Caves of Crimea, open for visits and excursions. The most interesting caves of Crimea Skirt Caves

Crimea is often called a museum under open air, but also the caves of Crimea arouse great interest and admiration among tourists.

You should definitely visit the labyrinths of the Red Cave, which is the largest cave in Crimea. This cave consists of a complex system of labyrinths located on six floors. Here you can see beautiful halls, underground lakes, rivers, interesting corridors and galleries, waterfalls and magnificent wells. 500 meters of this cave are accessible to tourists; archaeological excavations are underway in the remaining halls. The cave is open daily from 9:00 to 19:00, the tour lasts an hour and a half, the ticket costs 250 rubles. You can get to the cave by trolleybus 1 and 52 or by minibus You need to get off at the stop in the village of Perevalnoye.

The Marble Cave is often called the ice fairy tale of Crimea. In this cave it seems that everything here was created by the Snow Queen. For its beauty, this cave is one of the most beautiful caves in the world. Here you will see deep underground lake, a kingdom of galleries and various halls. In the Pink Grotto hall, everything is painted with colors created by the high iron content, in the Hall of Idols you will see frozen stone figures, and the vaults of the Treasury hall are strewn with jewelry from helictites made of water and salt. The entire tourist route is equipped with spectacular lighting and everything around looks like in a fairy tale. The cave is open daily, and you can only visit it with a guide. The cost of visiting will depend on the route you choose, and there are only 5 of them. The duration of the excursion is 3 hours. You can get from Yalta by minibus; you need to get off in the village of Zarechnoye.

The Skelskaya Cave is also of interest to tourists. It is located in the Baydar Valley near Sevastopol between the villages of Rodnikovoe and Kolkhoznoye. In this cave, with good lighting, you will see numerous calcite formations. There are figurines of stone animals, people, monks, knights, fairy-tale characters and some landmarks. Also in the cave there are younger formations that arise from the spikes and icicles of stalagmites. The cave is open daily, the excursion lasts about an hour, the ticket costs 300 rubles. You can get here from Yalta by buses No. 37, 37-a, 41-a, 182, you need to get off at the Rodnikovoe village stop and walk a little less than 1 km.

There are other caves in Crimea, but these are the most interesting and accessible to a wide range of tourists. When planning to visit the amazing Crimean caves, wear comfortable shoes and take warm clothes with you (it’s cold in the caves). You can visit the caves on your own or with organized excursions, of which you will be offered many in Yalta. You can also visit these caves with children, and for them the cost of visiting will be half the price.

Caves attract with their history and mystery, and the caves of Crimea are an absolutely unforgettable sight. Crimea is a wonderful peninsula where both sea lovers and mountain lovers can find amazing tourist routes. Both active and passive recreation are pleasant here, but the mysterious caves in Crimea are especially interesting. So, what are the caves of Crimea, how to get to them, what are they called, photos, videos, which caves of Crimea are open to visitors, we will tell you below.

Weeping Grotto

Danilcha-Koba (Weeping Grotto) is a natural monument that attracts with its mystery and splendor. Several centuries ago, the temple of St. Daniel was located in it, so researchers believe that the name comes from the name of this saint. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the walls of the temple were only 140 centimeters, and then it was completely destroyed. About what once was here holy place, you can only guess from some footprints near the exit.

The Weeping Grotto is one hall, the length of which is 12 and the height is 4 meters. In the middle of the hall there is a pond, the depth of which in some places reaches two meters. The water here is crystal clear and cold (about 7 degrees Celsius). There are also small baths around the perimeter of the grotto where tourists can discover cave pearls.

Binbash-Koba

Thousand-headed Cave - that’s what the researchers called it during the study. During the first reconnaissance, numerous skulls were found in the bosom of Binbash-Koba: these were the remains of both animals and people. According to the legend retold by the local population, residents once hid here from nomads. The barbarians were unable to get inside and decided to set fire to the entrance. As a result of the arson, everyone who sought refuge in this cave died. But researchers have refuted this legend. According to the examinations carried out, the people to whom the skulls belonged were quite advanced in age, which makes it possible to assert that this was a burial ground.

The cave located on Chatyrdag has a very narrow entrance, and then a tight tunnel that turns into a gallery leading to a small hall. From this hall, two corridors lead into a large semicircular hall. Binbash-Koba stretches for as much as 110 kilometers underground.

