Red caves in Crimea: attractions and location

Going on a summer vacation, every traveler or just a vacationer is waiting for something extraordinary from the upcoming pastime. Therefore, it is desirable that the long-awaited vacation on the shores of the Black Sea should be extraordinary.

Recently, holidays in the Crimea are gaining more and more popularity - excellent weather conditions, unforgettable sights attract thousands of tourists.

If you prefer an active holiday, and not just a pastime on a lounger by quietly splashing waves, then you should definitely visit the mysterious and until the end unexplored cave with the romantic name Kizil-Koba.

One of the largest caves in Europe, which is a fabulous dungeon of six levels, is located in the Crimea, a few dozen kilometers from Simferopol, the capital of the Crimean peninsula. Kizil-Koba means “red” and goes 26 kilometers into the earth. Most of this formation, consisting of numerous underground grottoes, has not yet been studied by scientists and lovers of underground descent, and, as is well known, the unknown always attracts a lot of curious.

The history of Kizil-Koba began 70 thousand years ago.

Scientists have discovered semi-dugouts that served as a cult place for local shamans and priests, which is confirmed by the found bones of sacrificial animals and various ceramic products. Later, in the 3rd-4th centuries AD, Scythian tribes settled here, and in a cave, where the temperature was always low, they kept numerous amphoras with wine.

For a long time, our ancestors mined refractory clay in the caves of Kizil-Koba, and already in 1803, the Russian writer Pyotr Sumarokov first described the secrets of the Red Cave, and the first tourists came here. A famous poet and diplomat A. S. Griboyedov came here. Travelers descended into unexplored grottoes with candles and torches.

In the 90s of the last century, a 500-meter observation deck was prepared for tourists. Today, crowds of tourists go on an excursion to the deep halls of Kizil-Koba, hoping to see the mysteries of the cave and discover the mysteries of the cave.

The Red Cave got its name due to the reddish-brown hue of the Upper Jurassic limestone. The largest hall available for excursions is the blue font hall, which reaches 145 meters in height, therefore it is completely impossible to see it, the actual cave inspection area reaches only 500 meters, but the fact that it will appear before the eyes of enthusiastic visitors is quite enough for unforgettable impressions.

It was water that penetrated into the depths of the natural cave, created amazingly shaped grottoes, galleries and halls. The flow of the river goes deep into the water, so the arches of some halls border on the water level. Such sites, in some places completely gone under water, are called siphons: there are six of them in Kizil-Kobe.

Travelers will be able to see the two lower floors of the cave, on the first of which flow the waters of the river, and the second floor is equipped with special flooring for tourists.

• The first cave hall, meeting tourists, is a reconstruction of the sanctuary, which was here many hundreds of years ago. The skulls of animals, stone millstones and earthen vessels appeared before the admired gaze of tourists: all this belonged to the ancient people who once lived on the nearby slopes. The length of the "underground kingdom" - 26 kilometers, the depth of the underground reaches 135 meters.

• Almost an hour you can see the beauty of several rooms: "Academic", "Indian", "Argentine". Lakes, formed by the flow of the river in the grottoes, amaze mystery. Huge stalactites, the height of the most impressive of which - 8 meters, underground currents, bizarre changes in the rocks - all this is part of an unforgettable excursion that experienced guides will spend for those who want.

• By the way, travelers are offered two types of excursions: the main and the extreme, to the ziffone part of the Red Cave.

This tour lasts about three hours, and the costumes will be provided by the organizers. First, you will overcome the siphon, a natural obstacle 1.5 meters long. This is not difficult to do even for an inexperienced tourist, then it is necessary to swim a distance of 100 meters along an underground river. Although the first time to pass such an unusual route could only speleologists, professionals - researchers caves.

For the extreme, there is a special cable stretched over it, which you can hold in your hands as you reach the North Harbor Hall. Then you have to overcome the path littered with boulders, making his way through the natural rubble. The part of the cave, which opens after this path, literally strikes with its multicolor: the drip formations of various shapes and colors will not leave anyone indifferent. Primordial beauty conquers lovers of secrets and discoveries, people could not get here for a long time, so there is something to see. Such a journey can make anyone who has already reached the age of 16 years and knows how to swim.

According to scientists, and today the cave dungeon continues to grow due to the fact that underground river washes new vaults of the cave.

You can go down to the siphon right from the sanctuary hall, the path for tourists is covered with flooring, since during floods the underground river often heats up the tourist route.

