Green Grotto Caves, Show cave in Discovery Bay, Jamaica

Green Grotto Caves is a flank margin cave on Jamaica's north coast, formed where fresh water met the sea. It has two clearly defined levels, apparently marking two periods with different sea levels, and its walls are covered with green algae. The innermost cavern holds a clear underground lake, and the brackish lower levels contain small barnacles and other marine life.

Arawak people left pottery fragments and adzes in the caves. During British colonial rule the caves hid Spanish fugitives fleeing British settlers, and later sheltered escaped slaves, which gave them the name Runaway Caves. Between the two world wars smugglers ran arms to Cuba from here, and in the later years of the Second World War the Jamaican government stored rum barrels at the entrance.

The name Runaway Caves recalls escaped slaves who hid in the passages, and the site appears in Ian Fleming's novel as part of a smuggling operation. The 1973 film Live and Let Die used the caves as Doctor Kananga's underground base, where Bond, played by Roger Moore, forces him to swallow a compressed-air bullet.

Access is through passages with handrails and steps that guide you safely past the lit sections. Wear sturdy shoes as the ground can be slippery and some areas require ducking or careful footing.

A subterranean pool with clear water sits in the lower chambers and mirrors the limestone formations above it like glass. This hidden lake creates an unexpected visual moment as you descend into the depths of the cave.