Bottomless Cave

On the Chatyr-Dag plateau there is a beautiful and mysterious cave – Bottomless. It attracts mainly people who love adventure and danger, since not everyone can visit this miracle of nature. Only a person with specialized equipment can go down into the grotto, and even if this is not the first time, the company of a speleologist or a specially trained person (often athletes) is required.

At an altitude of 1000 meters there is an entrance in the very depths of the karst sinkhole. The length of the entire cave is 410 meters, and its depth is 190 meters.

The dive into the shaft begins with a 17-meter ladder leading to a shelf. The width of the shaft differs in its size: if at the entrance it is 5 meters, then it increases to a maximum of 25. Due to the fact that the cave is vertical, in winter a lot of snow falls into it, which in the spring turns into a fascinating glacier.

Kiik-Koba

Not far from the village of Zuya there is a grotto called Kiik-Koba. The area is 50 square meters. Its name translates as “wild cave”, since it was here that the remains of ancient people were found (a Neanderthal site). Researchers in the grotto discovered the remains of a woman and child, approximately 100,000 years old. Also in the cave were primitive tools of ancient man and bones of extinct animals.

The discoveries that were made in the grotto turned the entire scientific world upside down, so if you want to touch history, be sure to visit Kiik-Koba and other caves of Crimea. Photo:

Iograph Cave

The Iograph Cave, located slightly above Yalta, is very attractive for tourists. At a time when the local population was persecuted by the Turks for Christianity (8th-9th centuries), the church of the Christian martyr Evgraf was founded here. During the first explorations of the cave, parts of lamps, various decorations (mostly copper and glass), an iron cross and fragments of an ancient marble icon were found here.

A visit to the cave will turn into an exciting journey, where tourists will appreciate the beauty of the rather cramped passages and one, but large hall. Also, no matter how hot the season is, the purest drops of water drip from the stalactites directly onto the altar.

Marble Cave

Crimea is a treasure trove of the most stunning places in the world. One of the most beautiful sights of Chatyrdag is the Marble Cave. The duration of all passages and halls is about two kilometers, and the depth is 50 meters. The Marble Cave is one of the five most beautiful caves in the world and is popular among tourists from Europe.

The first advantage of an excursion to this cave is that there is no need to be a rock climber or speleologist in order to move freely and safely along the route. The most important thing is comfortable clothes and shoes.
Having plunged deep into the cave, tourists find themselves in a fairy-tale world: the beauty of stalactites and stalagmites, stone waterfalls, corallite flowers, openwork pools and small baths of water, sagging on the walls. And if you add magical music and lighting to all this beauty, the impression will be indescribable; you will forever remember what the Marble Cave in Crimea is. The official website of the caves, where you can see their prices, is onixtour.com.ua.

Red Cave

The longest cave in Europe, Kyzy-Koba, is also located on the Crimean peninsula. Its length is 26 kilometers, and total area is 64 square kilometers. The length of the corridors is constantly growing, since a river flows through the lower “floors”, which constantly washes away new and new corridors. It is difficult to follow them, but it is possible if you have a wetsuit (due to the low water temperature).

The cave is rich in various artifacts of the 7-6 centuries BC - these are bronze arrowheads, women's jewelry (beads, bracelets, rings), and remains of ceramic products.

The intricacies of labyrinths and tunnels form six floors. According to research, in front of the caves there was an ancient human settlement. Most likely these were the Cimmerians who lived more than 2500 years ago.

Tourists visiting the cave can plunge into the world pristine beauty and history. Guides conduct tours from 2 to 5 hours in time. The group size ranges from 2 to 25 people. There are regular routes or extreme ones, where tourists, when equipped, can visit the red caves in Crimea, in which a river flows, and penetrate new halls and passages. The official website where you can find a description and what the Red Caves of Crimea are, prices for visits and schedules - kizilkoba.ru.

Viking cave

This is what the famous Red Cave of Crimea is sometimes called. This is due to the organization of the Viking cinema park, which is necessary for filming the film. The life of the era of brave people of the 8th-11th centuries is clearly depicted in a place located next to the Kizil-Koba cave. It is as mysterious as the Red Cave itself, where in ancient times there was ancient sanctuary, where bloody sacrifices were made to cruel gods. Legend says that a tribe of terrible Cyclops lived in an inaccessible dungeon. They guarded the wealth located in the cave. According to Homer, Odysseus encountered them during his travels.

