The turquoise river
Between cliffs.
AnnaAAkimova — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vyacheslav Bukharov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vyacheslav Bukharov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Александр Байдуков — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vyacheslav Bukharov — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Sulak Canyon is a steep-sided gorge carved by the Sulak River in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, and is said to be the deepest canyon in Europe, 53 km long and over 1,900 metres deep. It lies about 55 km west of Makhachkala in a straight line and about 100 km by road. Erosion here has exposed rock layers from the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Tertiary periods, holding ancient fossils. The canyon is Russia's largest nesting site for rare vultures, including griffon and black vultures. The river runs a striking turquoise between towering rock walls, widening in places into a lake behind dams, with bare brown and grey plateaus above and winding roads cut into the walls. Visitors head for viewpoints on the rim and take boats through the narrower lower canyon between the cliffs. The edges are open with no railings in many places, so stay back, and bring water and a hat. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, and non-Russian bank cards may not work, so read the current advice before you plan.
Between cliffs.
On the rim.
Rare nests.
Central Dagestan, Russia
Mostly unfenced, so stay back.
May to October.