Three-Eyes Cave: description, photo, visit possibilities

A cave with an unusual name on the plateau of Ai-Petri attracts the attention of a huge number of tourists. Even in the summer months in its "bowels" you can see a hill of real ice! What else is interesting Crimean cave Three-eyes? And how to get into it? This will be discussed in our article.

Three-Eyes Cave - the pearl of the Ai-Petri Plateau

Plateau Ai-Petri is one of the most popular places among tourists on the Crimean peninsula. It is literally dotted with karst craters, picturesque stone placers and caves. It is spacious and very beautiful. The Ai-Petrin landscape is a combination of forests and mountain meadows. The local flora has up to 600 plant species, 50 of which are endemic.

The Three-Eagle Cave on Ai-Petri is one of the most famous sights of this mountain plateau. It has three vertical entrances ("eye sockets"), why speleologists and called it such an unusual name.

People knew about this unique cave for a long time. For example, ancient hunters kept meat in it. And in the XIX century, ice from Three-eyes was used to store wine and food in the estate of Count Vorontsov. Therefore, the cave is also often referred to as Ice. And today in its central part you can see a huge lump of ice and snow, which melts only in the middle of summer.

Three-Eye Cave: photo and description

The cave is one of the most interesting forms of terrestrial relief. This is an underground cavity, developed by water currents for millions of years. Caves are formed in places where easily soluble rocks (gypsum, dolomites, limestones, etc.) lie under the soil layer. The speed of formation of such a cavity directly depends not only on the rock, but also on the aggressiveness (chemical composition) of the water that creates it.

Altogether, within the Ai-Petrine yayla, there are about three hundred caves. But there are only two for the sightseeing visit. One of them is the Cave of Three-Eyes. It is deep enough - up to 30 meters. Thanks to this, even in summer the main hall of the cave is covered with a thin layer of ice.

Like in any other cave of the Crimea, you can admire stalactites hanging from the ceiling, as well as stalagmites - bizarre outgrowths that are located below. These formations were formed over millions of years. They create the "drawing" and "landscape" of any of the karstic voids of the peninsula. Inside the cave there is lighting, also equipped with handrails for tourists.

During a detailed study of Three-eyes, speleologists discovered a torch and a rusty chisel from the XIX century. These two artifacts are now stored in the corridors of the cave.

How to get to the cave

In the century before last, horse- drawn carts crossed a difficult and winding mountain road to get to the Ai-Petri plateau. There they were loaded to the point of failure with the packed ice cubes from the cave of Three-eyes. After the loaded wagons descended down to the sea, carrying their valuable cargo to the Vorontsov Palace.

Today it is much easier to get to the plateau. For 300 rubles you will lift up the cable car. From Yalta on the plateau of Ai-Petri, you can also climb by car on a very steep "serpentine" road. Tourists-pedestrians will be able to climb Ai-Petri on one of the hiking trails - Koreiz or Taraktash.

The Three-Eagle Cave is located 600 meters north of the upper station of the cable car. In the immediate vicinity are the entrances of two more caves (Yalta and Geophysical).

Visiting opportunities and prices

Get to the entrance to the cave is not difficult. On the plateau there are appropriate indexes-plaques. In addition, the road is always prompted by other tourists, which are always very many.

In winter, three-eyes can not be reached: the entrances to it close with the onset of cold weather. In the rest of the year, a visit to the cave is possible. Admission price for adults is 200 Russian rubles, for children, admission is free.

A rather steep metal staircase leads to the entrance to the cave. According to safety, descend on it with your back to the front, while firmly holding on to the rail. In the halls of the cave, the air temperature keeps within 0 ... + 5 degrees Celsius all year round, and this moment should be taken into account when planning a visit to the facility.