Rock Golden Gate Koktebel on the map. Golden Gate

Crimea, Golden Gate - sounds romantic and attractive. At first it seems that we are talking about some kind of architectural miracle, but this is not at all the case; The Golden Gate of Koktebel is an extraordinary rock that has turned into an arch due to the sea waves that have punched a hole in it for many years. She enters the impressive mountain range Kara-Dag, from the nearby mountains of which a breathtaking view of the famous “gate” opens…

Photos of tourists:

Some useful facts

The rock got its name not by chance: it consists of an unusual volcanic rock - yellow basalt; in the sun's rays it acquires a light golden glow. The width of the Golden Gate is about 6 meters, the height is approximately 15. The landmark has long become the main symbol of Koktebel; it is depicted on postcards, magnets and souvenirs.

Golden Gate - view from the sea [Video]

Story

Once upon a time, a formidable active volcano, but the merciless water element drained his strength. Now only the rock remains, but the legends associated with it would be the envy of the Cathedral of Peter and Paul itself.

Once upon a time, the gates were not called golden at all, they were called devilish, because they said that a fisherman, who once crashed on the coastal rocks, was forced to make a deal with the devil himself. He agreed to save him and forced the man to swim through the very arch that tourists are now admiring. The fisherman did this, but after swimming under a seemingly small rock, he lost 20 years of his own life, but time is the most valuable thing we have...

Why is this place worth visiting?

It seems to me that once you look at the bizarre shapes of this rock, but the way the foamy waves lick its foot, how the mountains rise around you, you understand that you should not return from Crimea without seeing this place.

If you close your eyes and imagine that you are already there, it begins to seem that you hear the cry of seagulls, whose voice echoes in a small bay, the salty breeze hitting your face. And what photographs there are! Breathtaking, exhilarating views - business card Koktebelya, I am sure, will not disappoint you.

In addition to the Golden Gate rock, nature has endowed this region with wonderful landscapes that you can enjoy while visiting this site.

How to get there - route

Interestingly, there are many ways to get there, so everyone can choose what they like. Fans of water travel will enjoy a boat trip. Ships leave the port in Koktebel. During the trip you can enjoy the scenery and sea beauty. Any flight must visit the Golden Gate, some sail under the arch, others do not, it is worth checking with the captain before starting the trip.

For lovers of walking there is a wonderful alternative. Walking alone in the mountains in this area is prohibited, and even with a map it’s easy to get lost here, but special walking excursions have been created for tourists here.

To begin with you need to minibus or by car to get to the Karadag Nature Reserve. Then you should purchase a ticket to the territory and find any excursion group heading to the Golden Gate.

Important information: The path is quite difficult; you will have to cover about 8 kilometers on foot, including not only flat roads, but also ups and downs. Be sure to take plenty of water with you, because it is hot in these parts from early morning until evening, choose comfortable shoes and light clothing suitable for hiking in the mountains.

Golden Gate on the map of Crimea

GPS Coordinates: 44°54’52″N 35°13’53″E Latitude/Longitude

Today's story is about one of the three visual symbols of Crimea - the Golden Gate rock.
Along with Swallow's Nest and Bear Mountain, this rock can most often be found in various souvenir photographs, postcards, magnets in Crimea, as well as in articles and on the covers of magazines telling about Crimea.
One of the favorite places of tourists is natural natural object, created by an ancient volcano, and then “modified” by sea waves and wind.
In ancient times, the rock was called by a completely different name - the Four Gates (or Sheitan-Kapu) and it was believed that here was the entrance to the Underworld...

The most famous rock of Crimea is located in the east of the peninsula, at the foot of the ancient extinct volcano Karadag.
Volcanic activity many millions of years ago created many incredible formations in this place, some of which I already talked about a few days ago. One of such formations is the Golden Gate.

It was later that the storm and the wind expanded the natural opening to enormous sizes, through which even a small pleasure boat could sail. But first there was a volcano. Just look closely at the structure of the rock.
Remember my recent post about the volcano at Cape Fiolent? Doesn't the rock look like anything?

Why are the gates golden?
First of all, at dawn, they really look golden. Although not everyone can see the sunrise from the right point, because the rock is located on the territory of the reserve and access to wild beach at the foot of Lion's Dyke is prohibited and protected by gamekeepers of the reserve.
But the rock becomes “golden” again during the day - at about 13-14 hours. At this time in the summer, the sun is in such a position that the falling rays of the sun change the color of the rock to close to gold. She is beautiful even at sunset.

Why is this happening?
The fact is that the rock is completely covered with yellow lichens, which play in the sunlight.

True, in Lately its upper part becomes more white than yellow. This is due to an increase in the number of the red-listed crested cormorant, which nests in these places. And his droppings increasingly cover the surrounding rocks.
Despite its seemingly small size, the rock is quite massive. Its height is 8 meters and its width is 6. Just two years ago, almost all pleasure boats that carry tourists from Koktebel, Kurortny or Feodosia passed through the opening, and tourists threw coins for luck.
However, from the beginning holiday season In 2012, by order of the Ministry of Nature of Ukraine, a ban was introduced on the passage of boats under the Golden Gate, and the entire a tourist route along the marine part of the reserve, which now runs at least 100 meters from the coastline.
This measure, in my opinion, is quite justified, taking into account the eco-culture of our tourists and the damage that dozens of ships cause in the summer, invading wild nature.
To the opponents of these innovations, I can only say the following: over these few years, which occurred after the tightening of access to the territory of the reserve (and this also affected the mountain-forest part), the reserve has changed a lot for the better. It became much cleaner, dozens of trampled paths were overgrown with grass, I again began to see wild animals on the ecological trail with the naked eye, the number of wild birds increased and this is the only reserve in Crimea where I saw absolutely no garbage (!!!). Neither on the shore, nor in the mountains.

