All Caves Guide — Tears of the Kingdom

Caves are a major new exploration mechanic in TotK — over 147 caves are hidden across Hyrule's surface, each containing Bubbulfrogs, treasure chests, rare materials, and environmental puzzles. Every cave is worth entering: they're the primary source of Bubbul Gems (needed for the Koltin merchant rewards) and consistently yield ore, bomb flowers, and bright-eye crabs.

Cave Basics

Finding caves: Cave entrances glow faintly in darkness or show a distinctive rocky arch pattern. Use the Purah Pad Sensor set to "Bubbulfrog" to track nearby caves — the sensor beeps when a cave is close.

Cave contents (consistent):

• 1 Bubbulfrog (appears on ceiling — shoot with arrow before it escapes)
• 1+ treasure chest (always present)
• Ore deposits (2–5 strikes per cave)
• Bomb Flower plants (1–3 plants per cave)
• Brightbloom Seeds (ceiling clusters)

Brightbloom Seeds as cave guide: Large Brightbloom Seeds illuminate cave interiors from end to end when thrown at the ceiling. Always carry 10+ before entering cave-heavy regions.

---

Cave Types

Mining Caves

Primary content: ore deposits and gem nodes. Found in volcanic and rocky terrain (Eldin, Akkala, Lanayru highlands). Best yield: 5–10 ore strikes per cave, Ruby and Diamond drops in Eldin variant caves.

Underwater Caves (Lanayru)

Partially or fully flooded. Zora Armor required for optimal navigation. Hidden chests often underwater. Best yield: Luminous Stones, Opal deposits, aquatic materials (Chillfin Trout, Voltfin Trout).

Ruins Caves (Necluda, Hyrule Field)

Built into ancient ruins — often contain Zonai artifacts, lore tablets, and higher-tier chest loot. Best yield: Zonai Charges, ancient weapons (70+ base attack), historical tablets.

Depths Entry Caves

Some caves have a pit that descends directly into The Depths. These caves are identifiable by the Gloom rising from their floors. Best yield: Lightroot access, Depths resources, Yiga Clan tunnel routes.

Boss Caves

A handful of caves contain a mini-boss (Stone Talus, Blue Hinox) guarding a high-value chest. Best yield: Diamond (Talus drop), Hinox Toenail (armor upgrade material), 100+ rupee chest.

---

Best Caves by Region

Eldin Region Caves (12 caves, highest mining yield)

• North Death Mountain Cave — 6 ore deposits including 2 Black Ore veins (Diamond potential). Accessible from the Death Mountain summit approach.
• Eldin Canyon Cave — Bubbulfrog + Ruby × 2 chest. Standard size, accessible from the main Eldin Canyon road.
• Goron Mine Cave — Extension of the Goron mining operation. 8 ore deposits, Fire Lizalfos guarding the deep section.

Best Eldin cave for beginners: Eldin Canyon Cave — no enemies, guaranteed Ruby × 2 chest, Bubbulfrog on first visit.

---

Akkala Caves (8 caves, high gem density)

• Akkala Citadel Cave — Multi-room cave under the Citadel ruins. 4 ore deposits, Zonai artifact chest, Bubbulfrog.
• Skull Lake Underwater Cave — Flooded cave near Skull Lake. Opal × 5 chest underwater. Zora Armor required.
• Northeast Akkala Cave — Boss cave (Stone Talus inside). Diamond drop from Talus + 3 ore deposits surrounding arena.

---

Lanayru Caves (10 caves, aquatic focus)

• Zora River Cave — Follows the river current underground. Swimable throughout. Luminous Stone × 8 deposit cluster.
• Mount Lanayru Ice Cave — Cold resistance required (Level 2). Naydra's Spring entrance is adjacent. Sapphire × 2 chest.
• Lanayru Sea Cave — Coastal cave accessible at low water. Purscasek Shrine side adventure starts here.

---

Faron Caves (9 caves, tropical resources)

• Dracozu Cave — On the Dracozu River bank. Hydromelon plants, Bomb Flower cluster, Bubbulfrog.
• Lurelin Bay Cave — Accessible from water near Lurelin Village. Bright-Eyed Crab × 5, Korok Seed puzzle, small ore deposit.
• Faron Jungle Cave — Dense Mushroom cave (Cook into Enduring meals). No ore but excellent fungi harvest.

---

Gerudo Caves (8 caves, desert + highlands)

• Gerudo Desert Sand Cave — Buried under sand, Soryotanog Shrine discovery method applies. Amber × 6 deposit.
• Gerudo Highlands Ice Cave — Cold resist required. Sapphire × 3 deposit. Frost Gleeok Horn chance in chest.
• Gerudo Canyon Cave — Ruby × 2 in chest, 3 ore deposits, Fire-themed Construct enemy inside.

---

Necluda Caves (9 caves, ruin focus)

• Kakariko Canyon Cave — Adjacent to the Ring Ruins. Zonai artifact chest (Ancient weapon), Lore tablet.
• Hateno Cave — Below the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. Accessible via Ascend from the lab basement. Rare chest: Robot Arm weapon.
• Necluda Shore Cave — Coastal cave. Korok Seed inside + Bubbulfrog + Opal deposit.

---

Hebra/Tabantha Caves (12 caves, cold region)

• Hebra Peak Cave — Near Hebra summit. Sapphire × 4, Topaz × 2. Cold resist Level 2 mandatory.
• Tabantha Frontier Cave — Wind-exposed cave on the frontier plains. Wind Zonai device treasure chest inside.
• Rito Village Cave — Hidden behind Rito Village waterfall. Bubbulfrog + 50 rupee chest. Easy access.

---

Bubbulfrog Strategy

Every cave visit should begin with a Bubbulfrog hunt before collecting other resources. The Bubbulfrog is always on the ceiling — look up immediately on entry.

Bubbulfrog timing: They flee toward the cave wall within 8–10 seconds of Link entering. Shoot the moment you spot it — don't wait.

Bow type for Bubbulfrogs: Any bow works. The Bubbulfrog doesn't require precision — it has a large hitbox. Even a Slingshot-style throw (if all bows are broken) can hit it.

Total Bubbulfrogs: 147 caves = 147 Bubbulfrogs = 147 Bubbul Gems. All 147 are needed for Koltin's final reward (Monster Mask full collection).

---

Cave Completion Checklist Strategy

Method: After activating a Lightroot (Depths) or completing a shrine, check the area for cave entrances. Use the Sensor to sweep 300 meters — any beep indicates a cave.

Cave tracking: Use map markers (yellow pin) on each cave entrance after clearing it. Empty yellow pins mean "cleared cave — revisit after Blood Moon for ore respawn."

Time per cave: 3–8 minutes average (entry, Bubbulfrog, chest, ore sweep, exit via Ascend).

Caves are TotK's best source of passive income when integrated into normal exploration. Never pass a cave without entering it — even a 3-minute cave visit yields 200–500 rupees in ore and materials plus a Bubbul Gem toward the Koltin reward track.