Blue lagoon and dark cave Phu Kham. Blue Lagoon (Cyprus): two attractions under the same name Blue Lagoon Cave

In the morning we began to think about options, how to go wild in the river. Options - tubing, waterfalls, kayaks. Kayak tours cost from 90,000 kip per person and for the whole day. We have not signed up. We had breakfast in a familiar cafe, handed over things to the laundry service. We went to find out the conditions of tubing, but the owner of the base of inflated cameras was not at all friendly. He was not going to talk, but with a stern face he poked at the rental rules. You leave 60,000 kip as a deposit, 35,000 kip costs the rental itself. You are taken upstream and you float
to the city. Lost the camera - a fine, sailed later than 18-00 - also a fine. Yah you. Let's go to the waterfall.

But first you need to move to a more decent hotel. We found one with a room on the 4th floor. Transported things on bikes. We went to find out from the tuk-tuk drivers where the waterfall was. The driver said that there was no water in the waterfall. And he offered to go to the Blue Lagoon. We believed him, it seems that he is not lying about the waterfall. And we ourselves knew where the Blue Lagoon is located. Ksyushka read about it in Lonely Planet in the evening. Only 6 km from the city. Get on your bikes and go. On the bridge we were charged 6,000 kip for the fare. In order not to pay, it is worth walking along a hanging bamboo bridge, and then along the coast to reach the desired path in the direction of Blue Lagoon. There are signs all over the way, the path is dusty. Therefore, every passing tuk-tuk or motorcycle leaves a dusty cloud.

On the way we met a guy from Moscow - Sergey. He heard Russian speech and approached us himself. Sergey has been traveling in Southeast Asia for 4 months already. Went away for cold weather to warmer climes. He scrutinizes every place. Spends at least 3-4 days on each. Not like we. We gallop. We have only 2 weeks vacation.

We arrived at the lagoon, this is such a backwater on a mountain river, where, indeed, there is a blue bottom and fish swim. You can jump from a tree or a rope. Nearby is a snack bar and a large meadow for felting and sunbathing. Awesome, what more do you need.
Well, Petka immediately ran to jump. And then Sergei came, he walked and therefore appeared later. He said that there is a cave here and it is quite interesting. What a news. I have never been in a real cave, you can not miss this. We packed our things, rented a flashlight and started climbing. Be sure to take a flashlight. It is better to have your own, but powerful. There are strange holes in the caves that lead to nowhere. Deep or not, we have not tested. And in the evening, it is unlikely that anyone will find you there until you start to stink.

The entrance is at an altitude of more than 100 meters. They climbed up the stairs. A lot of light enters the huge hall and the Buddha lies in the big hall. But if you go deep into the cave, then the most interesting begins. Light no longer reaches here, vaults of various shapes, stalactites hang down and sometimes have very sharp edges. But if you shine a light on them, then quartz begins to shine. In the very depths of the cave, where it is dark and nothing is visible, and it seems that few people come here.
So in the very depths on the walls there are inscriptions. Like Seryoga and the FGU 2005 group were here. DMB 2012 and others, only in local incomprehensible language. To write a meaningless inscription is inherent in every person.
We now swear, and it is precisely such low-quality art that we are grateful for when exploring ancient caves. And those who will live 10 thousand years after us will understand what we cared about, what we were interested in, how we lived.

In the cave, by the way, it is not cold at all. But when you go outside, it is unusual to look at the sunlight. We again went swimming and jumping from a tree. But an hour later the people became more and more and we decided to return to the city. In addition, Petka wanted to eat.
The way back was simple and familiar, on the way we were met by strings of tuk-tuks carrying new vacationers to the Blue Lagoon. We appreciated that we went there
in the morning and did not find the influx of tourists.

We all had lunch at the same familiar cafe. I also drank beer. During the day we lay in the room, and only in the evening we went for a walk along the embankment. All the tourists also landed in cafes along the coast and drank cocktails and beer. The last batches of carcasses on cameras sailed to the city from the tubing. Despite the fact that all the bars on the river seemed to have been removed, the guys came staggering. And well rested. All the same, they did not have time to hand over their cameras until 18-00.

We walked to the other side of the river, looked at various bungalows, met the sunset. We met Sergei again and went to dinner together.

We stopped at another cafe, ate and drank milk shakes with banana and orange again. Sergey told how he was in Angkor and other cool places, where we definitely won’t have time.
We went to a couple of travel agencies and asked about the bus to Pakse. Everyone said that with bikes it would be difficult for us to get on the bus. And it is better to find out everything at the bus station. And that the bus will not go immediately to Pakse, but there will be a transfer in Vientiane. I decided that in the morning at the station I would find out everything myself.

