Cape Fiolent and Diana's grotto are unique natural monuments on the territory of the Crimean peninsula. Every year, crowds of tourists with excursions come here to enjoy the greatness of the southern mountains and listen to the stories of the guides. Readers will be able to learn all the interesting facts about this place from our article.
What is it?
Diana's Grotto and Cape Fiolent are unique places. The cape is a cleavage of a mountain formed after a volcanic eruption. Therefore, this place is distinguished by an unusual black color. The volcano has not been here for a long time. According to modern scientists, the rock was formed here about 150 million years ago. However, this place is very popular among tourists.
Vacationers come not so much to Cape Fiolent itself and Diana's grotto, but to admire the clear indigo-colored sea and harsh steep cliffs.
In the vicinity of the cape, you can find many rocks of a very strange shape. In some places, nature even dug out entire caves. Therefore, travelers heading to the grotto for just a few hours usually stay there for the whole day.
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History is silent about the origin of the name of Diana's grotto (Fiolent). It is only known that the official name of the place where this same grotto is located is Cape Lermontov. The writer himself, however, has never been there. In general, there are no reliable written sources indicating that Mikhail Yuryevich ever came to the Crimea.
Nevertheless, the name of this corner is still connected with some Lermontov. Not far from this popular tourist destination is the small settlement of Lermontov's Dacha. The namesake of a famous writer once lived there, probably, it was from the name of this village that the cape took its name.
Why go there?
Cape Fiolent and Diana's grotto are interesting, first of all, for their unusual natural forms. For example, Diana's grotto is a huge hole in the rock through which a small boat can easily sail. By the way, enterprising locals even arrange a kind of attraction out of this.
But if a brave tourist tries to swim to the grotto, he will feel it even with his eyes closed. The place is reliably protected from sunlight, so the water temperature there is much lower than in the rest of the coastal part. Despite the fact that the grotto itself is relatively small (about 13 meters), the depth in its different places differs significantly. At some points it can reach up to 12 meters, while at others its value is less than 3 meters.
Starting to delve into all the geographical details of thisCrimean pearl, tourists are amazed at its grandeur. The arch itself rises up 10 meters (this is the height of a five-story building). Directly under the arch there is a crack, the depth of which reaches 14 meters. One wall smoothly goes to the bottom, but the second allows you to calmly stand on its gentle slope. True, standing on a rock is a so-so occupation, its surface is littered with sharp halves of mussels and sometimes sea urchins.
This place is ideal for scuba diving: the water is crystal clear and the marine life has not yet been severely affected by human impact. Therefore, those who want to look at sea urchins, shy fish and colorful algae can safely take a snorkeling mask when going to Cape Fiolent and Diana's Grotto.
Diving
There are many extreme people who do not deny themselves the pleasure of jumping from a cliff into the water. However, you should not swim to the grotto during a storm and big waves - this is a serious risk of hitting sharp boulders with all your might. By the way, very close, as a silent reminder of the violence of the elements, are the remains of a sunken ship. This is a good reason to think two hundred times before venturing into an extreme vacation.
There are many beaches around the cape for swimmers. The closest: "Tsarskoye Selo" and "Caravello". If you walk a little, you can soak up the sand on the Cape Grape. And about a kilometer from the grotto is the command post of 623 coastal batteries. Tourists there expect thick walls and a menacing viewbuild: Thrill seekers will love this.
Extreme vacation
This place is extraordinarily beautiful. Enormous black rocks rise around, washed by the purest azure water, shaggy algae stuck around the parts of the mountains immersed in the abyss. Of course, the grotto itself is also noteworthy: sandy beaches diverge from it on both sides, but it is noticeable only from one of them.
Therefore, tourists visiting this place for the first time often ask the question: "Diana's Grotto (Fiolent): how to go down to this section of the mountain?". Previously, a special staircase led to it. It began not far from the tourist base "Karavel".
Crashes in the Crimea are not uncommon, and with the next rockfall, part of the steps suffered again. Nevertheless, the locals did not lose their enthusiasm: for each new holiday season, the stairs were as good as new. However, nature still took its toll: once the staircase was heavily blocked, and they did not clear it anymore. Therefore, now extreme lovers get to the grotto from the adjacent Tsarskoye Selo beach.
Those who are not afraid of difficulties, and who came to Crimea specifically to get to Cape Fiolent and Diana's grotto, should be ready to get wet. There is no way to reach the grotto by land: beach paths do not lead there, and the cliffs are too steep to hope to descend safely.
But why Diana?
About the grotto of Diana (Fiolent) stories and legends were folded long ago. The most common of these is relatedwith religion. All guidebooks, as one, repeat that in ancient times it was in this place that the sanctuary of Diana was located. For people brought up on Greek mythology, this goddess is better known as Artemis.
The name of the cape (Fiolent) in turn means "virgin". Ancient historians are sure that this place was an ancient sanctuary, where people made sacrifices to the goddess Artemis. On a note, it was far from always lambs and goats: they did not hesitate to offer the goddess and people. Victims were thrown from the cape near the place where the grotto is now located.
According to another ancient thinker, Strabo, there was a temple of Artemis. And there are several confirmations of this: next to the grotto, there is a grove and a beam of the same name.
But where is the truth?
However, whether it is a legend or not, contemporaries are not destined to know. Official sources do not undertake to indicate exactly where the notorious temple was located. It is only known that it was incredibly tall, with many columns going up and a snow-white marble staircase.
Whether this is true or an invention of firms that attract tourists to the cape, one can only guess. Be that as it may, vacationers enjoy listening to the guides' tales and admiring the beautiful landscapes surrounding Diana's Grotto.
How to get there?
The main questions of concern to all tourists:
- Where is the Grotto of Diana (Fiolent)?
- How to get from Sevastopol to this point of Crimea?
There are two route options. The first one starts from the 50th Anniversary Square and is the most popular among tourists. You need to go to the final destination without transfers, and transport goes there from the very center of the city. However, few people know that this path is far from the most convenient.
It would be better to get to the railway station, there transfer to any bus heading to the Fifth Kilometer stop. From this place, the third bus carries tourists directly to the famous cape. The necessary stops are called "Tsarskoye Selo" and "Breeze". From there, the grotto is within easy reach.