The specific red color of the cave is explained by the high content of iron oxides. The length of the cave is 17 km. It is the longest underground cavity in Crimea. This is a 6-story labyrinth consisting of several caves. Two routes are organized for tourists. Basic, extreme. Having chosen the first route, you need to have a warm jacket. In the second case, a wetsuit is mandatory. At the bottom of the cave is interesting river included in the route. The only way to overcome it is by swimming. Groundwater forms the famous Su-Uchkhan waterfall on the surface. Inside the cave there is a waterfall called the Pink Jet. Red Viking Cave (Crimea) is considered to be actively growing. New sinter formations are formed in it, new halls and galleries are formed, created by underground waters. You can get here along the Yalta highway to the Red Caves sign.

Skelskaya

The Skelskaya cave is located in Crimea, along the southern slope mountain range Ai-Petri. Not far from the village of Rodnikovoe, which is easy to reach from Sevastopol. A marked path, laid from a place formerly called Skelya, indicates the direction to the cave. It appeared in marble-type limestones during a tectonic fault under the influence of the destructive force of groundwater. Originally it was a large hall, constantly decorated by nature with several separate galleries in the form of three levels, decorated with calcite formations. The structure of the cave resembles a staircase, which suggests that its name originates from the Greek word “skele” or staircase.

The opening of the cave is considered to be 1904. Extreme sports enthusiasts often penetrated into the depths of different levels of the cave. Organized tourist routes appeared in 2004 after the development of safe excursion routes to the underground kingdom, which is several million years old. The existing length of excursion paths is about 270 m with a total length of the cave of 670 m. All levels are connected by vertical wells. Access is possible with a guide. The lower level has deep underground lakes and rivers. The Skelskaya cave is considered to be the supplier of water to mountain streams and the Baydar reservoir.

In Crimea, the official website of the cave is speleotur.com, where you can find all prices and conditions for excursions.

Nowadays, pedestrian paths and unusual bridges are equipped with modern equipment that creates optical illusions that emphasize the mysterious beauty of calcite sinter formations. The fantastic kingdom of figures of strange animals is amazing, from the gopher to the sculptures of the Dolphin Hall, the lady in the Hall of Ghosts, the Phoenix bird, and numerous fairy-tale characters. The outlines of the famous sights of Crimea, Swallow's Nest, Foros Temple, appear unexpectedly when illuminated, raising questions, delight, and surprise. Looking at this beauty, you begin to believe in the living spirit of the dungeon, created by the outlines of a strange figure in the Fireplace Hall of the cave. Or freeze when looking at the 7-meter figure of the Knight standing in the center of one of the halls of the Skelskaya cave. The unique speleofauna of the cave is listed on the pages of the Red Book. In summer, here you can admire the amazing blooming Comperia orchid, found only in Turkey.

Emine Bair Khosar - cave in Crimea

The cave is one of the five beautiful caves in the world. You can enter it through an artificial entrance located next to a natural vertical well. The Bair Cave (Crimea) contains numerous bones of animals that lived here in ancient times. Now a collection of the remains of a cave lion, mammoth, and woolly rhinoceros can be seen in the cave museum. Since 1999, a route has been opened for tourists, going through the upper halls, next to the underground lake, through the halls of Idols, the Monomakh, Main, Throne, and Dublyansky halls. The length of the cave is 1460 m, the depth is 125 m, the area of ​​the known galleries is about 12,000 sq. m. m, located on five levels. The lower level, covered by a huge boulder, is considered a reserve in order to preserve the natural miracle.

The first description of the cave was made in 1927 after descending into the well and discovering the first, large hall. For many years, the entrance to the cave was specially closed by speleologists to prevent the unregulated invasion of lovers of exotic dungeons. 700 m equipped for excursions walking routes. Bair Khosar Cave (Crimea) - this name comes from the Turkic words: Amy-oak, Khosar-well, Bair-slope. A well on a slope near an oak tree. You can get to the cave along the path leading from the trolleybus line through the village of Mramornoe, holiday village, limestone quarry.

The main part of the cave is considered to be the halls of Nocturne, Red Poppies, and a huge dome. A film was made about the decorations of the cave made of multi-colored crystals of different origins. The journey through the internal halls takes place along a concrete, comfortable path. The walls are covered with cascades of smears, similar to buds of unknown flowers, burning with millions of bright stars in the rays of lanterns. Numerous legends still live about the underground lake of the cave. One of them tells about the fate of the girl Emine, who was thrown into a well by her father because of her love for a guy from an enemy family. To this day, the Emine Cave (Crimea) preserves her spirit, which is interesting to hear about under the arches of the cave.

