Description of the attraction
One of the natural attractions of the outskirts of Antalya is the incredible beauty of the Duden waterfalls. The group of waterfalls is formed by the Duden River - the main river in the south of Antalya and at the same time one of the countless rivers of the Taurus. In several cascades it falls down the limestone tuff ledges of Antalya. Rivers, originating in the Taurus mountains, flow down the surfaces of the slopes or seethe right inside the rocks. Making a rather long journey, they crash into the Mediterranean Sea. The number of waterfalls is more than two dozen. Numerous excursions are organized to them, and an unforgettable panorama of the waterfalls can be appreciated from the nearby recreation area.
Few people know that such beauty is not only a natural phenomenon, but also partly the work of human hands. Many irrigation canals were dug during the time of Murat Pasha. Small streams of water from them flowed down the rocks directly into the sea, so Antalya has long been called the city of waterfalls. Now these waterfalls are part of the existing karst and hydrogeological system.
Kirkgözler and Pinarbashi - these are the names of two large karst springs of the Duden River. They are located on the 28th and 30th kilometers of the old Antalya-Burdur road. These streams merge into one and disappear into the big karst funnel of Biyikli. Hiding from human eyes, the river passes 14 km underground and appears on the surface only in the Warsaw depression. Then, flowing quite a bit over the surface, the stream again hides under the ground, and after 2 km under pressure it comes to the surface in Dyudenbashi. The Kepezhsky hydropower complex is located at the entrance and exit to Düdenbashi. There is also an artificial cascade. This whole procedure is carried out using a special control system. It is built opposite the Biyikli funnel and directs the waters of the Kirgözler and Pinarbasi springs through a long canal to the Kepeza hydroelectric plant in the catchment. From here, water flows through a pipe with pressure to the plant's turbines. From the unloading section of the plant, water rushes along a long canal back to Düdenbashi, where it forms artificial cascades.
The largest waterfalls are called Upper and Lower Duden. Upper Duden falls from the cliff in two streams into the deep bowl of the lake. The rocks, on which the water flows, have an emerald hue, thanks to the beautiful moss carpet. There is a cave right behind the waterfall, where you can walk and admire the streams of water from the inside. It is rather damp and dripping from the ceiling, but in the depths of the cave there is a huge hall with a kind of hole in the vault through which you can see a piece of the sky. There is a strange formation at the bottom of the cave, it seems that a red-hot meteorite flew in here and froze in petrified splashes, hitting the floor. They say that if you tie a string around one of the stone splash horns and make a wish, it will certainly come true.
The waterfall is surrounded by a large number of convenient viewing platforms. Here, sitting on a bench, you can enjoy the view of the magnificent plants of the park, to which the river gives its life-giving moisture and coolness, or the pleasant sound of a waterfall. There is a light and pleasant aroma of conifers in the air. It is interesting to watch the seething water while standing on a wooden suspension bridge. Walking in the shade of gorgeous trees along the river, you can admire wild ducks swimming in crystal clear water. There are a lot of cozy cafes in the park where you can have tasty and inexpensive food, and if you have brought food with you, you should have a picnic on the grass right next to the river. Residents of Antalya often come here on holidays and weekends and consider this place to be ideal for a family pastime.
The cascade starts 12 km northeast of Antalya and ends with the magnificent Lower Duden waterfall, falling from a high rocky cliff into the Mediterranean Sea. It is a delightful sight and is located 8 kilometers from Antalya on the way to Lara Beach. You can see Lower Duden while still on the plane, while approaching Antalya airport. Smiling radiantly with the tints of a rainbow, he is the first to warmly welcome tourists with the noisy streams of its crystal clear waters.
This waterfall is the largest waterfall in the world falling into the sea. Its height reaches 50 meters. The fresh streams of the river, breaking into the open arms of the Mediterranean Sea (the water of the Mediterranean Sea is one of the saltiest in the world - 39%), create a loud noise that spreads for kilometers.
There is a wonderful recreation area near the waterfall, which is a National Park. For the convenience of tourists, there are cafes, benches, sheds, an observation deck. Lower Duden looks best in the afternoon, when the wind blows from the side of the Old Town. At this time, the rays of the sun seem to play with jets of water and create the illusion of a scattering of precious stones. A semicircle of rainbow hangs over the waterfall.
The waterfall looks very beautiful from the side of the sea. To see this spectacle, it is better to come here by boat or yacht from the side of the harbor. Numerous ships with tourists arrive here to admire the waterfall from the sea. Locals say that this is the perfect place for family vacations and picnics, so they try to come back here from time to time.
For romantics, night walks to the waterfall are also suitable. At this time of day, the bright lights of the city and the vault of the starry sky hanging overhead add to the mystery of the seething stream. If you drive a few more kilometers, you can go down to the beach and swim in the night sea.
Reviews
| All reviews 5 acantov 2011-28-11 1:13:13 AM
Duden II is the most majestic, the most affordable and the most free! The most accessible - from Lara, Nazar and even Sera, you can at least walk on foot, from the Venice-Kremlin-Titanics - it's easy and quick to take a taxi.
The most free - because they did not have time to impose turnstiles, like the others.
The most majestic - undoubtedly, to make sure it is enough to drive up yourself
