Chinhoyi Caves, Zimbabwe
Encyclopedia
The Chinhoyi Caves are a group of caves near the town of Chinhoyi
in Zimbabwe
. They are situated about 8 km north of Chinhoyi town itself, and 128 km north-west of the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare
. The caves are named after a local chief who used them as a refuge from Ndebele
raiders.
The cave system is composed of limestone and dolomite, and the descent to the main cave with its pool of cobalt blue water is very impressive. This pool is popularly called Sleeping Pool or Chirorodzira (Pool of the Fallen).
Divers have discovered a submarine passage leading from the Bat Cave, a subchamber of the Dark Cave to another room known as the Blind Cave. Diving is fantastic in the Caves all year round, with temperatures never below or above the 22 - 24 Degrees Celsius marks with zero thermocline. Visibility is fantastic too, 50 metres and above is not unusual.
These caves are the most extensive cave system in Zimbabwe that the public can access. The caves were designated a National Park in 1955 and as such are managed by the Department of National Parks. There is a campsite run by the National Parks and a quiet hotel located there.
Chinhoyi
Chinhoyi is a large provincial town and is the capital of Mashonaland West province in Zimbabwe. Sinoia was established in 1906 as a group settlement scheme by a wealthy Italian called Lieutenant Margherito Guidotti who encouraged 10 Italian families to settle there.- Overview :Chinhoyi is located...
in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. They are situated about 8 km north of Chinhoyi town itself, and 128 km north-west of the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
. The caves are named after a local chief who used them as a refuge from Ndebele
Ndebele people (Zimbabwe)
The Ndebele are a branch of the Zulus who split from King Shaka in the early 1820s under the leadership of Mzilikazi, a former general in Shaka's army....
raiders.
The cave system is composed of limestone and dolomite, and the descent to the main cave with its pool of cobalt blue water is very impressive. This pool is popularly called Sleeping Pool or Chirorodzira (Pool of the Fallen).
Divers have discovered a submarine passage leading from the Bat Cave, a subchamber of the Dark Cave to another room known as the Blind Cave. Diving is fantastic in the Caves all year round, with temperatures never below or above the 22 - 24 Degrees Celsius marks with zero thermocline. Visibility is fantastic too, 50 metres and above is not unusual.
These caves are the most extensive cave system in Zimbabwe that the public can access. The caves were designated a National Park in 1955 and as such are managed by the Department of National Parks. There is a campsite run by the National Parks and a quiet hotel located there.