is not allowed inside either cave, and the boat trips can stop in winter when the river runs high. The grotto closed for months in 2024 and 2025; the Ministry of Tourism reopened it to visitors in November 2025. It usually opens Tuesday to Sunday and closes on Mondays, so check before you go.
Paths among stalactites.
On an underground river.
Through the gardens.
Jeita, Nahr al-Kalb valley, Keserwan
No. Photography is not allowed in either cave, to protect the formations; you can take pictures in the gardens outside.