Cave diving · 61 countries
Regions and sites
Site information for 904 caves, springs, mines and cenotes: depth, certification, configuration and what to know before you go. Pick a region on the map, or plan a trip with your team right away.
Circle = number of sites · hover over a region to link the map and the listMap data: Natural Earth
- Ardèche32 cavesFrom the springs in the Gorges de l'Ardèche and the deep Gouls de Tourne to Font Vive and the Dragonnière de Banne. With the nature reserve's rules.
- Barrois9 sitesClay-laden, often murky springs around Saint-Dizier and Bar-le-Duc: the Rupt-du-Puits pool and, with a key from the regional caving league, the sumps behind its borehole; long exploration sumps such as the Bezerne and the Fontaine de Laneuville; and, south of Joinville, the clear Dhuit.
- Burgundy5 springsSmall karst springs in northern Burgundy: the shallow Douix in Châtillon-sur-Seine and the sumps of the Bèze (both via the commune), the Trou de Jalleu just across the border in the Haute-Saône (private land) and the blue Creux Bleu. The famous Fosse Dionne in Tonnerre has been off limits since 1996.
- Charente11 springsKarst springs around Angoulême and in the neighbouring départements: the deep Touvre springs (Font de Lussac to -197 m, Bouillant, Dormant; drinking water, diving banned since 2022), the 700 m sump of the Sources du Cros, small club sumps in the Deux-Sèvres and Charente-Maritime, and in the north of the Dordogne the Grand Souci (-184 m) and the Glane sump series.
- Doubs and Jura11 springsKarst springs of the Doubs and the French and Swiss Jura: the big resurgences of the Loue, the Lison and the Orbe (Vallorbe, Switzerland), short multi-sump dives such as the Source Bleue near Malbuisson, and deep exploration sumps like the Pont du Diable (-86 m) and Brive (-65 m) — cold water, strongly dependent on rain and snowmelt, and little up-to-date information.
- Hérault and Gard14 cavesDeep karst springs between the Cévennes and the Larzac: Gourneyras and the Foux de la Vis near Ganges, and with a permit the Durzon near Nant. Many well-known springs are drinking-water catchments or private land, and closed.
- Lot37 cavesIn the Célé, Lot, Ouysse and Dordogne valleys, from the Ressel to Saint-Sauveur. With driving times from your stay and nearby fill stations.
- Provence12 sitesThe submarine karst rivers of Cassis — Port-Miou (to -233 m, with permission only) and the Bestouan (3.75 km, shore dive) — plus sea caves in the Calanques, around Riou and Maïre and at La Ciotat; the Fontaine de Vaucluse and the Cosquer cave are closed.
- Roussillon and Aude8 cavesMostly explorers' ground: short, tight sump series in the Corbières (Bosc, Mousque d'Aze, the underground Verdouble), the long sumps of En Gorner in the Conflent (key needed) and the Tirounère near Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet — Font Estramar, with its -312 m depth record, is closed.
- Vercors7 cavesSump diving in the big Vercors springs (Goule Noire, Bournillon, Cuves de Sassenage: chains of sumps behind dry passages, low water only); the Grotte de Thaïs and the Choranche lake are closed to divers and two Drôme springs are off limits (drinking water).
- Sauerland5 minesFlooded slate mines: Nuttlar and Felicitas with a day ticket from the dive base, Christine and Schwalefeld near Willingen through a club. Water at 7–9 °C, -14 to -72 m, with mine carts, rails and old machinery.
- Saxony3 minesThe Miltitz lime mine near Meissen (to ~-65 m, winter half-year only), the Felsendome Rabenstein in Chemnitz and the galleries below the Crottendorf quarry lake in the Ore Mountains, all three through the operator or club.
- Liguria4 cavesShort sea caves and caverns along the Ligurian coast: the Grotta dei Gamberi and La Colombara in the Portofino marine reserve, the Grotta marina di Bergeggi (currently closed to divers) and the Grotta del Tinetto off Porto Venere — nearly all by boat and with a dive centre.
- Monte Argentario3 cavesThe Argentarola islet off the west coast of Monte Argentario, with the speleothem-filled Grotta Grande (and a tight, deep shaft for full cave divers) plus a small cave, and the Grotta Azzurra on the south coast — all by boat from Porto Santo Stefano or Porto Ercole.
