Sights and location of the Grand Canyon in Crimea

Tourists, travelers, or those who dream of becoming such, often think that you need to open the world from famous capitals, famous places. And if you have not been to Rome or Paris, then you are not familiar with the beauties of the world and have seen little. As usual, the point is in the atmosphere, associations, advertising, and the established image. Urban tourism is one thing, but acquaintance with nature, its grandeur, the diversity of its forms and the magnificence of species are travels of a completely different nature.

If there is not enough funds for a tour of European capitals, there is always the opportunity to go on a budget trip to the Crimea, to get acquainted with its beauties, for example, the Grand Crimean Canyon.

A large canyon in this territory was formed in the Upper Jurassic massive limestone rocks. The effect of water erosion led to its formation. It happened no less than one and a half million years ago. A large canyon of the Crimea was formed in the zone of the tectonic crack.

Its location is the Crimean Mountains, five kilometers southeast of the village of Sokolinogo, in the Bakhchisarai district. The canyon is considered the northeastern border of the Ai-Petri massif, the Boyka massif. Its depth is more than 320 m, and its length is 3.5 km, the width of the canyon in some places is not more than 3 m.

If you delve into history, you can find out exactly how this natural splendor was formed, striking in its scope, views, and relief. About 200 million years ago, the Tethys Sea was located on the peninsular territory, the remains of bioorganisms were deposited at its bottom for a long time.Lowering, faults, movements of the earth's layers, as well as numerous solid rock destructions on land led to the formation of rocks at the foot of the canyon in difficult conditions and for a long time.

These rocks are called sandstones, mudstones, siltstones. Above them are already young rocks called flysch: that is, layered interweaving of clay with sandstones. And already on the fleece are carbonate limestone rocks, which are the remains of bioorganisms in warm water. The lower, middle and carbonate layers were in the Jurassic geological period (it lasted 55 million years).

137 million years ago, Crimea rose from the water element, dried up. Hardened mountain layers became tender due to movements of the earth's crust, cracks began to form on them. A crack has formed in the region of the canyon itself. Further, everything was decided by water: it dissolved the rocks, and limestone too. The peninsula rose, the water dissolved and pierced the narrow gap of the Crimean Canyon.

It turns out that millions of years of tectonic labor, the relentless rise of the peninsula, the effects of surface waters created that image of a cleft in the crust, which today is called a canyon. It is interesting not only to geologists, but also to all tourists who know how to appreciate the gigantic and incomparable work of nature.

The canyon bed is a hollow-walled depression in the sides. At the bottom of its blocks and boulders, with waterfalls and rapids, with erosion boilers. These boilers are called bathtubs, their depth can reach two and a half meters, length - 10 m. There are about 150 such boilers there.

Endless mountain streams, streams, springs irrigate this place. For example, Pania, the most prominent of them, spends 350 liters of water per second at an average annual flow rate. The temperature indicator of water in the Auzun-Uzen river, into which mountain streams merge, does not rise above 11 degrees.

The microclimate of the Grand Canyon of Crimea is, first of all, a high level of humidity, as well as a lower (compared with the surrounding territory) temperature level. All vegetation is in no hurry to develop here: it is almost a month behind the surrounding flora.

The slopes of the canyon are limestones, faded gray, and sometimes pinkish, in some places overgrown with small groups of Crimean serosteval pines. But below the gorge - deciduous forests. Their bright representatives are beech, ash, as well as hornbeam, mountain ash, linden, and field maple. Shrub represented by shrubs - Hazel, barberry, dogwood, buckthorn, common ivy grows here.

But the main feature of the flora of the Grand Canyon of Crimea is not this: a tertiary relic grows here, about one and a half thousand yew berry. Old trees can reach one and a half meters in diameter, and they can be as tall as a high-rise building (up to 15 m). And in the canyon really rare species of fern grow, and that will especially please lovers of botany, more than half of the species of Crimean orchids grows here.

As for the fauna, then everyone who was here wanted to see the very brook trout that lives purely in the cold, oxygen-rich water of local rivers. You can find in this area a hedgehog, badger, affection, quivering roe deer. Ornithologists will rejoice at what they saw the Crimean Muscovite, long-tailed titmouse, cheeky woodpecker, scum, jay, robin and redstart. Reptiles are the ubiquitous lizards.

It is known that in 1947 the Soviet government declared the Grand Canyon a natural monument, in the 70s it was given the status of a landscape reserve. Since then, you can’t pick flowers, fell trees, spend nights with tents and bonfires.Everything that could violate the ecology of the territory was banned.