Who doesn't dream of being the subject of a commercial filmed on a tropical island? Fine white sand, clear blue sky, azure warm sea... It seems like an unattainable dream. But in fact, all this exists, and getting there is not so difficult. For example, you can visit a place called the Blue Lagoon (Cyprus). How to get there? Now we'll find out.

Blue Lagoon

Cyprus itself is beautiful for a variety of types of recreation. There are hiking trails, beautiful beaches, numerous restaurants, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and, of course, interesting natural sites. There are, for example, two attractions from this category under the same name - the Blue Lagoon. It is possible that there are a dozen more places in the world with exactly the same name. The purest water, sand or stones, endless sea - what other name to give such an attraction? It is no wonder that both tourists and locals flock to these places. Everyone wants to swim or at least just look and take pictures as a keepsake. In Cyprus, they are located on opposite ends of the island, so you can get there if you wish within a couple of hours from almost anywhere.

Both bays have a rocky shore, perhaps that is why the water there is crystal clear, and it seems that even through a thickness of several meters you can see the bottom. In terms of beauty, both places are not inferior to each other, but still the Blue Lagoon (Cyprus, Ayia Napa) is better known to tourists and more popular. This does not detract from the beauty of the other bay, but it is more difficult to access and is located in places where not all tourists get to. So where exactly are they located?

Location

Ironically, both blue lagoons are located on opposite ends of the island - they are separated by about two hundred kilometers and 3.5 hours by car. A more popular bay is located east of Ayia Napa, and with a smaller influx of tourists - north of the Akamas peninsula, in the Paphos region, near the city of Polis. Usually travelers arrive at the island's largest airport in Larnaca, so the western part of Cyprus is traditionally a little less in demand, since charter flights usually land in the local air harbor.

Pathos

In the north-west of Cyprus, there is a huge national park that occupies an entire peninsula. The vast mountain area is covered with forests and in some places cut through by roads to the main attraction - the cape of the Fountain of Amaros, where, according to legend, Aphrodite watered her lovers from a special source. Now it is believed that those who try the water from there will soon fall in love. True, the legend does not say whether the feeling will be mutual, so all attempts are at your own peril and risk. You can drive to the local Blue Lagoon by car or taxi. Public transport will only take you to the village of Latchi, next to which are the so-called baths of Aphrodite, and then you have to get there on foot, which is more than 6 kilometers. So you should either go as part of an organized tour, or rent a car, bike or buggy.

Ayia Napa

Unfortunately, this Blue Lagoon (Cyprus) does not have a developed transport infrastructure - buses do not come here. However, taxi drivers go here willingly, you can also often meet tourists on bicycles and buggies - it's not far from the nearest settlement. Cape Greco is visited, perhaps, by all vacationers in Ayia Napa, Protaras or Pernera, when after a week sandy beaches get a little bored. Here, by the way, you can also swim, although the coast is high and rocky - the descent is equipped with a convenient ladder, but you should swim carefully - it is quite deep here, and children are unlikely to like it. This place is especially beautiful during sunrise - the first rays of the sun appear from behind the sea, and it's just magical.

Well, does everyone who is going to Cyprus soon want to visit these sights? Well, of course, because such beauty cannot leave anyone indifferent. How to get to places called the Blue Lagoon (Cyprus)?

How to get there?

If you travel around the island by rental car, the easiest way is to use a navigator or an application on your smartphone. However, even with a map it is quite difficult to get lost. That Blue Lagoon (Cyprus), which is located in the southeast of the island, near Cape Greco, literally attracts tourists from all nearby towns - Protaras, Pernera, Paralimni, Ayia Napa, etc. The road that leads here is so and is called - Cavo Greco. As you get closer to your destination, you will see more and more special brown signs - they indicate places of interest to tourists. It is difficult to miss the lagoon itself - there is a small shop on wheels here, a large number of cars are parked.

As for the second bay, near Latchi, it is definitely difficult to get lost here if you enter the national park. Both roads (from the south and from the east) are called the same - Fontana Amarosa, and lead to the sights of the same name. A little east of this bay, 10 minutes walk, and there will be the second Blue Lagoon (Cyprus). The photos from there are simply magnificent, they will remind you of the trip for a long time to come.

What else to watch?

There is still a lot of interesting things on the island, so you should not get hung up on one or two attractions. Monasteries and churches in the mountains, caves along the coast, Cape Greco, snow-white beaches between Larnaca and Limassol, Neolithic houses in Choirokitia, the beach where, according to legend, Aphrodite emerged from the sea foam - there is something entertaining near each city, it was wish. Of course, it is most convenient to travel around the island by car, but not everyone, of course, wants to drive in a country with left-hand traffic - it can be very difficult if you are not used to it. But even without going far from your hotel, you can fully enjoy nature and change of scenery.

blue cave(other names: Blue Grotto, Plava Spilja, Plav Shpilya) we visited as part of. The weather was excellent, and the sea was slightly rough. The first part of the tour with a visit to the city took place on the Pajo boat. We sat on the bow and enjoyed the surrounding scenery. Then we moved to two small boats.