- Palinuro and Cilento14 cavesSea caves of Capo Palinuro, some with warm sulphur springs (Grotta Azzurra with the Sala della Neve, Cala Fetente), and the shallower caves of the Costa degli Infreschi marine protected area near Marina di Camerota — by boat with a local centre.
- Salento12 cavesShort, life-rich sea caves in Salento's limestone coast: around Porto Selvaggio and Santa Caterina (Nardò) on the Ionian side, and near Otranto and the Ciolo on the Adriatic side — with air bells, freshwater springs and dives to ~-25 m.
- Sardinia15 cavesSea caves that turn into freshwater springs in the Gulf of Orosei (Bue Marino, Bel Torrente, Utopia), the deep Su Gologone spring and the protected sea caves of Capo Caccia near Alghero.
- Sicily11 cavesSea caves and caverns in Sicily's marine reserves: the Cattedrale and three other caves of Marettimo (Egadi), the Grotta dell'Olio near Palermo, the Grotta dei Gamberi on Filicudi, Capo Milazzo, Isola Bella and Lampedusa — guided only, under each reserve's rules.
- Sorrento and Punta Campanella5 cavesShallow sea caves in the Punta Campanella marine protected area on the Sorrento peninsula — Zaffiro and Isca with air bells full of formations, the 80 m Grotta di Mitigliano and Punta Falcone — by boat with a local centre; the Grotta Azzurra on Capri is closed to divers.
- Tremiti Islands3 sea cavesShort sea caves in the marine protected area of the Tremiti Islands off the Gargano: the Grotta del Sale with a siphon up to ~-5 m and the Grotta delle Viole (night only) on San Domino and the L-shaped cave at Cala dei Turchi on Caprara. Guided only, with an authorised dive centre.
- Ustica8 cavesVolcanic island off Palermo with Italy's first marine protected area (1986): nine official underwater caves, from the shallow Pastizza near the harbour to the deep Grotta dei Gamberi (-42 m) and Grotta dei Cirri — guided only, with an authorised dive centre.
- Valbrenta8 cavesThe cold karst springs of the Brenta valley: the Elefante Bianco (to -292 m), the long sumps of Oliero and the tight Fontanazzi, plus the Gorgazzo and Goriuda in Friuli. Water at 8–9 °C, and at most springs you notify or book first.
- Azores5 sea cavesSea caves and lava galleries on Faial, Terceira and Santa Maria: the Gruta dos Camarões and the Furnas on Monte da Guia off Horta, per the tourism board only for divers certified in cave diving, the cave complex of Cinco Ribeiras from the shore of Terceira, and the Gruta Azul and the deep Gruta Funda off Santa Maria. With local dive centres, in water of 14–22 °C.
- Maciço Calcário Estremenho5 cavesKarst springs in the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros natural park: the Alviela, at -215 m the deepest cave in Portugal (permit, dry season only), and the Gruta da Pena, which only floods in wet winters.
- Alto Tajo & Serranía de Cuenca2 cavesTwo cold springs in natural parks on the Guadalajara–Cuenca uplands: the long sump of Fuentenavina in the Alto Tajo and Fuencaliente on the La Toba reservoir.
- Andalusia6 sitesDeep karst springs and sumps in the Sierra de las Nieves (Zarzalones to -92 m, Minilla, Cinojal) — mostly permit-bound exploration dives — plus sea caves near La Herradura, most of which may no longer be entered inside the protected Maro-Cerro Gordo area.
- Catalonia10 sitesDeep, silty springs in the Pre-Pyrenees (Font Bordonera, Forat de l'Or), an expedition sump in the Cerdanya, and easy sea caves and tunnels at the Medes Islands, along the Montgrí coast and at L'Escala.
- Lanzarote6 cavesSea caves and lava tubes: the Catedral and the Cueva de las Gambas at Puerto del Carmen, the El Ascensor lava tube and the small caverns of Charco del Palo near Mala — the famous Túnel de la Atlántida under the Jameos del Agua (1.6 km, -64 m) is open to scientific expeditions only.
