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RussiaDescription and Is It Worth Visiting
On the outskirts of the village of Karabudakhkent in Dagestan, there are several caves, among which one stands out, called the "Living Cave." They say it got its name because of the bats that inhabit it, and there are indeed many of them here. Nearby there are two more caves, but we couldn't find them, possibly because their entrances are blocked and no longer accessible.
Please note that if you search online for "Karabudakhkent Cave," you'll see a beautiful large cave, sometimes even with a waterfall. These photos and descriptions have nothing to do with reality and appeared as another tourist fake from bloggers and websites that have never actually been to this place, passing off photos of completely different locations as the Karabudakhkent Cave. We visited this cave and provide you with its real description, genuine photos, and exact location.
The Living Karabudakhkent Cave is not an equipped or well-known tourist spot. There are no signs pointing to it, it's not easy to find, and you can only get there by your own transport or with a private guide, as group excursions don't go here. Naturally, there is no lighting inside the cave, so be sure to bring a proper flashlight, preferably a headlamp. A smartphone flashlight won't be enough here. You'll also want to wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, as you'll have to crawl on the ground – more precisely, on bat guano. Inside it's stuffy, with many bats and flying insects, so we also recommend protecting your nose and mouth with a face mask; a regular medical mask will do.
Important! The Karabudakhkent Cave is home to a large colony of several species of bats, some of which are protected and listed in the Red Book. We strongly ask you to be careful when visiting the cave, not to make noise inside, and not to shine powerful lights on the walls. Please treat this place with care and respect for nature!
The entrance to the cave is located on the mountainside and is quite inconspicuous. We'll tell you how to find it and the exact coordinates at the end of the article. In front of the entrance, there's a small area where you can rest after the steep climb up the slope or catch your breath after exiting the cave.
The entrance itself is small but can be easily passed through in a crouching position. About 20 meters further, the corridor narrows into a low, tight passage that you'll have to crawl through. This is where you'll need those old clothes that you'll definitely get dirty in bat guano.
After this low passage – or rather, a crawlspace no more than a meter long – a more spacious hall opens up with bats, where you can stand up to full height. The cave continues further, and they say its depth exceeds 100 meters, but we didn't check, as it's very difficult to breathe and stay there without face and respiratory protection. But even the first few meters in this hall will be enough to get your adrenaline going and marvel at the huge number of bats covering the ceiling and walls of the cave.
🕐 Opening Hours
24/7.
💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Prices
Free.
🚶 How to Get There
The Karabudakhkent Caves are located on the outskirts of the village of Karabudakhkent, about 50 kilometers from Makhachkala and 110 kilometers from Derbent (Karabudakhkent Cave on the map). You cannot get here by public transport; you'll have to go by your own car or hire a car with a private guide.
You need to drive exactly to the point we've marked on the map – these are its exact and verified real coordinates. From the paved road, turn onto the dirt road toward these coordinates, and literally a hundred meters later you'll enter a small old quarry. There you can safely leave your car, and by the way, in this quarry you can also set up a tent for the night, as it's very well protected from the wind and prying eyes.
From there, you need to walk to the cave, preferably using a navigator or smartphone with maps to the exact coordinates we've provided, as you won't see the entrance to the caves from below. First, walk about a hundred meters along the bottom of the gorge to the start of the trail, which begins at the remains of some wooden structure, possibly an old bench, and goes left up the slope. Along this trail, you need to climb for about 10 minutes; the climb is steep but not dangerous. You'll only be able to see the entrance to the cave when you're right in front of it. But keep in mind that this trail is rarely used and may become overgrown over time, so it's worth bringing a tool like a small hatchet or a large knife to clear the path.
💥 Just a reminder that it's much more interesting to explore Dagestan's attractions with excursions, so we recommend checking out options with online booking on these trusted search and price comparison sites: