Biomes in Minecraft
A complete guide to every biome across the three dimensions of the game.
Biomes are regions of the Minecraft world that differ in climate, terrain, vegetation, mobs and generated structures. Every biome has its own atmosphere, from sunny plains and frozen mountain peaks to the burning landscapes of the Nether. Understanding biomes is key to exploring effectively, finding resources and planning a base.
Minecraft Java Edition 1.21 has over 60 different biomes spread across three dimensions: the Overworld (the main world), the Nether (the hellish dimension) and the End. Each biome affects which mobs spawn, which structures you can find, the color of the grass and leaves, and even which music plays in the background.
Biomes are generated procedurally from the world seed. Neighboring biomes blend smoothly into one another thanks to the biome blending system, which creates natural, varied landscapes. Since version 1.18, biomes generate underground too, which is when the cave biomes were added: Lush Caves, Dripstone Caves and the Deep Dark. Version 26.2 added Sulfur Caves, and in the 26.4 snapshots Mojang is testing Ice Caves.
Overworld
The main dimension of the game, with over 50 biomes: from green plains and dense forests, through mountain peaks and vast oceans, to mysterious caves. This is where every adventure starts.
See all Overworld biomes →Nether
A hellish dimension full of lava, dangerous mobs and valuable resources. Five unique biomes, each with its own atmosphere and hazards.
See all Nether biomes →The End
The mysterious dimension of the End: a dark void with islands of end stone. The Ender Dragon waits here, along with End cities full of valuable treasure.
See all End biomes →How to find a biome
Looking for a specific biome? Minecraft has built-in commands, external tools and proven exploration strategies that help you find any biome in your world quickly.
The /locate biome command
A built-in tool in Minecraft Java Edition that gives you the coordinates of the nearest biome of a given type.
Biome Finder
Websites like chunkbase.com let you search for biomes on a map by entering the world seed.
Tools and mods
Mods like Xaero's Minimap and JourneyMap show biomes in real time on the minimap.
Guides to specific biomes
Taiga
Snowy and regular taigas: wolves, foxes, sweet berries, coniferous trees and taiga villages.
Desert
Sand, cacti, desert temples, villages and pillager outposts. No rainfall.
Jungle
Dense vegetation, ocelots, parrots, cocoa, bamboo and jungle temples.
Mountains
Steep peaks, goats, emeralds, powder snow and winds at high altitude.
Swamp
Witch huts, slimes, lily pads, the mangrove swamp and the feel of boggy flats.
Ocean
Warm and cold depths, ocean monuments, coral reefs, shipwrecks and underwater treasure.
More biome guides
Old Growth Spruce Taiga
A cool biome with tall conifers, wolves and foxes. A great spot for a base in a wintry setting.
Snowy Beach
A narrow strip of snow-covered sand where the icy biomes meet the frozen ocean. A transitional biome with a unique atmosphere.
Sparse Jungle
A less dense version of the jungle with lower trees. Easier to navigate, but the same mobs.
Frozen Ocean
A frozen ocean biome with icebergs and polar bears. A unique landscape.
Deep Lukewarm Ocean
The deep version of the lukewarm ocean, home to ocean monuments.
Pale Garden
A new biome with pale vegetation and a unique atmosphere. One of the newest environments in the game.
Dappled Forest
A forest from version 26.3 with poplars in red, orange and yellow. Shelf mushrooms grow here, and between the trees you can come across an abandoned camp.
Sulfur Caves
An underground biome from version 26.2: bands of sulfur and cinnabar, pools of gas that causes nausea, and sulfur cubes.
Ice Caves
An icy cave biome from the 26.4 snapshots: icicles, glowing crystals, brittle ice and frostbite mobs. For now, only in test versions.
Nether Wastes
The default Nether biome, with netherrack, ghasts and zombified piglins. The most extensive biome of the Nether.
Key concepts
Biome temperature
Every biome has a temperature value that affects the color of grass and leaves, precipitation (rain or snow) and the type of mobs. Warm biomes (deserts, badlands) have a temperature above 1.0.
Humidity
The second key value, which determines vegetation density and the type of terrain generated. High humidity means lush forests and jungle, low humidity means deserts and badlands.
Cave biomes
Since version 1.18, biomes generate underground as well. Lush Caves, Dripstone Caves and the Deep Dark are unique underground environments with their own blocks and mobs.
Biome blending
The blending system makes the borders between biomes smooth: terrain, temperature and grass color change gradually, creating natural transitions.