- Levante (Alicante and Murcia)10 cavesTwo serious caves – the Cova del Moraig near Benitatxell (brackish, >3 km, to ~-100 m) and the thermal maze of the Cueva del Agua at Isla Plana (29–31 °C, >7 km) – plus easy sea caves around Cabo Tiñoso, Cabo Cope and Tabarca.
- Mallorca18 cavesLong, shallow anchialine caves on the east coast, such as sa Gleda and Cova des Coll, nearly all of them permit-only. Plus sea caves with air chambers at Dragonera, Cala Ratjada and Formentor.
- Menorca16 cavesSea caves: Pont d'en Gil near Ciutadella (>200 m with air domes and formations), the Cap d'en Font cave cluster on the south coast (Moon Pool, Belltower, Catedral; Scorpion Cave and Organ Loft for cave-certified divers only) and caverns near Fornells and S'Algar — cave diving is banned in the two marine reserves.
- Northern Spain10 cavesCold karst springs in Burgos around the Pozo Azul, one of Spain's longest underwater caves, the deep and tightly regulated Fuentona in Soria and the sumps of the Matienzo karst in Cantabria. Lots of exploration terrain, few facilities.
- Tenerife7 cavesLava tubes and sea caves on Tenerife: the Garachico lava tube of more than 150 m, the Cueva de los Cerebros, La Catedral off Puerto de la Cruz and the caves of the south coast. Guided boat dives with local dive centres; bring two lights.
- Ireland and Northern Ireland3 cavesCold springs, sumps and submarine caves in Mayo, Clare, Galway and across the border in Fermanagh, down to the -120 m of Pollatoomary. All explored by cave-diving expeditions; we don't know a provider that takes visitors yet, so the caves are listed here as information.
- North Wales, Great Britain3 minesFlooded slate mines: Cambrian and Aber Las near Llangollen, with large chambers, staircases and mine carts at 8–29 m (Aber Las, the jewel in the crown of the UKMC club, only with permission through UKMC), and Croesor in Gwynedd, with three galleries down to ~45 m and bridges. Complex navigation, and at Cambrian water at ~7 °C.
- South Wales and Mendip, Great Britain20 sitesCaves and mines between the Brecon Beacons and the Mendip Hills: the shallow sumps of Porth yr Ogof, the freely accessible Dinas silica mine, the deep Noxon Park iron mine in the Forest of Dean and Wookey Hole, the birthplace of cave diving (both for CDG members only).
- Yorkshire Dales, Great Britain5 sitesThe classic resurgences around Ingleton — Keld Head (with the farmer's permission, via the CDG), Hurtle Pot (free) and the closed Joint Hole — plus the flooded slate mine of Hodge Close in the Lake District: cold water (4–7 °C), often limited visibility and strongly dependent on dry weather.
- Abaco6 cavesThe Crystal Caves of South Abaco (Dan's Cave, Ralph's Cave, Nancy's Cave) and Sawmill Sink: extremely decorated caves under the pine forest, protected and off limits to divers.
- Andros7 blue holesThe island of blue holes: Stargate and the Black Hole in South Andros, Guardian and Small Hope Bay's cavern dives in Central Andros, and Uncle Charlie's and Conch Sound in the north. Layered water with H₂S and bacterial layers, deep shafts and tidal flow.
- Exuma5 blue holesAngelfish Blue Hole off Stocking Island, across from George Town: a guided cavern dive to ~28 m with Dive Exuma, with horse-eye jacks and parrotfish at the entrance. Besides it, deep fracture caves and mangrove blue holes known from scientific expeditions, listed as information.
- Grand Bahama6 sitesThe Lucayan Caverns (Ben's Cave, Burial Mound) in Lucayan National Park and the Old Freetown system (Owl's Hole, Mermaid's Lair): guided cavern dives from Freeport and Lucaya, with fresh water over salt water.
- Long Island1 blue holesDean's Blue Hole near Clarence Town, at 202–203 m one of the deepest blue holes in the world and famous for freediving: from the beach you swim to a hole ~30 m across that opens deeper into a cavern of ~100 m.
