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 find out all the interesting facts about this place from our article.
And what is it?
Diana's Grotto and Cape Fiolent are unique places. The cape is a cleavage of a mountain formed after the eruption of a volcano. Therefore, this place is distinguished by an unusual black color. There is no volcano here for a long time. According to modern scientists, the breed was formed here about 150 million years ago. However, among tourists this place is very popular.
Vacationers do not come so much to Cape Fiolent and Diana’s grotto, how much to admire the transparent sea of indigo color and severe steep cliffs.
In the area around the cape you can find many rocks of a very strange shape. In some places, nature even dug entire caves. Therefore, travelers heading to the grotto for just a few hours usually stay there all day.
According to the pages of history
History is silent about the origin of the name of the grotto of Diana (Fiolent). It is only known that the official name of the place where this same grotto is located is Lermontov Cape. The writer himself, however, has never been there. In general, there are no reliable written sources indicating that Mikhail Yuryevich has ever come to Crimea.
Nevertheless, with some Lermontov the name of this corner is still connected. Not far from this popular tourist destination is the small village of Lermontova Dacha. There once lived the namesake of the famous writer, probably from the name of this village and took its name from the cape.
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 peculiar attraction from 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 is significantly different. At some points, it can reach 12 meters, while at others its value is less than 3 meters.
Having begun to delve into all the geographical details of this Crimean pearl, tourists are amazed at its grandeur. The arch itself rises up 10 meters (this is the height of a five-story building). A crack passes right under the arch, 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 an occupation so-so, its surface is dotted with sharp halves of mussels and sometimes sea urchins.
This place is ideal for scuba diving: the water there is crystal clear, and the marine life has not yet been much affected by human exposure. Therefore, those who want to look at sea urchins, shy fish and colorful algae can safely take a mask for scuba diving, 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 bumping into sharp blocks 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 twice before venturing out on an extreme vacation.
For swimmers, there are many beaches around the cape. The closest: Tsarskoye Selo and Caravello. If you take a little walk, you can soak up the sand of “Cape Grape”. And about a kilometer from the grotto, command post 623 of the coastal battery is located. The tourists there expect thick walls and a menacing building: thrill-seekers will like this.
Extreme vacation
This place is unusually beautiful. Huge black rocks rise around, washed by clear 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 on both sides of it, but it is noticeable only with one of them.
Therefore, tourists who visited this place for the first time often wonder: "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 "Caravel".
Collapses in the Crimea are not uncommon, and with another rockfall part of the steps again suffered. Nevertheless, the locals did not lose enthusiasm: for each new holiday season, the stairs stood as new. However, nature nevertheless took its toll: once the staircase fell badly, and they did not begin to clear it again. 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 in order to get to Cape Fiolent and Diana’s grotto, should be ready to get wet. It is impossible to reach the grotto by land: beach paths do not lead there, and the cliffs are too steep to hope to go down them safely.
But why Diana?
About the grotto of Diana (Fiolent) stories and legends were built long ago. The most common of these is related to religion. All the guides, as one, insist that in antiquity it was in this place that the sanctuary of Diana was located. To people raised in Greek mythology, this goddess is better known under the name of Artemis.
The name of the cape (Fiolent), in turn, means "virgin." Ancient historians are sure that at this place there was an ancient sanctuary, on which people made sacrifices to the goddess Artemis. Note, these were not always lamb and goats: they did not hesitate to offer people and goddesses. Victims were thrown from the cape near the place where the grotto is now located.
According to another ancient thinker, Strabo, the temple of Artemis was located there. And there are several confirmations to this: next to the grotto the grove and beam are adjacent.
But where is the truth?
However, whether it is a legend or not, contemporaries are not destined to learn. Official sources do not undertake to indicate in which exact place the notorious temple was located. It is only known that he was incredibly tall, with many columns rising upwards and a snow-white staircase made of marble.
True or fiction of companies that attract tourist flows to the cape, one can only guess. Be that as it may, vacationers enjoy listening to the tales of the guides and enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding Diana's grotto.
How to get there
The main issues that concern all tourists:
- Where is the Diana Grotto (Fiolent) located?
- How to get from Sevastopol to this point of Crimea?
There are two route options. The first starts from the 50th anniversary square and it is the most popular among tourists. You need to go to the final destination without changes, 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 train station, transfer there to any bus bound for the fifth kilometer stop. From this place, the third bus takes tourists directly to the famous cape. The necessary stops are called Tsarskoye Selo and Breeze. From there to the grotto is a stone's throw.