Best ways to cross lava seas in Minecraft

Minecraft has a hell-like realm called the Nether. This dimension is filled with mysterious hostile creatures, irregular terrain, and different biomes with new challenges. However, one of the most troubling features of the Nether is the amount of lava present in it.

The hot liquid is more common in the hellish realm; the water is in the Overworld. This results in massive lava seas that generate them.

When players need to travel through the Nether, there are a few methods to cross these dangerous lava seas.

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A few ways to cross lava seas in Minecraft

Flying with Elytra

With Elytra, players can easily fly over lava seas without any issues in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

Arguably the easiest method of crossing lava seas in Nether is by flying over them using Elytra. This overpowered gear can be used with firework rockets to thrust oneself forward while gliding.

However, it is worth mentioning that those new to the game will not have the Elytra, as it is an endgame item found in End Cities. These can only be discovered after defeating the final boss mob, the Ender Dragon.

Furthermore, flying can be dangerous in the Nether as players could also fly through frequently generated lavafalls.

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Bridging over lava seas

Bridging is the most common methods to travel in Minecraft's Nether realm (Image via Mojang)

When players enter the Nether realm, they usually have stacks of blocks with them for multiple uses. Bridging is arguably the most common solution for crossing massive lava seas. Players carefully crouch and place blocks in a line, creating a bridge over the lethal liquid.

This method requires stacks of strong blocks, like cobblestone or other stone blocks, that will not break or burn easily. While bridging in the Nether, players need to be wary of ghast mobs that can shoot fireballs and cause them to fall off the bridge as well.

Apart from these simple bridges that are manually made, if some players are proficient in redstone contraptions, they can create an automatic bridge-making machine right on the surface of the lava sea as well.

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Riding a Strider

Striders can be ridden using saddles and warped fungus on a stick in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

Striders are unique mobs that have a special ability to walk on lava. They spawn in Nether lava seas and walk around aimlessly. Another cool feature of them is that they can be ridden using a saddle and controlled using a warped fungus on a stick.

Hence, riding a strider is also a method of crossing a lava sea. However, it is the least favored method as striders are weak and slow at walking. Furthermore, if players get attacked by ghasts, they won't be able to dodge their fireballs easily.

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In any of the three methods, Minecrafters must always have a fire resistance potion on them to save themselves if they fall into the lava sea.