Highlights

• Always craft a recovery compass to quickly retrieve items lost in caves.
• Avoid digging straight down to prevent falling into lava or getting lost.
• Leave a trail of breadcrumbs or markers to navigate massive cave systems effectively.

Exploring caves in Minecraft can be terrifying for those new to the game. Caves are dark, cramped, and full of enemies. Bearing this in mind, it becomes especially important to prepare before entering a cave. Just like going on a long voyage, the player runs the risk of getting lost or being slain by mobs and losing whatever resources they may have found along the way. It's also easy to run out of supplies or become overrun by enemies if the player isn't careful.

There are many tips and tricks that the player can take advantage of to avoid this fate. This can mean simply carrying a shield or something more advanced like learning the ins and outs of the enchantment system. Here are just a few pro methods for exploring caves in Minecraft.

Updated February 23, 2024 by Gregory Louis Gomez: Minecraft is an ever-evolving experience that aims to continuously enhance and improve on various aspects of its gameplay loop. In this case, caves in particular have seen several major updates that have only made them more impressive over time, with improvements to their generation, loot, enemies, and more.

However, this comes with a catch; for newer players, caves have only gotten harder to navigate over time. With this in mind, a few extra tips have been added so that newer players can explore those scary caves as safely and effectively as possible.

1 Craft A Recovery Compass

A Difficult To Obtain Yet Invaluable Tool For Exploring Caves

When the player dies in Minecraft, they drop everything they were holding, and within five minutes it will all disappear, never to be recovered. When exploring caves, it is very easy to become lost and lose track of lost items after death, which can be a real bummer if it were things like diamonds. Fortunately, the player can craft a recovery compass to help them find the location of their death, and thereby recover items more quickly.

Crafting a recovery compass is no small task, however. It requires the finding of an Ancient City, which, of course, only generates underground. Ancient cities are the only biome where echo shards can be obtained, which are one of the two items needed to craft a recovery compass. It is recommended that the player store their compass in a safe location and only bring it along if they've died, as it will not act like a beacon on death.

2 Never Dig Straight Down

Unless You Want a Mouth Full Of Lava, Don't Do It

This is a general rule of thumb for any activities in Minecraft as digging straight down is usually a recipe for disaster. Players that dig straight down will generally take a lava bath, but the expansive cave systems that stretch below the overworld can be rather extreme. It's not just lava that players need to worry about anymore, but also fall damage.

Those who make the mistake of digging straight down to find a cave system are flipping a coin on whether they'll land safely in an enclosed pocket or fall 30 blocks to their doom. It is much smarter to dig diagonally as if to make a staircase downward. This can be used as both a convenient way in and out of a cave system and is a lot safer.

3 Leave A Trail Of Breadcrumbs

Leave A Trail To Prevent Getting Lost

Getting lost in caves was easy before, but now it's even worse. The cave systems that are procedurally generated in the latest versions of Minecraft are downright massive. They can stretch for what seems like forever, and they go much further underground. Players who waltz into one of these natural caves without a plan to exit will soon find themselves hopelessly lost and forced to dig upward until they can find a way out.

Because of this, the best course of action is to leave some sort of breadcrumb system that will help players return to the surface after they've loaded up on materials. "Markers" can be made from a wide array of things, and it's all dependent on how much effort players want to put into their marking system. As long as players know what they're looking for, markers can be practically anything. Even cubes of dirt can be a great way to mark the path back as players stretch further underground.

4 Pop Up Bases Go A Long Way

Sometimes, Players Need To Stop, Rest And Regroup

Because caves are so spectacularly large now, it's not a bad idea for players to create a "Pop Up Base" at certain intervals underground. Having a respawn point, storage, and other necessities can mean the difference between life and death when players are deep in these new cave systems. Tons of enemies prowl the depths and players can find themselves quickly overwhelmed if they aren't careful. Pair this with the ore veins to collect, new materials to find, and all of the other dangers lurking around the corner, and it's easy to see why players may want a sanctuary that they can hide in or respawn at should things go south.

Taking everything necessary to set up a tiny base with a bed, chests, and furnaces to cook food can be a great way to keep a deep cave expedition going.

