Damlatas Cave

Damlatas means dripping stone, and the name fits. The cave sits right at the base of the castle peninsula beside the harbour road, and it was discovered in the late 1940s when workers were quarrying stone for the new breakwater. Inside, a short lit walkway leads through chambers hung with stalactites and stalagmites, some of them still growing, in air that stays warm and very humid all year. The tour linked here is a city outing that combines the cable car, the Damlatas Cave and Cleopatra Beach in one half-day circuit, which is the easiest way to see the cave without arranging separate tickets.

The cave is small, and that is part of its charm. You enter through a narrow opening, descend a few steps and follow a walkway of perhaps fifty metres past formations that guides describe with names such as the organ pipes and the curtain. The temperature stays steady at around twenty-two degrees whatever the weather outside, the humidity is very high, and the air is unusually rich in carbon dioxide.

For that reason local clinics have long recommended short visits for people with asthma and breathing problems, and the cave is still used for that purpose in the morning hours, so you may share the space with people who come specifically to sit and breathe.

Visiting is simple. Tickets are sold at the entrance, the walkway is lit, and a typical visit takes twenty to thirty minutes. The steps and wet surfaces make the cave a poor choice for anyone with limited mobility, and the damp air can feel heavy on a hot day, so take it slowly. Children usually enjoy the formations and the feeling of cool mist, but parents should hold hands on the steps. Photography is allowed, though the low light and humidity make phones fog up, so wipe the lens before you shoot.

The location is the real asset. Damlatas stands between the harbour and Cleopatra Beach, so it fits naturally into a walking loop that includes the shipyard and Red Tower on one side and the beach on the other. Many people visit the cave in the late morning, when the beach is not yet at its busiest, then head up in the cable car after lunch. In high summer the queue grows by midday, so arrive early or mid-afternoon if you want a quiet look at the formations.

Think of Damlatas as a short, pleasant addition rather than the centrepiece of a day. Combined with the cable car and the beach it makes a satisfying circuit, and it gives children a cool break from the heat. If you are interested in bigger underground scenery, the Dim Cave in the hills east of town is much larger and makes a better second cave visit, while the sea caves along the headland can be seen from the water on a boat trip.

Know before you go that the cave is a small, protected space, so large groups can feel crowded at peak hours and the guards may ask you to keep moving. Opening hours follow the season and tend to be longer in summer, so check the posted times if you are visiting in the shoulder months. The entrance fee is modest, and many city tours bundle it with other stops, which is convenient if you are already planning the cable car and beach on the same day.