Mammoth Cave (Crimea)

Another name for the underground kingdom of Emine Bair Khosar is the Mammoth Cave. Finds by paleontologists in the form of a whole mammoth skeleton were made not far from the entrance. They are considered a unique phenomenon requiring scientific research. Scientists are still different countries They are trying to determine the reasons for the appearance of ancient animals in unusual conditions for their life. Perhaps he fell into a trap set by an ancient man about whom we have yet to learn. An invaluable asset in the form of preserved animal remains, stored in the cave museum, is a testing ground for valuable exhibits for scientific work, using modern knowledge and special equipment. Storing them in cave conditions prevents the rapid destruction of remains in the air. One of them is considered to be taphonomic analysis, which will make it possible to determine exact time the death of the mammoth, for example, during the Mousterian era, the Paleolithic. In addition to interesting excursion routes, Mammoth Cave (Crimea) has become a real scientific center for the study of human prehistory.

Soldier's Cave

In Crimea it is considered the deepest, most impassable cave in Crimea. High, steep wells and halls completely flooded with water are accessible only to experienced athletes. During a group visit, you must register with the local rescue service. Before entering the cave, leave a list of all participants. Strictly follow the rules prohibiting lighting fires in cave halls. When starting the descent, it is necessary to bring down weakly reinforced stones and loose rock. Be sure to leave movement marks in the branches necessary for returning.

The cave is located at an altitude of about 980 m near the Egis-Tinas lakes on the Karabi-Yayla mountain range. The cave was named after the soldiers who died in various wars. The path to it starts from the village of Krasnoselovka.

Three-Eyes on Ai-Petri

The cave has three holes through which descent is organized. The cave has been known to the local population for a long time. It was often used for long-term storage of food, prey for hunters and fishermen. Blocks of ice from their caves were supplied to the palaces of Crimea as refrigeration chambers. Sometimes that’s why it’s called Ledyanaya or Vorontsovskaya. Inside the cave there is a huge snowdrift. They throw coins at it as a souvenir, returning here again. The central entrance of the cave looks like an ice palace.

You can see the cave by climbing cable car on Yayla. Or by hiking trails Taraktashskaya, Korenzskaya. There are convenient signs everywhere.

MAN on Demerdzhi

The cave, located on the slope of Northern Demerdzhi, was discovered in 1963 by schoolchildren from the Small Academy of Sciences (MAN). The length of the cave is 30 m, the height is from 3.5 to 10 m. There were drawings on the walls that are poorly preserved at present. Experts exploring the cave came to the conclusion that its appearance is associated with the riverbed underground river flowing in this place. A huge gorge between the mountains proves this assumption. At the end of the cave there is a vertical 30-meter well. Found at its bottom large number bones of various animals. Calcite, deposited in faults and cave cavities, glistens in the diffused light under the rays of the setting sun, creating fantastic pictures.

An altar-like altar-like altar stone formed above the ancient rockfall, creating a special atmosphere in the cave. In ancient times, there was a sanctuary of the Taurians here. MAN does not have organized routes for tourists. You can get here along the path coming from the Angarsk Pass. It is not allowed to visit the cave, located near Alushta, without a guide.

Crimea has a large number of caves that attract speleologists from all over the country. Every year more and more new caves in Crimea are registered. There are about 1,100 studied caves in Crimea alone, and 50 of them are natural monuments.

In Crimea, small caves (up to 100 m) predominate in number, but there are also real giants. They were even discovered in the caves of Crimea. Every year new caves in Crimea are opened.

Since ancient times, many legends and stories have been told about each of the caves. And, indeed, walking under the dark arches mysterious caves, you involuntarily begin to believe that once upon a time there lived a terrible giant who stole beautiful girls or a greedy khan hid his unimaginable treasures.

We should not forget about the indigenous inhabitants of ancient Taurida - Taurus is translated as “highlander”. It was they who inhabited the mountainous part of the peninsula and lived in caves. It was in them that they performed rituals of sacrifice to their almighty and ruthless goddess the Virgin.

