Inside 12 Of The Most Superb Cave Lodges In The World

Kagga Gamma Cave Suites

Kagga gamma

There is a peculiar calm that occurs the first time you step into a cave hotel suite. The carved stone walls quickly offer comfort and tranquility and reduce outside noise to a minimum. I remember sleeping better in many of the cave hotels I have visited, from Santorini to Turkey, with no footsteps or neighbors making noise. It is the stillness and coolness of the cavernous space that surrounds you.

While there are countless cave hotel destinations around the world, the most productive region is in Cappadocia, Turkey. Created as an escape for persecuted Christians from invading Persians and Arabs, they drove them underground to seek refuge where they built cities deep below. Other destinations from Italy to Australia also offer unique experiences and dramatic historical cave accommodations. From budget to luxury, these are some of the most fantastic cave options for the adventurous traveler.

The cave house in Mira Mira

look

LOOK (Australia)

Mira Mira offers four separate accommodations on 22 acres of secluded, lush bushland and just 90 minutes outside of Melbourne. The two bedroom Cave House in Mira Mira really feels like you are living underground. Guests enter a massive door carved into the mouth of the Magog and descend winding steps, lit by fire lanterns, into the cave.

Cave suite in the Columbarium Hotel

Columbarium Hotel

COLUMBARIUM (Israel)

In the land of Judea, people carved our cave houses into the mountains. This luxury version of these cave houses has a fountain in which healing mineral water is carved in stone. The sustainable hotel is naturally cool in summer and warm in winter and offers organic dishes. The hotel also specializes in hydrotherapy using mountain filtered mineral water to complement spa treatments in the privacy of your cave space.

Cave restaurant in the Hotel Basiliani

Hotel Basiliani

HOTEL BASILIANI (Italy)

Hotel Basiliani features typical modern Italian style with contemporary architecture to complement the nature views. Up to four people can stay in each room. Some rooms are caves, others are lofts. The bathrooms have showers and tubs, and some even have authentic fountains.

Junior cave suite at MASSERIA TORRE COCCARO

Katja Brinkmann / MASSERIA TORRE COCCARO

MASSERIA TORRE COCCARO (Italy)

The entrance to this resort is lined with ancient olive groves along the Adriatic Sea. The fortress-style farmhouse is centuries old and has been converted into a boutique hotel with antique furniture, gold-rolled mirrors, and fine linens. There’s also an Aveda spa with Turkish baths, a gym, and an outdoor pool. The white cave suite has a large stone fireplace and an outdoor hot tub.

Hanging bed cage in the Million Donkey Hotel

Million Donkey Hotel

Cave room with a bed that slides into the air

Million Donkey Hotel

MILLION DONKEY HOTEL (Italy)

The Million Donkey Hotel is located north of Naples in the Italian mountain village of Prata Sannita and consists of only three rooms and one bathroom. According to the developers, “the name” Million Donkey Hotel “honors the many” workhorses “who have donated their time and energy to make this project possible in the first place.” The unique hotel was created in just one month by Austrian architects and volunteers from abandoned buildings with cave rooms built into the slope. An outrageous feature of the hotel is the trundle bed that rolls into a cage that hangs outdoors under the stars.

Cave suite at the Kagga Kamma Hotel

Kagga Kamma Hotel

KAGGA KAMMA NATURAL RESERVE (South Africa)

This resort is located in the Cederberg Mountains in the Western Cape and is a quiet retreat away from the city. Kagga Kamma offers up to ten unique “cave” suites carved into natural sandstone formations. The facade of the Cave Suites is man-made, while the rear interior wall is made of natural sandstone. Each cave suite has a small terrace with a view and is simply furnished.

Dining table in the Cuevas Helena cave

Helena caves

Outside Cuevas Helena cave house

Helena caves

HELENA CAVES (Spain)

Located in the Andalusian countryside in the village of Benamaurel, Cuevas Helena is a three bedroom cave house. All facilities include a fully equipped kitchen, dining area and large kitchen table. There is also an outdoor pool and hot tub right outside your door. According to the owners, their goal was to transform the cave into “Modern Day Cave Living” as all room sizes are larger than a normal cave and have very high ceilings. They wanted to keep the authentic cave feeling and left some areas of the original caves with fossilized shells in the walls as this part of Andalusia was submerged millions of years ago.

Hotel bars restaurants

Hotel bars / FJ MEIER

The former army fortress became a hotel in La Claustra

Hotel barriers

La Hotel BARRIER (Switzerland)

In the middle of the Swiss Alps, you can now spend the night in a former army fortress built into the rocks under the Gotthard Pass. La Claustra in Switzerland offers 17 individual rooms, all of which are underground. There is also an underground restaurant and Wellness Oasis Spa, which is fed directly from the water sources, with a steam bath in a unique glass cube bordered by reflective Kusatso pools.

Inara Cave Suite at Ariana Lodge

Ariana Lodge

ARIANA LODGE (Turkey)

The Ariana Sustainable Luxury Lodge is located above the Uchisar Valley in Cappadocia. Each of the eleven suites is named after different goddesses; Five of the suites are carved into the cave. Stay in the Kamrusepa Suite named after the goddess of healing, medicine and magic, or try my favorite, the luxurious Inara Cave Suite named after the goddess of wild animals overlooking the Güvercinlik Valley.

Elkep Evi Cave Hotel

Elkep Evi

Elkep Evi Cave hotel suite

Elkep Evi

ELKEP EVI CAVE HOTEL (Turkey)

This volcanic rock hotel has been restored with cave rooms and suites on the rocky hill above the town of Urgup. It is one of the most unique hotels in Cappadocia, with its dramatic exterior built into the side of a cliff. The three Cappadocian cave houses each have seven rooms and are also larger than most and not as claustrophobic as many others.

Cave suite in the Museum Hotel

Museum Hotel

MUSEUM HOTEL (Turkey)

With just 30 rooms and suites, the hotel’s renovated cave dwellings contain the owner’s collection of Ottoman, Persian, and Roman antiques and artifacts. They are currently building a “thermal well” and there are plans to heat the hotel with the warmth of the earth. In accordance with the ecological theme, all food is organic and produced in the hotel gardens. Sustainability is vital at this Relais & Chateaux property as solar energy is used extensively. The Lil’a restaurant, the terraces, the bar and the Roman pool offer a breathtaking view of Cappadocia.

Yunak Houses Cave Hotel

Yunak Houses Cave Hotel

YUNAK HOUSES (Turkey)

This cliff-cut hotel offers a combination of 10 cave houses with a total of 120 rooms, all dating from the 5th and 6th centuries, crowned by a 19th century Greek mansion. All rooms are decorated in Ottoman style with handcrafted embroidery, lace curtains, antique furniture, Anatolian kilims and traditional carpets. All rooms have their own terrace with a view of the Turkish Mesa. At the foot of the cliff is the hotel’s main lobby in the Greek mansion. The hotel also has two outdoor pools and a spa. You can dine by candlelight on the roof terrace.