In the quest for unusual places to stay, people are turning to all sorts of lodgings. Take a look at these amazing hotels built into caves around the world for a taste of what it was like to live underground with all the luxuries you’d expect from a typical hotel. Many cave hotels are former monasteries, abandoned mines, and even ancient housing for the poor.
What is it like to sleep in a cave? It’s incredibly quiet – the walls are extraordinarily thick, so the only sound you hear is your own breathing. It’s super dark – the only light comes from what’s piped in through renovations or implemented with candlelight. It’s naturally climate-controlled, so it stays a constant temperature.
The following are some of the most amazing cave hotels around the world:
1. Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita, Matera, Italy
A fascinating and ancient complex of rocks, caverns, and grottoes in Southern Italy, the Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita is a beautiful and magical setting built into cliff side caves. With 18 unique rooms restored to the hotel’s strict conservation philosophy, each room features antique woods, handmade linens, and candle lighting. Access the fruit and flower garden with views of the river valley below.
(Photo courtesy of https://www.sextantio.it/)
2. Gamirasu Cave Hotel, Ayvali, Turkey
Comprised of six beautifully restored cave houses, the Gamirasu Cave Hotel is situated in the heart of a historic region of Capadoccia in the village of Ayvali, Turkey. Tradition combines with modern comfort at the Gamirasu. Connected to a 12-century Byzantine Christian church, which was until recently used by monks, this cave hotel still has some rooms that were former housing for the monks.
(Photo courtesy of https://www.gamirasu.com)
3. Sala Silver Mine Hotel, Sala, Sweden
A room in a silver mine that just might be the deepest hotel room in the world. Guests visiting the Sala Silver Mine take a mine shaft elevator 500 feet below ground to access a double-bed room with silver accents (appropriately). Guests are provided with an intercom radio to communicate with the staff who waits above ground because, as you might expect, cell phones don’t work in this cave hotel.
(Photo: Sala Silver Mine Hotel, Mine Suite, Sala, Sweden)
4. Cuevas El Abanico, Granada, Spain
Unique caves, complete with modern hotel amenities like free Wi-Fi and a cozy lounge with a fireplace – all the comforts of home. The Cuevas el Abanico are located in Grenada’s famous Sacromonte district and you can enjoy the views from the terraces overlooking the Alhambra Palace and the Flamenco quarter. The old Arabic quarter, called the Albayzin, features narrow cobblestone streets, whitewashed houses, and flower-filled balconies.
(Photo: Cuevas El Abanico, Granada, Spain)
5. Hotel Argos, Cappadocia, Turkey
All 33 rooms of this cave hotel are designed in different styles. The guest cave suites of the Hotel Argos in Cappadocia are accessible by an underground tunnel and feature high vaulted ceilings, fireplaces, and indoor pools. This luxury cave hotel is in the hillside village of Uchisar, the site of a thousand-year-old former monastery patiently carved out of the regions’s soft volcanic rock.
(Photo: courtesy https://twitter.com/argosCappadocia)
Another option in Cappadocia, are the Cappadocia Cave Suites. A former hay barn restored in the 1990s that’s not a boutique hotel with 18 amazing rooms set deep in the rock and known as “fairy chimneys”.
(Photo: courtesy https://www.cappadociacavesuites.com/)
6. Kokopelli’s Cave B&B, Farmington, New Mexico
This one-room cave hotel is a privately owned cliff dwelling located near Farmington, New Mexico. Get above ground to enjoy famous southwest sunsets over the four states that meet at their corners: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. Getting to the Kokopelli’s Cave is half the adventure, and not one for the faint of heart. Arrive well before dark to navigate the road to the cave and pack light as the cave is 70 feet below ground and accessed by a trail.
(Photo: Kokopelli Cave B&B New Mexico)
7. Les Hautes Roches, Rochecorbon, France
This property is built within the freestone rock face in Rochecorbon, France. The Le Hautes Roches takes inspiration from it’s oceanfront location with silky white walls that mimic the froth on ocean waves. A former monastery turned upmarket retreat on the banks of the Loire, and with 12 of the lavish rooms set in caves, this cave hotel is one of a kind.
(Photo: Les Hautes Roches, France)
8. Alexander’s, Santorini, Greece
In the picturesque village of Oia on the island of Santorinia, Alexander’s takes the traditional cave house and pushes it to the next level. The architecture is familiarly Cycladic in style – white-washed walls and domed roofs. There’s a terrace with dazzling views out over the village where houses cling to the rock and the sun sets over a crystal blue sea.
(Photo: Alexander’s cave hote, Santorini, Greece)
