Al Hoota Cave
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Nestled at the foothills of the Al Hajar Mountains, the two-million-year-old Al Hoota Cave has been opened to visitors. Guided tours are provided throughout the day along ramps that run alongside the stalactites and stalagmites that cover the expanse of these large caves. The caves also support an ecosystem comprising of several lakes and cave-dwelling wildlife.
Estimated to be over 2 million years old, Al Hoota Cave is located at the foot of Jabal Shams, Oman’s epic mountain. It is the first and only show cave in the Arabian Peninsula with a total length of around 4.5 kilometres, of which just 500 metres is accessible to the general public.
Al Hoota Cave contains a rich ecosystem that includes four lakes. Three are small and located in the north of the cave, the other is the accessible central lake. It is estimated that the lake holds about 30,000 m³ of water, is 800 metres long and 10 in width, with a maximum depth of 15 metres. It is here that one can see the rare blind fish – Garra Barreimiae or more commonly known to us as Bu Naseh and his friends. We are exceptionally lucky to have many other animal species living in the cave including bats (Rhinopoma Muscatellum), arthropods, mollusks, spiders, snails and water beetles.
More Places To See
- All
- A’Dakhiliyah
- A’Dhahirah
- A’Sharqiyah
- A’Sharqiyah North
- A’Sharqiyah South
- Al Batinah
- Al Batinah North
- Al Batinah South
- Al Buraimi
- Al Wusta
- Dhofar
- Musandam
- Muscat
Things to do
Interested in a particular type of holiday experience? there is so much to do in Oman that you will want to keep coming back. Here are just a few of the possibilities to help make your next visit to Oman perfect.
Mountains take up a large part of Oman’s landscape, varying greatly in appearance vegetation. Often times they feature stunning wadis, cut into the mountains through time and crossable only by 4×4.
Golf has a history in the Sultanate dating back to 1970s. With world-class golf clubs in Muscat – the Al Mouj Golf Club, Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club, Ghala Valley Golf Club, and the Ras Al Hamra Golf Club – perfect golfing weather is usually experienced between September and May, and during the evenings in Summer.
Looking back on a geological history spanning across millions of years, Oman is one of the few places that carries its unique geological heritage on the open. Attractions such as Jebel Shams, or the Ophiolite rocks surrounding Muttrah Corniche, were once at the bottom of the ocean.