Five minutes up the valley, the hillside opposite Craig-y-Nos hides one of Britain’s great underground spectacles: a cave system running more than ten miles into the mountain, discovered in 1912 by the local Morgan brothers with candles, rope and a coracle to paddle across the underground lakes.
One ticket covers three very different caves. Dan yr Ogof itself is the classic — stalactites and curtains of flowstone with names like the Rasher of Bacon and the Angel. Cathedral Cave saves the drama for last, where twin waterfalls pour forty feet into the final chamber under the “Dome of St Paul’s”. And the Bone Cave tells the strange story of the 42 people whose remains were found buried inside.
Above ground it’s a full family day out: a dinosaur park with over 250 life-size models, a shire horse centre, a reconstructed Iron Age village, gold panning and a playground. Take a jumper — the caves keep their cool even in August.
Worth knowing
- Voted Britain’s greatest natural wonder by Radio Times readers in 2005.
- First explored in 1912 by the Morgan brothers, who crossed the underground lakes by coracle.
- Billed as the largest showcave complex in Britain — visitors see about the first kilometre; cavers keep finding more.
- Cathedral Cave is a licensed wedding venue — couples really do get married under the waterfalls.
- The caves beyond the show sections are a National Nature Reserve, open only to experienced cavers.