The microclimate in all caves is unique. Thanks to him, many interesting artifacts have survived to this day. After visiting the caves, you will be able to imagine for a while exactly how ancient people lived. And one more thing: they say that one hour of staying in the caves rejuvenates you by exactly one year!

The most beautiful cave in Crimea - Mramornaya

The most mysterious cave of Crimea - Mammoth Cave or Emine Bair Khosar

Mammoth Cave is one of the most mysterious caves in the world, located near the Marble Cave on the lower plateau of the Chatyr-Dag massif. Its depth is more than 120 m. The total length is about 2 km. One of its most interesting halls is “Monomakh’s Cap”, named after the unique stalagmite located here, covered with “moon milk”, the composition of which is still unknown.

Over the entire existence of the cave, a huge number of prehistoric animals fell into its natural entrance. Since the temperature in the cave is low, their remains have survived to this day. In the cave you can see the skeleton of a baby mammoth, an ancient goat, etc.

The most magical cave in Crimea - Skelskaya stalactite cave

It is located at an altitude of 350 m above sea level in the southwest of Crimea near the village of Rodnikovoe (formerly the village of Skeli). The total length of the Skelskaya cave is 670 m. The cave is listed in the Book of Records as the most populated by speleofauna. Spiders, crustaceans, springtails, centipedes, beetles, and mammals (bats) live here.

In addition, plankton was discovered here, which is no longer on earth. Skelskaya Cave constantly attracts magicians and psychics, as it is considered a powerful Place of Power in Crimea.

The fantastic world of the cave is home to incredible creatures that have never seen sunlight. Such animals that spend their lives underground and are unable to exist in other conditions are called troglobionts.

Life in the dark left its mark on their structure and behavior: first of all, there was a complete or partial loss of vision. Blindness made them hypersensitive - the developed antennae, bristles and elongated limbs became their perfect organs of touch.

The most unusual cave in Crimea is the Three-Eyes Cave or Emine Bair Koba

Located on the northeastern edge of the lower plateau of Chatyr Daga. Its length is 950 m, depth -150 m. The cave has 3 entrances. Two of them on the northwestern side are difficult to access. The cave contains an underground lake 2.5 m wide and 3 m deep.

Peculiar crustaceans - nifargus - have learned to survive in an underground reservoir. Now these strange ones, with an almost surreal appearance, underground inhabitants Only 3-4 species are known, but their diversity is much greater, they are simply still poorly studied.

All caves are very different and it is impossible to clearly judge what the underground kingdom is like. Crimea — unique place. It contains places of very different origin and energy.

They are quite different in appearance as well. The peninsula offers an amazing opportunity to get to know the underwater and underground world better and to plunge into the abyss of the unknown.

Of course, it is impossible to see all the caves of Crimea in a short period of stay on the peninsula. But look into the most interesting corners of Crimea and find exactly “yours” favorite place everyone can.

Caves of Crimea video:

Underworld Crimea is no less interesting than the land one. Don't you know what I mean? About the caves of the Crimean peninsula, of course. About the stalactites and stalagmites of Mramornaya, Krasnaya, Skelskaya, Emine-Bair-Khosar and Emine-Bair-Koba. In general, in this material I decided to talk about the most beautiful and popular caves. Of course, there are many more of them than I have listed, but most are suitable only for speleologists. Ordinary tourists should choose something from this list. By the way, in some of them it is possible to take a longer and sportier route.

Marble Cave

Marble Cave is considered one of the most beautiful equipped caves in the world. It is located on the territory of the Chatyr-Dag mountain range. The cave was discovered only in 1987. But research is still ongoing.

The tourist route is long. It includes several halls: Clay, Palace, Perestroika, Pink, Nadezhd, Balcony, Chandelier, Landslide, Ruslovy, Chocolate. Walk through Marble Cave begins with a meeting with the Master, a huge white stalagmite of a bizarre shape. Speleologists respect him. It is believed that the Master should not be offended..

The Marble Cave hosts classical music concerts in the summer. They will need not tuxedos and evening dresses, but cotton pants and warm jackets, because the air temperature in the cave is +9 degrees.

Price: 700 rubles.

Working hours: from 9.00 to 19.00.

How to get there: by bus from Simferopol (stop at railway station) to the village of Mramornoe or Krasnolesie, then 8 km on foot to the entrance or on a private route.

