The world's best underground attractions

 

                      The world's best underground attractions

 

 

Dinosaur Caves, USA

The San Luis Obispo County stretch of the Californian coast is home to a world of arches, caves, grottos and rock gardens that are only accessible from the water. Visitors can explore their watery depths on an exhilarating three-hour excursion with Central Coast Kayaks – some of the caves run up to 30 feet deep. If you’re lucky you’ll spot seals, otters and dolphins as you paddle through the North Pacific.

 

 

Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel, Iceland

 

Just outside Reykjavík, you can walk through a 100 foot-wide tunnel formed as a lava tube in a volcanic eruption more than 5,000 years ago. In some places the roof has caved in and natural light – and snow – floods in. Elsewhere, impressive lighting highlights the colours and geological formations. If you're based in the Icelandic capital.

 

Ajanta Caves, India

 

A cliff-face in Maharashtra hides remarkably well-preserved murals, carvings and sculptures dating from the 1st or 2nd century to the 5th century, which are considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art. Lost until a hunting party stumbled across an entrance in 1819, the 30 or so caves have a network of halls, with columns carved out of the rock.  

Lockport Underground Boat Ride, USA

 

It took nearly 15 painstaking years for workers to blast this 2,000-foot man-made cave out of solid rock. It was designed in the 1850s underneath Lockport City, New York, to supply water from the Erie Canal to local industries. These days you can walk through a subterranean tunnel to the cave, then take a boat ride through the velvety black water. But beware, you will need to wear a raincoat to protect yourself from the dripping ceiling.

 

Basilica Cistern, Turkey

 

The largest of many underground water reservoirs in Istanbul, this colossal tank was built beneath an ancient basilica by Byzantine Emperor Justinianus I in AD 532. A total of 336 columns – many of them 'recycled' from older temples – support the structure and visitors can explore on raised platforms. The cistern lay undiscovered until the 16th century, when a visiting Frenchman was intrigued by locals who could fish (carp still swim in the waters) from their basements.

 

The Louvre, France 

 

Originally a fortress and then a Royal residence, the Louvre now holds the one of the world’s finest collections of art. But it’s architect I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid that has become an iconic Paris landmark. The once-controversial entrance to a huge underground lobby was initially deemed too modern by some, but today is synonymous with the French capital. There’s also a fascinating underground walkway past the medieval foundations of the Louvre.