This Australian Outback Town Exists Almost Entirely Underground

Coober Pedy in the Australian outback is a bucket-list destination. The town is one of the most prolific opal-mining areas in the world, with much of its life happening underground. Culture Trip finds out more.

Coober Pedy might look much like a desert at first sight, but don’t be fooled: life is happening underground. This small town in rural South Australia has been dubbed “the opal capital of the world” – and many locals have reaped the benefits, creating beautiful “dugouts” – accommodation in the mined spaces below the Earth’s surface.

Coober Pedy’s History

It is believed that, more than 150 million years ago, this town was submerged under water and that, as the water receded, minerals from the seabed solidified to create beautiful gemstones. Indeed, these were opals, and they were discovered in 1915 by a 14-year-old boy whose father was prospecting for gold. A few years later, the Progress Committee voted that the town would take the name Coober Pedy, meaning “white man in a hole”.

Life Underground

There are also numerous shops, galleries, churches, swimming pools and even Airbnbs located underground. When you visit the town, explore some of the historic hand-dug spaces during a self-guided tour of the Old Timers Mine, which was originally dug in 1916, and take home an original Coober Pedy opal from the museum’s gift shop.

Coober Pedy is full of underground homes such as this one

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.