Crimean Mountains General Information

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The Crimean Mountains represent a range of mountains running parallel to the south coast of Crimea. Toward the west, the mountains drop steeply to the Black Sea, and to the east, they transform into a steppe landscape.
Crimean Mountains consist of three subranges. The highest is the Main range. Main range is subdivided into several massifs, known as yaylas or mountain plateaus (Yayla is Crimean Tatar word for “Alpine Meadow”). They are:
* Baydar Yayla
* Ay-Petri Yayla
* Yalta Yayla
* Nikita Yayla
* Gurzuf Yayla
* Babugan Yayla
* Chatyr-Dag Yayla
* Dologorukovskaya Yayla
* Demirji Yayla
* Karabi Yayla

The Crimea’s highest peak is the Roman-Kosh on the Babugan Yayla, 1545 m above sea level.
The most important passes over the Crimean Mountains are:
* Angarskyi Pass near Perevalne village, on the road from Alushta to Simferopol
* Baydar Pass near Foros, connecting Baydar Valley and the sea coast
* Laspi Pass near Cape Aya, on the road from Yalta to Sevastopol.

Crimea has several types of wildlife preserves.

Zapovednik (заповедник):
Crimean Nature Reserve near Alushta;
Yalta Mountain Nature Reserve;
Cape Martyan near Yalta;
Karadag Wildlife Reserve in South-Eastern Crimea;
Kazantip Wildlife Reserve in North-Eastern Crimea;
Opuk Wildlife Reserve in North-Eastern Crimea.

Zakaznik (заказник)
Arabatsky (Leninsky region)
Astaninskie Plavni (Leninsky region)
Au-Dag mountain (Alushta region)
Crimean Great Canyon (Bahchisarai region)
Karabi (Belogorsk region)
Kanaka (Sudak region)
Kerkinitsky (Razdolnensky, Krasnoperekopsk regions)
Kacha canyon (Bahchisarai region)
Kubalach (Belogorsk region)
Karst Region (Belogorsk region)
Haphal (Alushta region)
“Crying rock” (Simferopol region)
Novy Svet (Sudak region)

Nature monuments:
Agarmush forest (Stary Krum region)
Belbek canyon (Bahchisarai region)
Ak-Kaya, White Rock (Belogorsk region)
Koshka, Cat mountain (Yalta region)
Karauloba (Sudak region)
Karatau mountain (Alushta region)
Karabi (Belogorsk region)
Kizilkoba, Red Cave (Simferopol region)
Dzhautepe (Leninsky region)
Demerdzi (Alushta region)
Mangup Kale (Bahchisarai region)
Karasubashi (Belogorsk region)

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