The Golden Gate, Lion's Dyke and Devil's Kamin Gorge are traces of the activity of an ancient volcano.

Minutes when the rock has a golden color.

Dawn at the Golden Gate. Of course, the most famous shots are when it is possible to shoot the sun directly in the opening of a rock, but this is only possible a few days a year...
Who knows, maybe one day you will see this shot in my magazine...

P.S. The filming was carried out with official permission from the Karadag Nature Reserve from a service boat.

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The beginning of Crimea was called the Golden Gate. At various times in history, this symbol designated the status of Kafa, Gezlev, Solkhat, Yeni-Kaleya and many other places. The Gates of Crimea - this is how several places are called at the same time today. It is well known that this honorary title belongs to Simferopol, Dzhankoy, Chongar, Ariyansk, Sevastopol, Kerch, Arabat Strelka. There are also more local gates of the Crimea, for example, Yalta, the Baydar Gate and the Angarsk Pass, which are considered the gates of the South Coast. Akhtiyar Bay was named by Crimeans sea ​​gate Sevastopol.

The sea gates of Crimea are, without a doubt, Kerch and Sevastopol. The latter, in addition, is also called the key and shield of Crimea. This name was especially relevant during military operations here. It is believed that the owner of Sevastopol is the ruler of the Crimea.

Another symbol is also known, denoting the opening, access, the beginning of acquaintance with one of the magnificent attractions of the region - the Golden Gate of Crimea.

Acquaintance

The Golden Gate of Crimea is the name given to an arched coastal rock located near the Kara-Dag volcanic massif on the Black Sea coast. Address: Crimea, Koktebel, Karadagsky nature reserve. The Golden Gate is a symbol of Karadag. Crimea (Koktebel) - popular resort, which has many unique attractions.

Pearl of Crimea - Golden Gate

Crimea (a photo of the described attraction is presented in the article) is a peninsula located in the northern part of the Black Sea. The Golden Gate is located directly behind Robber Bay. The rock protruding from the water near the shore is cut through by a natural arch. In addition, it is called the Devil's Gate ("Shaitan-kapu"). The depth of the sea under the rock is 15 meters. It rises 8 m above sea level and reaches a width of 6 m.

The appearance of the arch is explained by the impact of the surf on the rock. The gate is “built” of yellow basalt, so in the afternoon there is a glow from it. It seems that the rock is truly golden, hence one of its names.

Through the Golden Gate of Kara-Dag, which is rightfully considered a pearl Crimean peninsula, you can watch the sunrise - but only for a few days a year during the winter solstice.

The gate is guarded by a stone Lion, and Lion Bay is closed by the Mayak rock. Boat excursions to the Kara-Dag rocks are conducted from almost all coastal Crimean cities, but most regularly from Feodosia and Koktebel. Everyone definitely needs to see this beauty at least once.

Follow in the footsteps of Odysseus

It is possible that, having got here, the traveler will repeat one of the amazing adventures of the legendary Odysseus, who, while wandering to the Cimmerian shores, as many believe, visited one of the fabulous bays of Kara-Dag.

It is known that the Golden Gate made an indelible impression on the great Pushkin, who subsequently reflected his acquaintance with the landmark (as biographers claim) in the famous drawing in the margins of the manuscript of the famous “Eugene Onegin”.

Blue-blue sea

The biggest impression on tourists is not even the rock, but the sea around it - amazing, sparkling, unusually blue, as if tinted with Prussian blue. Everyone who has visited the shores of Kara-Dag knows that the sea is truly fabulous. Here it endlessly changes its colors: sometimes it is quiet and gentle, turquoise, sometimes pearl with a light mist spreading over its surface, sometimes blue-cornflower blue, rivaling the sky itself with its blueness.

But the sea element here, as elsewhere, is capricious and fickle - now a fierce wind is blowing in and driving gray waves towards the rocks, which rise and crash against the stones with a roar.

As evening or morning approaches, the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains appear clearer and clearer, and then from the shore you can watch how the sea colors and shades change.

The kindest place in the world

Many have noticed that the Golden Gate, illuminated by the bright rays of the sun caressing this unique natural creation, seems to radiate a certain luminosity. They are surrounded by the infinite tenderness of the Universe - this is how travelers speak about this place, expressing confidence that these rocks in Kara-Dag are one of the kindest places in Crimea, and perhaps even the planet. Many believe that the Golden Gate is the beginning of the road to parallel worlds. If this is true, then the world that opens behind them will be imbued with love, affection and kindness. There simply cannot be another - after all, only at the sight of the arch leading to another existence, everyone feels extraordinary peace and happiness.

Myths

Many people believe that if, while swimming through the arch, you throw a coin into a rock so that it rings and at the same time make a wish, it will definitely come true.

A huge number of myths and legends are associated with this place in Crimea. For example, did you know that it was through the Golden Gate of Kara-Dag that Odysseus and Hercules descended into the underground kingdom of Hades? Did you know that when you sail past these rocks, you can see clocks stop, navigation stops, and you can hear moans and screams breaking through the frequencies in the airwaves? Have you heard about unidentified objects flying over these rocks, entering the sea water and disappearing into the depths?

The local population also says that somewhere in these places lives the mysterious Karadag monster, which hunts dolphins, which are often caught with traces of strange bites.

Legends and myths surround these places in large numbers, but the only thing that is undeniable and which everyone can verify for themselves is the extraordinary beauty of the Golden Gate. They will forever remain in the heart of everyone who visits the attraction. And this is not a myth, but the truth.