Uchan-Su waterfall in Crimea: description and location

The Crimean peninsula is an interesting place not only in terms of recreation on the seashore, since it can interest tourists with a host of other attractions. Among the variety available, one should highlight waterfalls, one of which is Uchan-Su.

The peninsula, in addition to the sea, also attracts tourists with a large number of waterfalls, of which there are about two hundred. Uchan-Su is considered to be the largest and most abundant. This natural landmark is on the way up to Mount Ai-Petri, and the height of the giant is approaching a hundred-meter mark, which is twice the size of Niagara Falls.

The length of the river of the same name, from which it originates, is 7 kilometers. A feature of Uchan-Su is the ability of water streams hitting the rock to form a beautiful cloud of water dust in the air; in the sunlight, it turns into an incredibly beautiful multicolored placer, shimmering like precious stones. Small drops are carried far beyond the waterfall, contributing to the natural moisture of the vegetation.

In summer, like most waterfalls in Crimea, Uchan-Su dries up, therefore, among local residents, it is humorously called "vodokap". And in winter, the waterfall transforms and becomes no less attractive than in spring, because its jets will become an incredibly beautiful icy canvas, from which sometimes silver drops or jets make their way. In light of its size and location, it is conventionally divided into two cascades.

The first high stream descends from the cliff of the rock layer to the ledge, at the next stage a small structure built by a person is located. It serves as a water intake station. As a decoration, a statue of an eagle made of plaster stands on the ledge.

There is an observation deck on the mountain, in addition, there are mountains and forests of the Yalta reserve near the waterfall. This arrangement determines the observance of some rules. Thus, tourists are forbidden to make a fire, smoke, litter, and spoil the environment. The entrance for visitors in the daytime will be paid, but in the evening the territory is not guarded, and the approach to the waterfall remains open to those who wish, so a walk to the attraction can also be made in the evening hours.

Nearby and at the entrance to Uchan-Su there are souvenir shops, as well as a restaurant with the same name. Since the water jets rush down from a great height, frequent fogs and drizzle can be observed in this part of the reserve. Such features require vacationers to comply with all personal safety measures. Tourists are offered excursions to the waterfall under the guidance of experienced guides who will tell the tourists who come here interesting facts about the peninsula, the waterfall and local attractions.

Uchan-Su was included in the list of official historical places and sights of Crimea only at the end of the 20th century. The translation of such an unusual name from the Crimean Tatar literally sounds like "flying water". However, the history of this place also contains the names "flowing water" or "hanging water", the meaning of which follows from the size and power of the waterfall. During the USSR, Uchan-Su was called the Yalta waterfall. The attraction owes its names to the peoples inhabiting this place.

The watchmen and local residents note that over time, the power of the waterfall decreases... However, it is still the largest. According to some historians, 10-15 years after the merger of these places into a protected area, the height of the waterfall was several times higher, but the destruction of the forest had an extremely negative effect on its size.

Almost every unique place is gradually overgrown with legends, this trend and the waterfall have not passed. So, according to the local residents, who once inhabited this area, in the rock formation near the river bed there is an old iron ring, and the river itself had a convenient pier, then the sea level was much higher. This ring was used for mooring ships, but numerous searches for the mysterious ring have yielded no results. Therefore, the legend has remained a legend to this day.

The next legend associated with the waterfall is the tale of a beautiful young girl who was stolen by an evil spirit and kept in this area. The brave girl decided to definitely return to the people, so she threw herself down from a high cliff, then the good spirits of the forest came to her aid and turned her into a river. Thus, she managed to return to her home, as well as save all living creatures from the drought, which the evil spirit promised to send on them.

The emergence of various myths did not pass the statue, which is located between the two parts of the waterfall. According to legend, if you get to the statue of a bird and tie a ribbon on one of its wings, a person will surely fulfill his innermost desire. However, such an event is rather risky, since there is a high probability of falling from a height. But this fact still does not prevent brave travelers from decorating the eagle's wings with their ribbons.

The waterfall is located near Yalta on the southern side of Ai-Petri.The remoteness of the attraction from the city is 6 kilometers, which allows you to easily get to the place by car or in any other convenient way. Every local resident can tell you how to get to the reserve. In addition to a personal vehicle, you can get to the waterfall by public transport, which departs from Yalta from the city bus station. The final stop at route 30 is a waterfall, therefore vacationers do not need to make any transfers.

And also to Uchan-Su there is a walking trail, it starts from the house of A.P. Chekhov, passes through a protected picturesque area. The trail to the waterfall is called Taraktashskaya. And also you can get from the city to the stop "Sanatorium Uzbekistan", and then continue the mini-journey along the highway. There will be about 4 kilometers to reach the waterfall. You will be able to get to the sight by any regular bus that will go to Sevastopol, Gaspra, Foros or Alupka.

The easiest option would be to travel by private car. To do this, you need to go to the South Coast Highway, which frames the city along the upper border in the direction of the "Sanatorium Uzbekistan". The turn to the waterfall will be on the right side, it will be quite difficult to pass it, since the entrance to the attraction has a signpost. On the map, this turn will be the same for the approach to Ai-Petri.

It is this sign that in winter may contain information that "The passage is closed", but this applies to the road to the mountain itself. Parking for cars is located near the restaurant of the same name with the waterfall, about 300 meters to the attraction will need to be walked. Local taxis will be an alternative to private vehicles.

Visits to the waterfall are directly related to the seasonality. Most of the tourists come to the peninsula in the summer, when the prevailing weather conditions in the area will be heat and lack of precipitation. Such features lead to the natural drying up of rivers, from which all the world's waterfalls are subsequently formed. To see all the beauty and power of the water attraction, it is recommended to visit this place in spring or autumn.

With the arrival of spring heat, the rivers are filled due to melting snows, and in autumn the reservoirs become full of water due to natural precipitation. Locals recommend planning a trip to the reserve from November to May. During this period, Uchan-Su reaches the peak of its power, in the light of which the roar of water falling from a huge height will be heard for many kilometers.

When planning a short trip to the sights, in one trip you will be able to visit several interesting places on the peninsula. So, a little further from Uchan-Su, you can take a walk along the famous Shtangeevskaya trail. The length of this route will be just over two kilometers. Such a walk will lead vacationers to the observation deck in the reserve, equipped with a bench. On this plateau, you can relax, breathe in the fresh air and admire the landscapes opening from above.

If you go even further, you can come to the river from which the waterfall is formed. In this place, he will appear from the best side. For the safety and comfort of tourists, there are signs everywhere in the protected area, so it will be extremely difficult to get lost. For visitors there is also separate passage to the eagle statuelocated at the waterfall. Since the stairs to it are in an unusable condition, a small path was trodden from the Shtangeevskaya trail, which will lead to a pedestal covered with myths and legends.

In summer, when the waterfall becomes shallow, tourists have the opportunity to admire the flora of the Yalta reserve. The mountain slopes of this area are covered with forest, where you can find centuries-old relic cultures. The air in the protected area, due to the content of coniferous phytoncides, will be extremely useful. That is why there are many health paths nearby. Walking in this area can lead tourists to a private zoo and the Glade of Fairy Tales. To do this, you need to move from the restaurant to the reserve.

In the next video, you can look at the Uchan-Su waterfall in all its glory.