Emine-Bair-Khosar

There are many caves on Chatyr-Dag. However, only a few of them are suitable for tourists. This list also included Emine-Bair-Khosar, which translated from Turkic means “a well on a slope near an oak tree.” The length of the cave is 2 kilometers. It has five levels. The excursion along the route takes about an hour and a half, as there is a lot of interesting things to see. By the way, it was in the Emine-Bair-Khosar cave that a well-preserved mammoth skeleton was found.

Price: 700 rubles.

Working hours: from 9.00 to 19.00.

How to get there:

Emine-Bair-Koba

Emine-Bair-Koba is another cave of Chatyr-Dag. It is located on the lower plateau near the village of Mramornoe. They first wrote about her in 1927. In the first article they mentioned that the entrance to the cave opens with three holes. Therefore, Emine-Bair-Koba is known as “Three-Eyed”. Speleologists continue to explore it, so only the first 200 meters are open to tourists. The tour of this cave is the shortest - only 20 minutes. However, if you are speleological athletes, then you have the opportunity to walk an additional 150 meters with special equipment.

Price: 400 rubles (regular route), 1000 rubles (extreme route).

How to get there: the same way as before the Marble Cave.

Working hours: from 9.00 to 19.00.

Red Cave (Kizil-Koba)

The Red Cave is located near the village of Perevalnoye. Its approximate age is 2.5 million years. Scientists have found that back in the Paleolithic era, people lived in the vicinity of the Red Cave.

The first mention of the Red Cave in Crimea is found in Sumarokov’s notes from 1803. It was then that the first tourists flocked here. On their list was Alexander Griboyedov, author of Woe from Wit. He visited there on June 24, 1825. In the 19th century, tourists entered the cave with candles and torches.

The Red Cave was equipped in 1990. There are two options for visiting: standard and extreme. In the first case, you will walk along the main route, where you will see the dry siphon, the Sanctuary, the University passage, the Shamansky Throat, the Academic Hall, the Indian Hall, the Argentine Tributary, and the Griboyedov Gallery. The extreme route begins with you putting on a wetsuit, then going through a natural obstacle - a flooded passage 1.5 meters long. After this, those halls of the Red Cave will open to you, which ordinary tourists will never reach.

Price: 500 rubles (adult), 250 rubles (children from 6 to 14 years old). Extreme route – 4500 rubles per person.

Working hours: from 9.00 to 19.00.

How to get there: by bus or trolleybus from the Kurortnaya bus station at the railway station in Simferopol to the Perevalnoye-2 stop. From there, walk to the parking lot of the Viking entertainment complex, from there another 1.5 km walk to the entrance to the cave.

Skelskaya cave

P.S. Photos of caves except Skelskaya are from official websites.

Post Views: 1,835

The Crimean mountains hide many secrets and mysteries, among which are numerous caves and grottoes. They are unique natural museums that have been created over millions of years. The unknown world of the dungeon is in no hurry to reveal its riches. But thanks to the work of professional speleologists, some of the amazing treasures can still be admired by taking an excursion to the underground kingdom. So, let's look at the most beautiful caves of Crimea, open to the public today.

8. Yalta - a beautiful cave near Yalta

• Coordinates: 44°27′22″N (44.456111), 34°3′23″E (34.056389).

Three karst cavities are located on the famous. Discovered in 1997 completely by accident, a decade later, thanks to the enthusiasm of three speleologists who laid out the excursion route and lighting, the Yalta Cave opened to tourists. Leading down to the only yet equipped hall (the length of the entire complex is 180 m), stone steps are limited by railings for safety. Here you can admire stalactites, stalagmites and sinter rock formations that resemble fancy stone flowers. For the convenience of visitors, benches, information boards, road signs and trash cans are installed.

7. Three-Eyes Cave - ice palace on top of Ai-Petri

• Coordinates: 44°27′24″N (44.456646), 34°3′18″E (34.054911).

- This is a large cavity with the remains of an ancient glacier. Through three gaps (hence the name), an entrance built in 1989 leads down. The snow falling to its bottom gradually compacts and turns into ice, which at one time was mined here for needs, as evidenced by its two other names - Ledyanaya and Vorontsovskaya. A six-meter snowdrift formed on this ice field hides coins thrown there by tourists “for good luck.” In general, in the list of “the most beautiful caves of Crimea” it is a worthy 7th place.

6. Geophysical – open cave with the largest stalactite

• Coordinates: 44°27′21″N (44.455943), 34°3′12″E (34.053232).

