If you fancy living somewhere a little different, take some inspiration from these incredible cave homes. Rustic and unique, they have all the creature comforts you'll ever need, with just a little added magic. Click or scroll to step inside the most beautiful cavernous homes in the world...
Forget the Bat Cave, this stunning cave home in Mallorca, Spain puts even the Dark Knight’s pad to shame. While from the front, the home resembles a spacious but unassuming traditional Finca, the property has been built back into the face of the mountain behind it, making full use of all the rough-hewn rock walls within to create some truly spectacular interiors.
More impressive still, the home dates all the way back to the 14th century, making it one of the oldest inhabited Fincas in Mallorca, and it is claimed by some local historians to be the real childhood residence of the explorer Christopher Columbus. The property boasts five bedrooms and five bathrooms across 9,063 square feet, all styled in simple earth tones to complement the spectacular exposed cave walls, and featuring flagstone floors and wooden beams which evoke a sense of the property’s history.
Heading inside you can see the home has definitely been updated since the days of Columbus and now offers luxury amenities including indoor and outdoor cinemas, two swimming pools and a fully operational vineyard complete with wine-making facilities. Large arched windows flood the living space with light and offer a view of the beautiful outdoor terrace beyond. If you think this cave home could be your cup of tea, just bear in mind that the gorgeous property comes with a hefty €3,975,000 price tag – that’s £3.5 million ($4.3m).
Perhaps the property’s most thrilling feature is the jacuzzi set into an old mine, which lets you unwind to the sound of a waterfall echoing off the walls of ancient stone. There are also three beautiful garden casitas designed by renowned British plantsman and writer Stephen Lacey, each named after one of Columbus’s famous ships: Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. The gardens span 10 different planting zones, and earned a feature in The Daily Telegraph, according to the home’s listing.
In 1985, Cathy and Randy Clark purchased 37 acres of land in rural Bisbee, Arizona, before setting about designing a house that was a little bit out of the ordinary. “We found the property, we fell in love with it,” Cathy said to HGTV’s Home Strange Home. "It had water, it had trees... animal life. It was just so alive and so special." Using a Swedish mining technique, they carved a hole into the mountainside, constructing a high-altitude home inside the enormous cavity. The result is an incredible cave home that's unlike anything you might have seen before.
This amazing cave house has also been featured on HGTV's Extreme Homes and benefits from an unusual yet tranquil interior. The natural rock walls take centre stage, while simple furnishings and stone flooring impart a sense of cosiness. Spanning an impressive 2,500 square feet, there are no windows in the house, yet every space still manages to feel light and airy.
The weird and wonderful home boasts three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a rustic kitchen, a laundry room, office, dining area and a spiral staircase that leads to a lofted bedroom. Outside, there are plenty of natural hot pools built into the rock face – the perfect place to soak up the scenery. Cleverly, the boulders surrounding the home keep its internal temperature constant, even during the freezing winters.
We absolutely adore the home's tropical-themed bathroom, too! Yet best of all, the property offers endless land in the Mule Mountains, where unforgettable scenery can be savoured. Despite its unique aesthetic and show-stopping views, the house has been on and off the market since 2007. In that time, it only managed to attract one buyer and was last sold in November of 2018 for $988,500 (£815.4k).
Not just any regular cave, The Rockhouse Retreat in Worcestershire, UK, was created by hand-sculpting an 800-year-old sandstone escarpment. Over 70 tonnes of rock was excavated over nine months to complete the construction, which needed a lot of manpower. In fact, it's Britain’s first 21st-century cave house.
Featured on the UK homebuilding TV show Grand Designs, this quirky dwelling was completed in 2015 and is set on three acres of unspoilt land. Blending contemporary style and comfort with natural structures, the interior features a number of extra upgrades that you wouldn't expect to find in a cave.
The owner, Angelo Mastropietro, spent around £179,000 ($219k) on the amazing conversion project in a two-year labour of love. Angelo's Italian surname means "Master of Stone", he told the BBC in an interview. "It must be in my blood. Well, it's certainly in my lungs now," he joked. However, the effort and expense were well worth it. The bedroom features a king-size bed, and the shower and dressing room have luxurious underfloor heating for the colder months.
Far from a damp cave, the home is dotted with ambient lighting, giving it a cosy feel. Other amenities include Wi-Fi, a music docking station and an outdoor kitchen terrace with a grill and firepit, where you can dine alfresco. If you've fallen in love, you can book a stay in the secret holiday home anytime you like!
The cliffs of Santorini, Greece, are dotted with cave homes and it is exactly this that makes the island so very Instagramable! According to local experts, the area's cave houses, or yposkafa, which translates to "dug into a rock" were created during a time of great poverty. Those who couldn't afford to build their houses on top of the hill had to come up with an alternative solution. Building into the rock itself was affordable, but also resulted in incredible homes like this one...
Known as Demeter Cave House, this gorgeous property is truly jaw-dropping. Many of Santorini's underground dwellings are more than 1,000 years old yet this one is entirely modern. The secluded property lies on a hillside in Pyrgos, allowing for unobstructed views over Mount Profitis and the Aegean Sea.
Inside, the home boasts rugged, curving walls that have been whitewashed, allowing the modern furnishings to add pops of colour. There’s an open-plan lounge, a dining room, a kitchen and a king-sized bedroom with beautiful arch-shaped windows and a barrel ceiling. There’s even an outdoor heated jacuzzi and a panoramic rooftop where you can pull up a chair and soak up the scenery.