It is on its banks that curious tourists will be able to stroll during the excursion, wander around the underground waterfalls, see unsafe underground wells. Nateki from the arches of the cave resemble various figures. Some of them - “The crying gnome” or “The master of the cave” is shrouded in mystery of various traditions and myths. Sadly, some interesting exhibits were ruthlessly destroyed by vandals. But today the final point of the excursion is the highlight of the dungeon - the most beautiful twenty-meter waterfall "Pink jet".

Photographing the "interior" of the cave during the excursion is not prohibited, however, it can be done during the stop.

Vacationers will be invited to visit. several mysterious caves of Kizil-Koba: Haranlykh-Kobu, Pigeon, Chamomile.

Going on this mysterious journey, be sure to bring warm clothes - The dungeon is pretty cool, during the year the temperature here does not rise above 9 degrees Celsius.

A journey through a mysterious mountain is not limited to mysterious descents underground - after the exit from the cave, the tourists are invited to descend below to the Tufa platform with bubbling springs. Water falls here from one of the underground lakes, located just higher in the mountain range. True, the sources disappear if the water level in the lake decreases.

In the process of "extrusion" of water from the ground, which occurs due to the release of lime tuff, carbon dioxide disappears and chemical equilibrium is disturbed. Organic residues are washed out with water, leaving voids behind. Scientists call this education a monument of an underground river. Right next to it is the majestic and picturesque 25-meter waterfall Su-Uchhan.

It is from the Tufa platform that tourists can enjoy the amazing view: top of the mountain Pakhkal-Kaya, or "Bald Ivan" (as it is called local), which served as an observation post during the Great Patriotic War during the Great Patriotic War, as well as the ledge of the Chatyr-Dag plateau and the Taz-Tau pyramid.

But not only the secrets of Kizil-Koba attract tourists here. A sea of ​​pleasure awaits travelers in the vicinity of the mysterious mountain. The two-kilometer way through the colorful places to the cave lies through the specialized camping “Fairy valley of the Red caves”. If you don’t want to go on foot, there is a train at your service that will take you 50 rubles to the stop.

“Fairy-tale valley” is a modern landscape and recreational park, a halt place for many tourists. It is in the well-equipped gazebos located on its territory that you can appreciate all the delights of the unique Crimean nature.

On the territory of the recreation center "Fairy Cave" is a lot of exciting. On an area of ​​about 100 hectares, you can settle in your own tent, there are lakes there with different forms of fountains, numerous cafes with fragrant food for every taste. By the way, if you have prepared in advance for kebab meat, then you can cook it yourself using the barbecues available here. Particularly surprising are the numerous shell figurines placed throughout the territory of the gnomes, animals and even the Statue of Liberty.

Local boaters offer lovers of natural, aromatic and healthy honey a huge selection of bee products. Interestingly, at the local apiary, you can not only eat honey, but also get a wellness treatment: sleep on beehives. Quite unusual and as useful as possible.

Children will certainly be interested in horse rides around the base, and experienced guides will offer specialized routes through partisan movement places for adults. Here lovers can get riding lessons.

Sports lovers can try their hand, competing on the golf course. Extreme pretty dashing be able to ride on the Crimean off-road in jeeps. Lovers of reasonable speed organizers of leisure will offer riding on electric vehicles in the valley.

Souvenir shops, a small zoo where Vietnamese pigs, foxes, monkeys, goats and other animals live, rental of sports equipment - all these services are offered to holidaymakers. But the most important thing is the opportunity to relax on this wonderful base in comfortable wooden arbors, some of them look more like the buildings of ancient Vikings. Small houses, where you can stay for the night, are equipped with showers and toilets, as well as everything you need for an economy class holiday.

You can relax here at any time of the year - just come for the weekend and breathe the fresh Crimean air. Calendar holidays are often held here, and more recently, the Viking Film Park was built nearby, where the famous Viking film was filmed. If you did not have time to explore all the delights of the Crimean mystery of Kizil-Koba, then in kilometers of twenty from “Fairy Tale Valley” there are a lot of hotels ready to receive guests for any period of time.

Red Cave is located near Simferopol, in the area with. Perevalnogo. If you travel without your own transport, then from the railway station of the Crimean capital every 20 minutes the Simferopol-Perevalnoe taxi runs.

You can get on the trolley, following in Alushta or Yalta. It is necessary to get to the “Stadium” or “Perevalnoe-2” stops. It is three kilometers from the cave itself. You need to get to it through the “Fairy Valley” camping described above.

By car you have to drive about 25 kilometers along the Yalta highway from Simferopol.

The unique archaeological monument of Kizil - Koba must necessarily enter the intended route of any vacationer in the Crimea, otherwise your “Crimean” history will be incomplete.

Overview of the cave from the inside, see below.