This is the longest cave in Middle east, and its 18km north from Beirut. Inside, there are 2 interconnected limestone caves of 9 km, with an amazing show of stalactites and stalagmites.
Discovered by an american missionary in 1836, there are evidences that the caves was inhabited by prehistoric man, and some believe this place was used to produce swords. When you do the tour in the cave, the lower grotto tour will be by boat, floating in a black lake, and the upper grotto will be by foot. There, you can see 3 chambers - the white chamber (where is the world's longest stalactite), the red chamber, and the hightest chamber.
This has became a popular atraction in the Lebanon tourism, so they make it for tourists, putting a lot of other things near the Grotto, like a cable car, a mini zoo and a garden that you can also visit there.
How to visit:
You can go in a tour, drive your own rental car or even go by public transportation: Take a minibus from Dawra to the Jeita turn-off on the Beirut-Jounieh highway, then take a taxi for the remaining 5km to the grotto.
The opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am - 5 pm (closed on Mondays), and the entrance fee is 18 315 L.L (12.20$) for adults, including everything (Cable Car, Slide Show, Upper Grotto, Lower Grotto, Train, Mini Zoo and the Garden).
If you want a tour, check out this link:
Happy journeys in Lebanon!
