The Al-Hotta cave is situated at the southern side of Jabal Akdhar near Al-Hamra in Northern Oman 140km southwest of Muscat. The Al-Hoota cave system like many other caves in Oman was formed by the dissolution of limestone by acidic water. The 800m long cave lake harbors populations of unique blindfish (Garra barreimiae), endemic beetles and other rare and interesting species. It is filled with fresh water by the rare desert rains. This makes the cave a sort of underground wadi, which means it is due to flooding and rather dangerous.
There are many offshoots to the main tunnel, but so far, only approximately 5km have been charted. There are two entries to the cave: the Al Fallah entrance, which is taken through a large gaping entrance below a cliff overhang and the Al Hota entrance which is only accessible for experienced cavers with ropes, safety equipment and a guide.
Since December 2006 Al Hotta Cave is a show cave accessible by a walkway with iron railings and illuminated by electric lights. There is a cave train with a capacity of 36 passengers, which brings visitors from the entrance into the cave. A visitor centre was built in front of the cave. It houses a restaurant, a souvenir shop, a geological museum, and the station for the train. Access to the cave is restricted to 700 visitors per day, at least in the first time. This means if 700 visitors are reached the cave will be closed for that day. The reason are the fragile ecosystem and the fragile speleothems in the cave.
Visiting hours:
From 09:00 am till 06:00 pm. Mondays are off except for groups with prior reservations. The cave is closed during the months of July and August.
How to get there:
From Muscat (~ 200km) take the Highway that leads to the Seeb International Airport. After crossing the Airport Roundabout proceed on the highway to reach Al Burg roundabout and take Nizwa Road. After arriving in the old town of Nizwa proceed on the Hamra road and follow the brown signs indicating the way to the Al Hotta Cave.