كهف المرنيف

Marneef Cave - Al Marneef Cave - Al Marnif Cave

Useful Information

Location:	شارع السلطان قابوس،، المغسيل, Oman (16.875849, 53.766651)
Open:	no restrictions. [2024]
Fee:	free. [2024]
Classification:	Sea Cave Blowhole
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Marneef Cave, شارع السلطان قابوس،، المغسيل, Oman.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

2022	closed due to an accident for several months.

Description

كهف المرنيف (Marneef Cave) is actually a huge rock. There is no real cave, just a series of shelters around the vertical and overhanging wall of the rock. The fame and popularity of this place are at first a result of Mughsail Beach, a 6.4 km long beach which is despite the fact that it is located quite remotely, very popular. There are numerous hotels and parking lots. And at the western end is the Al-Marnife Cafe & Resturant with a huge parking lot. From here its only a 100 m walk to the "caves" of the huge rock.

There are actually sea caves of decent size all over the world, those here are tiny. The by far more interesting sight here are the blowholes, which are obviously also cave related. About 150 m further down the trail there are three blow holes, which are actually just vertical shafts which lead down into mostly water-filled sea caves. If a wave hits the sea cave below, the pressure inside the cave rises fast and the water is pressed up through the shaft to form a several meters high salt water fountain. Actually, the fountains can reach a height of 25–30 m. Such blowholes exist all over the world, but the good ones are rare.

While the caves are there all the time, they are blowing only when big waves roll at the coast. So this site is actually better if the weather is stormy.