In the area, in the 70s. last century, a gallery of several halls, decorated with magnificent sinter formations, was discovered. Consisting of several wells with a depth of 28 to 60 m and one 100-meter horizontal shaft, it has become accessible to the public since 2009. Along the spiral staircase, which is equipped with a vertical shaft, you can go down to the Pearl Hall and see columns of stalagmites or a six-meter one - considered the most long in Crimea - stalactite.

5. Skelskaya – a cave that is best visited with a map

• Coordinates: 44°27′39″N (44.460825), 33°52′8″E (33.868972).

Stands apart, located in the Sevastopol region, far from crowded tourist routes, a landmark of the southwestern part of the peninsula. It is located between two villages - Rodnikovskoye and Razdolnoye. And although she was discovered back in 1904, it was only in 2003 that I opened my eyes to her amazing world. It is divided by sinter formations into several areas, which received such original names as “Fireplace Hall”, “Knight’s”, “Dolphin”, “Ghost Hall”. Thanks to successful illumination, the calcite formations turned into stone figurines of animals and people: a gopher, a monkey, a dolphin, a monk and a knight with a spear - the main attraction here, formed by a huge stalagmite, about 7 m high. There is a church of its own, reminiscent of, and a castle, where without labor you can recognize the famous. The mysterious Phoenix bird and the fabulous Dragon look at the enthusiastic visitors.

4. Kizil-Koba (Red) – the largest cave in Crimea

• Coordinates: 44°52′12″N (44.870058), 34°20′36″E (34.343426).

On the map, the caves of Crimea that are open to the public are marked just below. And we continue our rating. Before going up the mountains of the Simferopol - Alushta road, 3 km from, on the western slope, there is the largest Crimean cave -. The six-story labyrinth, stretching for a total of 17 km of the explored part alone, includes many lakes, cavities filled with water (siphons), magnificent waterfalls, and a river flowing below. In each room there are stalagmite formations and growths, reminiscent of either a stern bearded old man nicknamed “The Master” or the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.

3. Emine-Bair-Koba - the most unusual cave of Chatyr-Dag

• Coordinates: 44°48′3″N (44.80071), 34°17′44″E (34.295536).

You can see with your own eyes the three most beautiful caves of Crimea. In third position - . Equipped back in Soviet era, then it turned out to be abandoned, which led to the destruction of priceless natural monument. Gradually the cavity is being restored and even what remains is worth seeing. In the cave, 150 m deep and about a kilometer long, there are two routes: speleological and excursion. The second lasts 20 minutes and leads into a large, high hall with hanging stalactites, which can be reached by going down steps carved into the rock. Interestingly, some sinter formations resemble coral reefs in appearance.

2. Emine-Bair-Khosar – Mammoth Cave

• Coordinates: 44°48′6″N (44.801757), 34°17′22″E (34.289477).

It is distinguished by a variety of calcite formations painted in different colors, striking in splendor and beauty. There are 12 halls in total, but not all of them can be visited: some of them are protected areas. In one of the most beautiful, “Kecskemet”, there is a sinter formation in the form of a volcano. And in the “Hall of Idols” you can see stalagmites, sometimes reaching 10 m.

1. Mramornaya – the most beautiful cave, opened in 1984.

• Coordinates: 44°47′50″N (44.797276), 34°16′46″E (34.279566).

At the 17th kilometer of the highway from Simferopol to the South Coast, the road goes to the right to the famous one. Thanks to the richness of natural decoration, it is not the most beautiful in Crimea, but it is also one of the five famous cave cavities in the world. Excellently landscaped, it attracts a lot of tourists, being the most visited on the peninsula. The length of the equipped routes here is more than 1 km. In five galleries you can admire up close the countless number of amazing stalactites and stalagmites, bizarre sinter formations reminiscent of stone flowers. It is advisable to take full route, which begins in the Fairy Tale Gallery, the price difference is small, but the most interesting grotto - the Tiger Grotto - is located at the end.

Open caves on the map of Crimea

Photos partially convey the magnificence of all this unusual, truly “unearthly” beauty, but are not able to convey the mixed feeling of amazement, admiration and awe that covers people in the caves. To create this fantastic world, nature needed only water and time. Lots of time! Millions of years! Organized for all this bus excursions at very reasonable prices, and some places offer free entry for children. But they are easy to visit when traveling by car. Have a nice trip!