Today canyon tours are popular, interesting and well thought out by the organizers.

If you are attracted to the mountainous Crimea, then be sure to choose a tourist route to the Grand Canyon. Take a camera with you, do not forget to make a video, share your impressions right during the tour - then mount, you get an impressive film.

The tour is a one day trip. Hiking takes 6 km, and a round-trip transfer 140. The question arises, is it possible for everyone to go on such a trip? It is believed that almost everyone is able to pass this route without loss.

Sample tour plan:

• Transfer from Sevastopol to the village of Sokolinoye. Here, at the north-eastern slopes of the Ai-Petrinsky mountain range, the canyon originates. The passage to the starting point itself will be fascinating: the ancient Chorgunskaya tower, cave monasteries, Karalez sphinxes, unusual rocks - I want to stop at each of the listed points.

• Blue Lake. It occurs along the route of the route pretty soon. And here, prepare the camera, because it’s simply impossible to not capture these beauties. But first, admire for yourself the dazzling expanse of an incredible watercolor hue. Marvelous emerald bushes and branches of bent trees surround this water mirror, as if paying tribute to the beauty of the lake and trees. There are always a lot of tourists. The water in the lake is cool, and in the heat it really attracts those who want to refresh themselves. But the reservoir has one more secret. Its second name is Lake of Love.

• Source of Pania. What the canyon is certainly full of is the opportunity to swim. And the largest karst source of the peninsula is also suitable for this business. There is a legend that once upon a time there was a chapel of the Most Holy Theotokos at the place of the bubbling spring. Orthodox people flocked here from everywhere to ask the Mother of God for intercession. For this reason, even today the water in Pania is considered holy.

• "Bath of youth". Perhaps, it’s worth it to definitely swim for those who did not do this either in the Blue Lake or in Pania. The depth of this bath is 3 m. You cannot name the water warm; it does not rise above 13 degrees. But brave tourists still decide to swim here, because swimming promises a serious rejuvenation for the body. You can check, again, only on your own experience. If you are afraid to freeze, then right after the rejuvenating bath you can warm yourself with tea from local herbs, which are sold to tourists here. After taking a bath, the tour group departs back.

• Old mail oak. It actually stands at the exit of the canyon. There is a version that during the Great Patriotic War the partisans hid notes in it. Today, tourists leave messages to each other in an old oak tree. True, relatively recently, lightning fell into a historical tree, the mail oak almost burned out.

• North channel. Here, tourists make a walk through the beech forest. It is here that the attentive traveler will see the hyoid needle, fern, relict trees and the same venus shoe.

• Silver Jets Waterfall. It is not very big, but beautiful. Water flows down a thin grotto over an emerald moss covered grotto - against the backdrop of a blinding sun, they seem like silver threads. The picture is fabulous.

• Suspension bridge. This is the longest suspension bridge on the peninsula, its length is 100 m, and the maximum height scares and delights at the same time - 70 m.Of course, not everyone will dare to go along it, but if you wish, you will be fastened and wish good luck.

By the way, among other extreme options of this tourist route there is a zip-line and descent along the slope with equipment for climbers. Beginners should seriously think: adventures can tickle your nerves. If you haven’t thrown yourself such calls before, it will be scary.

Walking, springs, a lake, a bridge, a waterfall, admiring the charming vegetation of the Grand Canyon - all this can be included in your one-day program. But what you definitely can’t do during the tour is to make bonfires, collect bouquets from the plants of the reserve, drink alcohol and litter. However, a civilized tourist is able to fill himself with impressions without these points.

Many may want to plan a trip to the Grand Canyon in Crimea. How to get here on your own? The answer is simple - come by car. If you are traveling from Yalta, keep heading for the Yalta-Bakhchisaray highway. From Simferopol to the canyon also get through Bakhchisarai. Moreover, the car is not particularly needed there - from the bus station to the village of Sokolinoye there are minibuses. Then 5 km can be taken by taxi or on foot.

In order not to get lost, still on the "mainland" make sure that you understand on the map where what is located. Have a charged phone with you, just in case take screenshots of the map in it. Bring a light sports jacket with you, even if the sun burns ruthlessly, it can be cool at the bottom of the canyon. After heavy torrential rains, they are not advised to visit the canyon: there is a risk that a stone will fall over your head. Do not go where you do not see the trails laid, do not climb along the dangerous slopes, do not separate from the excursion group.

Observing safety rules, you can be sure that the Crimean wonders of nature will open for you from their very best sides.

Next, watch a video review of the Grand Canyon in Crimea.