Jeita Grotto is actually a cave system that stretches about 9 kilometers into the mountains 18 kilometers northeast of Beirut. Jeita Grotto is one of the greatest natural wonders, discovered in 1836 by Reverend William Thomson and opened as a tourist attraction in 1969.
During the civil war, the caves were used as an ammunition store. Now interconnected, karstic limestone caves are situated in the Nahr al-Kalb valley within the locality of Jeita. Though inhabited in prehistoric times, the lower cave was not rediscovered until 1836. It can only be visited by boat since it channels an underground river that provides fresh drinking water to more than a million Lebanese.
These lower caves are always explored by small boats and are closed when the flood levels rise too high. However, the extraordinary upper cavern stays open all year and is explored on foot or via cable car. It has strategically positioned colored lights that showcase the stalactites and stalagmites in all their crystalline glory. Moreover, the upper galleries house the world’s largest known stalactites and are composed of a series of chambers, the largest of which peaks at a height of 390 feet.
The Lebanese speleologists discovered the upper galleries 60 meters above the lower cave in 1958. This has been accommodated with an access tunnel and a series of walkways to enable tourists’ safe access without disturbing the natural landscape. In spite of all kinds of tatty side attractions, the site remains a spectacular day trip from Beirut, but keep in mind that there’s no photography allowed.
Geita Grotto, a Lebanese national symbol and the most famous tourist spot, plays an imperative role in social, economic, and cultural players in the country. Geita Grotto was one of the top 14 finalists in the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition.
The Jeita caves are solutional karst caves, formed more than millions of years due to the dissolution of limestone, dissolved by carbonic acid-charged rainwater and groundwater. Thus, when the limestone, which was originally waterproof, contains cracks produced by tectonic forces, the water oozes into the rock and starts to widen the cracks and solute caves inside the layers Jeita is the longest cave complex in the Middle East geologically; the caves provide a tunnel or escape route for the underground river, which is the principal source of Nahr al-Kalb.
The Jeita Grotto is the longest explored cave in Lebanon, hosting approximately 280,000 visitors per year. Moreover, the Jeita cave emits a spring with a flow ranging from 1–2 m3/s, providing fresh drinking water for one and a-half million inhabitants of the capital, Beirut. However, water pollution, due to domestic and agricultural runoff, remains a serious concern, as recent analysis detected an increasing presence of coliform bacteria.
The name of the cave has changed many times since its discovery. Initially, it is called Grottoes of Nahr al-Kalb, also known as Djaita, Jehita, and finally, Jeita, meaning “roaring water.” Nahr al-Kalb is the name of the river that runs through the grottos. The Jeita Grotto contains a lot of tourist attractions that fill the visitor’s time with enjoyment and happiness. The main attractions include ropeways, trains, a miniature zoo, gardens, and many sculptures.
