One of the popular attractions of Abkhazia is the New Athos Cave. This is a unique gem of nature, which both adults and children will enjoy visiting. It was opened in 1961 and has been accessible to tourists since 1975. This is not the largest cave in Abkhazia, but it is one of them. The total length is more than 3 kilometers, but less is open for excursions. The depth of the cave is 183 meters, with a cavity volume of 1 million m3. The air temperature in the cave remains almost unchanged throughout the year, at about +14°C. Therefore, when visiting the cave, it is better to bring a blouse with you. The cave has 4 entrances, 3 of them artificial. The original entrance, through which they entered here for the first time, is located in the ceiling of the Anakopia hall. On the surface, it adjoins the village of Esher and looks like a deep sinkhole. Guided tours take place daily, and they are very interesting and really informative here. It all starts with being sent underground on an electric train, just like in the subway. By the way, it's a little stuffy on the train, so bring a bottle of water with you. The cave consists of 9 halls, 6 are available for visiting. It is cool, damp, and dark here. The backlight turns on, it becomes more mysterious, but the photos are still not very good quality, unless you are, of course, a professional. There are iron bridges between the caves, which are a bit slippery. The largest hall of the cave is the Mahadjir Hall. Its length is 260 meters and its height is up to 50 meters. There are two lakes in the Anakopia Hall. The first one is "Anatolia", with an area of 1000 m2, a depth of 26 m, and a water temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. The second "Blue Lake" is 1250 m2 in size. Very beautiful, pale blue. Charming stone flowers and figures. Stalactites, stalagmites, bottom, top..... room for imagination. Surprisingly, there are living microorganisms in the cave. Bacteria, fungi, and some insects that have adapted to the conditions of total darkness. Overall, this is a very interesting and informative place. Not far from the cave is the Novoafon Monastery. A visit to New Athos in Abkhazia will definitely not pass without a trace and is useless.

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Ирина

Level 29 Local Expert

An interesting short guided tour of the cave with stalactites, stalagmites, underground caves and an equipped hiking trail. A modern trailer takes tourists to the cave itself. It is better to arrive in advance in order to buy tickets at the box office and not stand in long queues. Tickets for photography in the cave are purchased at a separate ticket office.(We bought it, but we weren't tested) Blankets can be rented at the entrance to the cave if you have not brought warm clothes.

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Elena Nehedova

Level 16 Local Expert

If you describe the cave tour in a few words, then it's terribly interesting. The New Athos Cave is an amazing natural landmark, a real underground kingdom-state. The age of the New Athos cave is about two million years old. The area of the New Athos Cave is approximately 1,000,000 square meters There is a unique subway or underground railway in the cave. It was opened in the summer of 1975 so that travelers, led by guides, could reach any point of the tourist complex faster. I will not describe the halls and the passages to them. You have to be there and watch it yourself. This is a truly unique and interesting place. Regarding the microclimate of the cave, it is worth saying that you need to dress warmly – the temperature here is no higher than 14 degrees Celsius all year round. Hiking shoes should be as comfortable and non-slip as possible. Yes, and the humidity in the cave is very high.

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Новоафонская пещера

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