- Bonito4 cavesGuided dives in the Serra da Bodoquena: the cave of Gruta do Mimoso (from intro to full cave), the Lagoa Misteriosa sinkhole and the cave lake of Abismo Anhumas, 72 m underground. All through the Voucher Único.
- Mato Grosso4 sinkholesThe flooded sinkholes and springs around Nobres, north of Cuiabá: the Dolina do Pai João beyond 100 m, Poço 2 de Maio and João Terêncio. Expeditions only, with a state permit and your own gas.
- Riviera Maya (Quintana Roo)71 cenotesFrom Puerto Morelos to Muyil, from Dos Ojos and The Pit to Nohoch Nah Chich. With local rules, fees and emergency numbers.
- Tamaulipas9 springsThe deep springs of north-eastern Mexico where Sheck Exley made his records: Nacimiento del Río Mante to 268 m and Cenote El Zacatón, 319 m of water. Expeditions only, with a police escort and everything brought from Mexico City.
- Yucatán (Mérida)14 cenotesThe deep cenotes around Mérida: Sabak Ha (-120 m) near Sacalum, Kankirixché and Yax Há near Abalá, Nah Yah and Noh Mozón near Pixyá and the shaft of Usil near Cenotillo. Vertical pits on ejido land, often on trimix; with the dive centres in Mérida and where you can and cannot get fills.
- Florida50 springsFlorida's springs and sinks, from Ginnie Springs and Peacock to Madison Blue, Jackson Blue, the deep Eagle's Nest and Buford Spring. Long, clear caves at ~22 °C, often with stairs from the car park. With the state park rules and river levels.
- Hawaii9 cavernsLava tubes, caverns and arches in young lava: Suck 'Em Up and Skull Cave along the Kona coast of the Big Island, the Cathedrals off Lanai and Sheraton Caverns on Kauai. Guided boat dives with local dive centres, from Open Water.
- Missouri (Ozarks)5 sitesRoubidoux Spring in Waynesville: a cold, deep Ozark cave with strong flow at the entrance, free for cave divers who check in at the 911 centre. Plus the flooded Bonne Terre Mine, closed since February 2025.
- Dahab5 sitesCanyons, caves and the deep Blue Hole on the Gulf of Aqaba: the chimney of the Bells, The Canyon, The Caves and, for technical divers on trimix, the Blue Hole Arch at 55 m and Abu Helal. Shore dives with local dive centres; take the depth seriously.
- Marsa Alam6 cavernsCave systems and tunnels on the reefs of the southern Egyptian Red Sea: the chambers of Shaab Claudia and the labyrinth of Shaab Malahi in the Fury Shoals and the tunnels of Abu Dabab. Guided boat and zodiac dives with local dive centres.
- Mount Gambier25 cavesThe sinkholes and caves of the Limestone Coast in South Australia: from The Shaft to the maze of Tank Cave and the sumps of Engelbrecht under the town. Only for members of the Cave Divers Association of Australia: with a visitor permit and a rating per site.
- Nullarbor7 cavesExpedition caves under the Western Australian desert: the kilometre-long sumps of Cocklebiddy, Weebubbie, Murra-el-elevyn, Tommy Grahams, Pannikin Plains and the sidemount caves of the Roe Plain. Only with the CDAA and the land manager's permission, and fully self-sufficient: no fill station on the plain.
- South West Rocks1 cavesFish Rock Cave, an ocean cavern of ~120 m under a rock off the NSW coast, with a tunnel, chimneys, an air pocket and a light zone, and grey nurse sharks almost all year. By boat with a local dive centre.
- Golden Bay and Nelson5 cavesCold springs and sumps in the marble and limestone of Tasman and the West Coast, down to the -245 m of the Pearse Resurgence. All explored by New Zealand cave divers and expeditions; we don't know a provider that takes visitors yet, so the caves are listed here as information.
- Poor Knights10 cavesSea caves and arches around the Poor Knights off the Northland coast: Rikoriko Cave, one of the largest sea caves in the world, Northern and Middle Arch with Bernie's Cave and, for cave divers, Taravana Cave. Boat dives from Tutukaka in a strict marine reserve.
Plan a trip
Enter your team, with certifications, gas and configurations, and see right away which caves fit. With driving times from your stay, fill stations and an AI instructor who thinks along.