Limestone Caves In Andaman 2026: A Complete Guide To Baratang’s Million-Year-Old Caves

The limestone caves on Baratang are natural formations that took millions of years to build. Mineral-rich water seeping through the rock leaves behind calcium carbonate; as each drop evaporates it deposits a trace of stone. Over geological time those deposits grow downward from the ceiling as stalactites and upward from the floor as stalagmites, and where they meet they form full columns. The walls carry rippling, wave-like sheets called flowstones that look almost carved by hand.

The caves lie inside dense tropical jungle on an island that is also home to the Jarawa tribe, mud volcanoes and thick mangrove forests. The chambers are still active and slowly changing shape year on year, so no two visits look exactly alike. The Andaman administration opened the route to tourism to spread visitors beyond Havelock and Neil, and Baratang’s caves are now one of the most distinctive day trips in the islands.

What Is Chuna Pathar Ki Gufa?

“Chuna Pathar Ki Gufa” (चूना पत्थर की गुफा) is simply the Hindi name for these caves – chuna pathar means limestone and gufa means cave. If you search or ask a local operator for chuna pathar ki gufa, you are asking about the very same Baratang limestone caves described here. Hindi-speaking travellers will hear this name far more often than the English one.

There is no separate ticket gate for the cave itself. What you pay for is the journey – the forest permit and the boat ride through the mangrove creeks. Most travellers do this as part of a day-trip package, but here are the typical standalone figures for the 2026 season.

Because the caves sit inside the Jarawa Reserve and depend on tides for the boat leg, the exact convoy times and permit rates are set by the Andaman & Nicobar administration and Forest Department and can change season to season – confirm the day before you travel via the official Andaman & Nicobar Tourism portal or your operator.

The caves are about 100 km from Port Blair, and the trip is a sequence of road, convoy, ferry, boat and trek. Day trips run daily and are usually bundled with the Mud Volcano and a mangrove boat ride, so most people leave Port Blair very early — around 3 to 4 AM – to catch the first government convoy.

Step By Step

1. Road to Jirkatang: From Port Blair, drive ~2.5 hours up the Andaman Trunk Road to the Jirkatang checkpost, the entry point to the Jarawa Tribal Reserve.
2. The Jarawa Reserve convoy: Private vehicles cannot drive through the reserve alone. They move in a timed, escorted government convoy through Jarawa territory. Photography and any interaction with the tribe are strictly prohibited along this stretch.
3. Ferry across Middle Strait: The convoy reaches the Middle Strait, where a vehicle ferry carries you across to the Baratang side at Nilambur jetty.
4. Mangrove-creek boat ride: From Nilambur jetty you board a small fibre or speed boat that winds through narrow tidal mangrove creeks – a scenic 20-30 minute ride — to the cave-side jetty.
5. Jungle trek to the caves: A short walk of roughly 1 to 1.5 km on a marked jungle path brings you to the cave entrance. Entry and exit use the same opening, so you may wait briefly for your turn in the narrower chambers.

You cannot fly directly to Baratang – there is no airport, and only VIPs are granted helicopter access. The realistic options are joining a Baratang day-trip package from Port Blair or arranging a private cab plus boat. For a hassle-free, permit-sorted version of this trip, browse Andaman tour packages that include the Baratang convoy and boat ride.

The best time to visit the limestone caves in Andaman is October to May, with November to February the most comfortable window – pleasant temperatures, calm seas and low rainfall. Because the boat leg through the mangrove creeks depends on the tide and on settled weather, the route is the safest and most reliable in these months.

Avoid the monsoon, roughly June to September, when heavy rain and rough seas regularly suspend the convoy and the boat crossing. All cave exploration has to finish in daylight, so whatever the season, start early and keep the trip to a single full day.

Once inside, a guide leads you through low, winding chambers lit by shafts of natural light and torches. The headline sights are the speleothems, the umbrella term for cave formations: stalactites hanging like stone icicles, stalagmites rising from the floor, and the occasional column where the two have fused over millennia. Guides love to point out shapes the formations resemble, from a crocodile to a human profile.

Photography Inside The Caves

• Photography of the caves themselves is allowed; bring a phone or camera that handles low light well, as the chambers are dim.
• Avoid harsh direct flash on the formations – soft light shows the texture far better, and your guide can hold a torch at an angle for you.
• Photographing the Jarawa tribe anywhere along the convoy route is strictly illegal – keep cameras and phones away during the reserve crossing.
• The boat ride through the mangrove creeks is the most photogenic stretch of the whole trip – keep your camera handy and a dry bag ready for spray.

Since reaching Baratang takes most of a day, it makes sense to combine the caves with the other sights clustered around the same route.

• The Mud Volcano sits a short distance from the cave jetty, bubbling cool mud up out of the ground. It is a rare geological site, and almost every day trip pairs it with the caves.
• The mangrove-creek boat ride to the caves is an attraction in its own right, threading through dense tidal forest that closes in overhead.
• Parrot Island, near Baratang, draws thousands of parrots that roost together at dusk. You need an evening boat to reach it, so it works best on an overnight stay.
• Baludera Beach is a quiet, less-crowded stretch on Baratang, good for travellers who choose to stay a night rather than rush back to Port Blair.

• Start early – a 3 to 4 AM departure from Port Blair is normal so you catch the first convoy and finish everything in daylight.
• Wear breathable clothes and proper hiking or sports shoes; the jungle trail can be muddy and slippery after rain.
• The trek is short (1-1.5 km) and easy for most fitness levels, but the cave passages are low and narrow in places – travellers who are very claustrophobic may prefer to skip the inner chambers.
• Carry your government photo ID for the forest permit, plus cash – card and mobile signal are unreliable beyond Port Blair.
• Pack your own water and packed snacks; food options around the jetty are basic and limited, so do not rely on finding a meal on the way.
• Never interact with, offer food to, or photograph the Jarawa tribe – it is both illegal and harmful. Keep windows up and cameras stowed through the reserve.
• Dedicate the entire day to this trip; trying to add Havelock or Neil on the same day does not work.

The limestone caves in Andaman reward an early start and a full day: a convoy through the Jarawa Reserve, a boat ride through silent mangrove creeks, and a short trek to chambers that have been forming since long before the islands were charted. Get the timing and permits right and it is one of the most memorable days in the Andamans. Ready to go? Explore tailor-made Andaman tour packages that fold the Baratang caves into a complete island itinerary, or read our wider Andaman travel guide to plan the rest of your trip.

Related reading: Baratang Island  •  Best Places To Visit In Andaman  •  Honeymoon In Andaman  •  Cruise To Andaman