Yet the home's pièce de résistance might well be its statement bathroom. The luxe space is dark and brooding but also entirely sophisticated. The room comes with a couple’s rain shower and twin basins, and is available to rent via Coolstays.
Nestled in a natural cavern, high within a bluff overlooking the valley, Beckham Creek Cave in Arkansas is described as being "unlike any other place on earth". Completely remodelled with slick contemporary furnishings, the cave-style home is set within a private 260-acre resort and includes a lounge, a kitchen, a dining room, 19 bedrooms and 21 bathrooms.
The 5,572-square-foot cave house lies in the Ozark Mountains, just minutes from the Buffalo National River. Inside, there are cavernous ceilings that seem to go on forever, walls of rugged rock and even a natural waterfall in the centre of the open-plan living room. Described as a "living cave", Beckham Creek is full of the sound of rushing water, and you'll still have to dodge a drip or two from a stalactite!
For all its current luxury, the property was originally designed as a fallout shelter. Celestial Tea co-founder, John Hay, purchased the cave in 1983, when the spectre of nuclear war between the USSR and the USA was resurrected following Russia's invasion of Afghanistan. “We built it out figuring if something was going to happen we’d have a place to go,” he told The New York Times in an interview. Hay believed the cave would make a perfect doomsday shelter, and we can't help but agree!
According to a 1988 article in People, Hay purchased the 240-acre spread for $146,000 (£120k) and went on to spend $2 million (£1.6m) converting the cave into a "Hollywood home", including a "Fred Astaire dance floor" and this incredibly dreamy master suite. Having changed hands several times since the 1988 renovation, the property last hit the market in late 2017 for a cool $2.75 million (£2.2m), however the listing was later removed without finding a buyer.
Over in the quiet village of El Batan in Tenerife, you'll find this characterful cave home. The property is positioned high in the heart of Anaga Rural Park, a mountainous area formed by a volcanic eruption between seven and nine million years ago. The area was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2015 and we can certainly understand why. The cave home itself is also pretty worthy of protection. Let's take a closer look...
According to the Airbnb listing, a 93-year-old local called Señor Isidro carved the charming caves with his own hands, before selling the property on to be used as a space to store wine production machinery. Later, it was renovated into the house we see today. A restored antique wine press, which was handmade by the previous owner, now welcomes any guests at the front gate.
The amazing property is divided into four caverns – one that houses the living room and kitchen, and three that harbour bedrooms. Contemporary and filled with natural light, the interior allows the cave’s natural curves and edges to take centre stage when it comes to design. For example, in the main bedroom an exposed section of cave wall acts as the ultimate headboard!
Highlights include the home’s cosy lounge and gorgeous bathroom – which boasts an infrared sauna, according to the listing on Airbnb. Outside, there’s also a lovely balcony that enjoys uninterrupted views across the surrounding parklands.
With endless curb appeal and a truly stunning interior, this could well be the world's most beautiful cave house. Designed by Spanish architectural firm, Ummo Estudio, Casa Tierra was built directly into the limestone wall, on the site of a former quarry. The quarry itself dates back to the Roman era, meaning the property itself is the perfect blend of old and new. Let's head inside...
According to the property's Airbnb listing, Casa Tierra is the only cave home in Córdoba, making it one of the most exclusive pieces of real estate in Andalusia. The interior of the residence is far more luxurious than you might expect, with polished concrete floors, whitewashed elements, modern furniture and, of course, plenty of exposed natural stone.
Inside, you'll find an open-plan living area, a dining zone, a chic kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. The bathroom actually opens directly onto the garden and outdoor terrace, which is surrounded by a 32,000-square-foot circular garden, complete with a swimming pool. Throughout you'll find a harmonious combination of stone, marble, steel, glass and concrete, resulting in modern and high-end living spaces that feel entirely inviting.
The home's underground position also means it maintains an ambient temperature all year round, making it highly sustainable. In fact, even during the height of summer, the interior will get no hotter than 20ºC, or 68ºF. We don't know about you, but we're totally sold!
Kostas Mauromatis and his wife Nantia Kakaounaki certainly know how to turn lemons into lemonade, or rather, a WWII bunker beneath their Crete home into a luxurious Airbnb. The couple initially converted the bunker, which dates back to 1850, into a cool-down room where they could escape during hot Greek summers, but quickly discovered that they had created "the perfect spot for a romantic getaway,” the hosts told The Sun.
Now listed among the top Airbnbs in Greece, the 650-square-foot bunker regularly leaves guests “speechless”, according to Nantia. The studio space comes with a canopied double bed, sofa, bathroom, fully equipped kitchen and terrace, with furnishings nestled neatly into alcoves created by the natural rock walls of the cave. However, just because you’re staying in a cave doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice modern luxuries – guests will still be able to enjoy WiFi, TV and even air-conditioning during their stay.
Nantia told The Sun that her husband’s inspiration for the project was “a childhood image, his great-grandmother sleeping on a small wooden bed in a corner of the cave to cool down during the hot summer months - so we thought 'why not?’” The cave had previously been used as a storage facility for things like hay, oil and wine, and later as a local fallout shelter during WWII bombings.
The cave home also boasts an unbeatable location, situated in the postcard-perfect village of Kaliviani, and offers stunning ocean views from its terrace. It offers guests a truly “unique experience,” according to its hosts, enabling them to enjoy a peaceful, cool retreat in a history-packed, natural environment. Really, what more could you ask for?
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