29 km from Oudtshoorn, at the head of the picturesque Cango Valley, lies the spectacular underground wonder of the Klein Karoo - the Cango Caves.
The limestone beds of the Cango Group are made through movement in the Earth's crust, no longer in a horizontal plane. The layers of strata are also displaced laterally, forming dykes. Rainwater, combined with acidic carbon dioxide from decomposing plant material on the surface, flows through a fracture zone. Limestone, i.e., Calcium Carbonate plus water and Carbon Dioxide = Calcium Bicarbonate - which dissolves in water, flows out. This process of `cave making' takes Millions of Years. Calcium Bicarbonate gives off Carbon Dioxide and reverts back to Calcium Carbonate, and the solution crystallizes and evolves into the various formations which can be seen in the Caves (Stalactites, etc.). The time in making the many formations depends on the supply of water and Carbon Dioxide, and in the case of the Cango Caves, may have started several Millions of Years ago, whilst many are still in the making.
The Cango Caves is one of the World's Great Natural Wonders, sculptured by nature through the ages - fascinating limestone formations in a wide variety of colours. An "underground wonder World" -according to legend the Caves were discovered during 1780. Early visitors had to brave the pitch darkness of the vast caverns from the poor light of self made candles. Over the Years improvements took place and today modern technology makes it possible that all the wonders of the Caves to be skillfully illuminated.