5 Ender Pearls & Ender Chests

Using Tools From The End Can Prove Resourceful

These two Ender-related objects can come in handy when exploring caves. Ender pearls are useful because when they are thrown they will teleport the player to wherever they land, though at the cost of some health. This makes them perfect for quick getaways. They may also be used to survive a high fall if the player is quick enough.

Ender chests can also be a great thing to have as a mobile storage unit for important items. All Ender chests share the same items, which means if the player dies underground, anything they placed in an Ender chest can still be retrieved if they also had one at their home base.

6 Consider A Portable Fishery

An Easy Way To Get Food

Many players keep their food storage filled with fish, as fishing is a great way to quickly and easily gather food and other special materials. What many players may not know is that it's possible to create a manmade lake practically anywhere, opening up the ability to fish in almost any area. This can even be done in caves, giving players access to food, materials, and other stuff they may be short on when on a lengthy underground adventure.

It's important to note that fishing will be quite a bit slower when a fishing spot doesn't have direct access to sunlight. This is still useful in a pinch, and players who are dedicated can dig straight up from their proposed pond spot until they reach the waiting sunlight on the surface to speed things up. To make a man-made lake, all players need to do is fill a hole with water. The recommended size is a five-by-five block square that is two blocks deep.

7 Torches Light The Way

Players Can't Mine Anything If They Can't See

Never explore a cave without a set of torches on hand. Players who forget to bring them will very quickly find that they have no method of not only seeing in the dark but also preventing mob spawning. Placing torches around designated mining spots can do wonders to keep players safe.

Mobs spawn in the dark, so when the player is in a cave, they spawn quite often — use light to keep them away. As of 1.18, mobs only spawn in blocks that are in complete darkness. Torches also make for excellent directional tools. A player may place torches down in such a way that they can safely travel in and out of a cave without getting lost.

8 Look Out For Ore Veins

Valuable Resources Spawn In Recognizable Patterns

One of the best new additions in the 1.18 update is ore veins. These massive deposits of Copper or Iron are very rare but extremely rewarding for any player that can identify them. Ore veins are rather large and resemble spaghetti caves rather than typical ore deposits.

Rather than being made of Stone or Deepslate they are made up of either Granite or Tuff with each ore corresponding to these block types in a vein. A cave that's composed of mostly Granite is a Copper vein while a cave that's made of Tuff is an Iron vein.

9 The Warden & The Deep Dark

Avoiding Wardens Is A Must-Learn Skill For Exploring Deep Dark Caves

Deep dark caves are potentially one of the most dangerous biomes the player can find themselves in. It is home to the skulk family of blocks, as well as one terrifying boss-type mob; the Warden. Wardens are among the most powerful mobs in all of Minecraft, to the point where dealing with them directly is never advised due to their various deadly abilities. They are spawned out of the ground by skulk shriekers if the player triggers a nearby skulk sensor four times.

The only way to prevent a Warden from being summoned is to either destroy skulk sensors and shriekers while crouching or bring loads of wool. Walking on wool will allow the player to move without triggering a sensor or alerting a Warden. Wool can also be placed on top of a shrieker to stop its call. Given how sound-sensitive the deep dark biome is, bringing wool (either in block or carpet form) is therefore a necessity.

10 Craft Some Tools

Don't Ever Go Into A Cave Without Tools

Obviously, a pickaxe is needed to get just about anything in a cave. Iron, emeralds, gold, diamonds, etc. all require some sort of tool to extract properly. Otherwise, the player will simply destroy whatever is they're trying to mine rather than acquire it.

Weapons such as swords and bows are also necessary for the player to defend themselves against the horde of mobs. Players should go into a cave with at least two sets of swords and pickaxes. This way, they can stay down in a mine longer without getting trapped. Otherwise, the degradation associated with tool use can be a real problem.

11 Bring Armor And A Shield

Enemies Surround Players Underground - Bring Some Protection!

Unless one enjoys getting shot to death by skeletons or exploded by creepers, armoring up is a good choice. There's no wooden or stone armor so that leaves players with leather, iron, diamond, and Netherite armor. All of these sets will offer better protection than simply having no armor at all.

