Tuesday, July 15, 2025

The Crystal Cave -A Remarkable Landform

Written by Vivaan Sanghvi (Grade 8)


“You just look at the world and see things unravelling and you say, ‘I wonder what we ought to do?’”

One day, I was watching a documentary on the remarkable landforms of Mexico, and what I saw was amazing- a cave in Mexico full of crystals! The Crystal Cave is one of the oldest landforms in the world. Also known as the underground caves in Mexico they are one of the most astounding creations of nature. The cave is home to more than a hundred crystals creating a once-in-a-lifetime natural beauty. 

These caves were originally found in Naica which is one hundred and five kilometres south of Chihuahua City. It is three hundred metres below the ground and is also connected to mines of Zinc and Gypsum. It is about twenty-six million years old. The cave was discovered in the year 2000 by the Penoles Mining Company. The miners, who were excavating a new tunnel for the company, were shocked to find a cave full of large crystals and minerals. Though the cave is very old, the first time a human set foot in it was in the year 2000. The beauty of the place attracted people from all over the world, the main attraction being some of the largest selenite crystals in the world, with one crystal that is thirty-six feet tall and one metre thick! People often use the term “all glitter no gold” for crystals as they usually have no purpose, but these “crystals” are actually madeof minerals such as zinc and are very useful for the economy of the country.  The cave is a source of inspiration for people all over the world. It is a true example of the wonders of nature. The caves are an example of a beautiful phenomenon for the world to see. They are a perfect representation of the primitive times and evolution when it was the home to the cavemen, to this modern day where they are such an important source of natural resources and minerals. What intrigues me the most is the ancient secrets that these caves could possibly hold. What if our ancestors lived there once upon a time? What are the secrets of the cavemen who inhabited the cave and how they lived in such poor conditions, especially in the winter. The Cave of Crystals as it is called has been a reliable provider of resources to the entire country, but the temperatures of the cave are very high as the cave is located over a bed of magma which is slightly dangerous but doesn’t really pose a risk until the magma rises too high. Sometimes, that makes me feel how similar these caves are to the human mind. We are calm until something triggers, which causes us to react, in the same way like these caves. It also makes me realise that beauty is skin deep. Some people even call these caves versatile.

Visiting the cave may take time due to its location; 300 metres is a pretty long distance to go down, but the view of the cave is worth it! Like they say,’ nothing worth having was ever achieved without effort’ Maybe this is the cave’s way to teach us to work for things that one is passionate about, because the end result is simply magnificent. The crystal caves in Mexico are a must visit if one wants to catch a glimpse of the real wonders of nature.


Featured Image Courtesy – Travel + Leisure



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