Karadag - Crimea's dormant volcanoes

The author has been a frequent visitor to the Crimea since her childhood, so I had to travel all over it. For some reason, I always compare this peninsula with little Italy: whether it is affected by a warm, akin to the Mediterranean climate, or - the extraordinary beauty of vine valleys and sunny ridges of the South Coast, or the elegance of the palace parks. But sometimes it is worth paying attention to individual natural objects, strikingly outstanding in the list of Crimean attractions - as if nature had taken them somewhere else and brought them to the Crimean land, so unpredictable their appearance. I want to talk about several of these places at once, and for starters - Karadag.

In translation from the Turkic "Kara-dag" literally means black mountain. This is the ruins of an extinct volcano of antiquity, entirely composed of basalt rocks. Karadag is located on the eastern edge of the South Coast, on the way to Feodosia, and at its foot greets the fans of jazz and vintage brandy Koktebel. Ridge of graphite-colored rocks protects the sunny beaches from the hot fen and scorching rays. Part of the array Karadag is located under the waters of the Black Sea, geologists say, some of the nozzles are still active. Despite this and the legends of local residents about the mysterious snake of Karadag - the named brother of the Loch Ness monster - swimming in these waters is not only absolutely safe, but also brings a lot of pleasure.

Among the freestanding cliffs and formations of the massif, the most famous is Shaitan-Kapu - or Devil's Mouth (Devil's Finger, as it is also called), but we know it from photo postcards as the Golden Gate. Time and the sea current made a hole in the rock with a diameter of several meters, through which boats and air mattresses seek to swim holidaymakers, believing that it brings good luck. Many rocks have their own names, like formations in the Valley of Ghosts Demerdzhi - here and Ivan the Robber with amazing human outlines, Lion and Elephant, a rock-lighthouse - well, in general, worth a hiking route. By the way, to get to Karadag is not easy: because of the damage caused to its unique nature by recreational tourists, visits to Karadag officially ceased, and the territory was given the status of a nature reserve.

Paintings depicting Karadag are sold by local artists, you can find them on the embankments of Alushta and Yalta, but better once to see with their own eyes this wonder of nature, ordering from local residents (not guides, they will require 2 times more with the road there and back!) walk on a motorboat. Its view from the sea is majestic and menacing, so that unwillingly scare to look overboard into the waters, hiding the stone mazes - still part of the array remains undiscovered. This is what attracts fans of scuba diving.