Crafting a shield is also a great idea, as it can be used to prevent damage from both skeleton arrows and creeper explosions. Armor will simply reduce the amount of damage the player takes, while a shield will block it completely. However, this comes at a cost to movement speed.

12 Beware Of Pointed Dripstone

Being Aware Of Environmental Obstacles Is A Matter Of Life & Death

Dripstone is a new addition to caves as of the 1.18 update. It comes in two forms: stalactites and stalagmites. The former spawn on the underside of a dripstone block facing downward while the latter spawn on the topside of a Dripstone block and face upward. Pointed Dripstone is primarily found in its own biome and grows in both directions if water is directly above it.

Dripstone may look nice, but it can be rather dangerous if one isn't careful. Falling on stalagmites will multiply the normal fall damage value by two, and if Stalactites are broken and fall on the player, that too will cause damage. Both can easily be fatal, so extra care must be taken when exploring Dripstone biomes.

13 Get The Right Enchantments

Enchanting Is One Of The Most Powerful Tools In The Player's Arsenal

Building a bookshelf and making an enchanting table might be laborious, but when it's all said and done, an enchanting station can be incredibly beneficial. All manner of items can be enchanted; armor, weapons, tools, etc. When it comes to exploring caves, there are plenty of enchantments the player might want.

These include fire resistance, feather falling, and dealing extra damage. Given the hazard one faces when cave diving or dungeon crawling, these enchantments are quite beneficial.

14 Take A Bucket Of Water

A Multi-Use Item That May Just Save The Player's Life In A Pinch

The deeper one travels through a cave, the more likely it is that they will encounter lava. Thus, the chance that the player will be killed due to lava is much higher the more they explore a cave. This is especially true for those searching for valuable resources like diamonds since these generate at a block-level where lava is plentiful.

A bucket of water is thus a necessity in these lower depths. If a player accidentally falls into lava or catches fire, they can use the water to put themselves out. Water can also be placed at the moment a player hits the ground to survive a long fall. It can even be used to block enemies since they have difficulty swimming.

15 Locating Lush Cave Biomes

Be On The Lookout For These Beautiful Underground Biomes

One of the most well-received additions to Minecraft in the Caves and Cliffs Part II update is the Lush cave biome. For some players, this biome can be somewhat difficult to find, however. Luckily, there is a method with which inexperienced players may be able to locate one; while exploring the various forests of the overworld, be on the lookout for Azalea trees.

These trees spawn directly above where Lush caves sit underground, making the trees the perfect marker for them on the surface. Azalea trees are easily spotted due to their purple-colored leaves.

16 Find A Totem Of Undying

An Extra Life Can Make Up For Even The Most Punishing Mistake

Players who find themselves in the midst of a raid or wandering the halls of a woodland mansion are in the unique position of being able to obtain the Totem of Undying. Specifically, the player must defeat an Evoker to get one. The exceptionally powerful Totem allows the player to revive upon death, as long as they have it in one of their hands at the moment of their demise.

Notably, the Totem disappears upon revival, meaning that it is single-use only. It is best to treat the totem as a last resort when all other get-out-of-jail-free cards are exhausted.

17 Grab A Bucket Of Milk

Milk Is The Best Defense Against Hostile Magic And Poison

Many players may not think much of milk, but it has more than one function. Aside from having uses when it comes to making food, drinking a bucket of milk removes all negative status effects from the player. This includes poison, as well as magical effects.

Milk is a great item to have when facing witches or cave spiders, as both can inflict the player with unwanted status effects that make them more vulnerable. To get a bucket of milk, the player just needs to alt-click on a cow, goat, or mooshroom with a bucket in hand. Like water buckets, milk buckets do not stack.

18 Bring Some Comfort Food

If Players Go Into a Cave Without Food, They Won't Make It Far

Going into a cave without a method of regenerating health isn't the smartest idea. Not only does the player's health begin to deteriorate if the food bar isn't replenished, but enemy mobs will threaten the player at all times. Bearing this in mind, it's especially wise to keep a reasonable amount of food on hand.

Cooked pork chops, steak, mutton, and salmon are the best non-supernatural foods that the player can eat. Even better, they're all easily attainable. Make sure to use a smoker to cook the food quickly rather than simply eating it raw.