It was quite interesting to jump from ship to boat right into the sea.

If the weather is good, we strongly advise you to quickly pass on the bow of the boat. There you can sit down, hang your legs overboard and enjoy not only the sun, but also the waves splashing you. Feelings are really fantastic, you feel like a hero of a terribly expensive movie. Good memories will definitely stay with us for the rest of our lives.

Luxury yachts sail by, feet touch the warm sea water, the boat rushes past small islands, grottoes and towns. I would like to say that it was just surprisingly warm - we did not freeze at all.

It will be most pleasant to ride on the bow of the boat: hang your legs and enjoy the sun and waves

All the way to the Blue Cave, we enjoyed the rocking, landscapes (and we had the best view of all) and sea spray with great pleasure. We got to the cave almost wet from head to toe, but with a surprisingly positive mood.

For this reason, there will be few photos - we were afraid to wet and ruin the phones.

Note: you may not get into the Blue Cave if the excitement is very strong (this happened with our friends). The cave is rather low. Literally half a meter remains at the entrance between the ceiling and the boat. In bad weather, the boat simply will not be able to swim inside.

On the way to blue cave there are several small grottoes, which are often confused with the cave itself. Tourists enthusiastically consider them. And every time they pass by with disappointment. blue cave - the largest and most beautiful grotto in these places.

Our boat entered the cave, almost drawing a canopy on the arch of the entrance (the photos are not ours, so it turned out what it is)

We don't have any photos inside the cave, but we found something better: a panorama that will allow you to appreciate the Blue Cave inside.

Blue Cave: what's special?

• Firstly, the water in the Blue Cave is really very blue. Simply unrealistically bright, beautiful and rich shade. This is because the sun's rays are refracted in a special way and illuminate the water from the outside. It creates the effect that the water glows from the depths.
• Secondly, the water here is very salty, and therefore it will be easy to swim even for completely inexperienced swimmers.
• Thirdly, oddly enough, the water in the Blue Cave seemed surprisingly warm to us. I think that's how the contrast between cool air and warm water worked.
• And the last thing: in some places the depth here exceeds 45 meters - people even dive with scuba gear.

There are also disadvantages. There will be quite a lot of tourists here and you will be able to swim in literally 10-15 minutes, and the cave will have to be divided.

Advice: swimming vests are not issued here, so if you get tired, grab the buoys and ropes hanging along the boat.

It goes without saying that with such a limited time for swimming, we practically did not take pictures (then we had not yet come up with the idea to create this blog)

Map:

So that you can orient yourself, we will add a small map where we marked all the places that we mentioned: Blue Cave and Mamula Island.

And for those who are uncomfortable using the map from Google, we offer its own picture:

Map where we have plotted the main attractions in the area: Zanjic beach, Herceg Novi, Blue Cave, Mamula Island March 3, 2014

The Blue Lagoon geothermal resort is a fabulous, incredibly beautiful place on the map of Iceland. This amazing lake with water, the hue of which combines a mixture of milk and incredible blueness, attracts a large number of tourists to its expanses. Many guests of this Icelandic resort come here more than once.

The most famous spa resort in Iceland

The healing properties of water were discovered quite by accident. Employees of a thermal power plant located near the lake, after bathing in it, began to notice that their health improved, both hair and nails grew faster, excess weight was lost, skin was cleansed of various rashes.

Observations confirmed their guesses. As eyewitnesses say, one patient with psoriasis, walking next to a hot one, slipped and fell into the water. Healing water worked wonders - the disease receded after a while. Then the city authorities called scientists to study the properties that this reservoir has.

Healing water of the Blue Lagoon

Studies have shown that milky blue water contains various salts, minerals, clay, algae, and quartz. The temperature in the lake is kept at +37 degrees. The hydrogen content indicator is 7.5%. And the content of mineral salts is almost 2.5%.

Under such conditions, with a large tourist flow (up to 300 thousand per year), a huge amount of various bacteria should appear in the lake. But the Blue Lagoon holds another secret - there are no bacteria here! This is another confirmation that the wonders of nature keep many puzzles and mysteries.

Geothermal water helps to get rid of extra pounds, defeat cellulite, treats skin diseases. Various mineral salts have a beneficial effect on the entire body. Blue and greener algae, quartz has miraculous properties. White clay, which covers the bottom of the lake, helps to get rid of problems of the skin of the face and body.

Relax in one of the best spa resorts in Europe

The complex, located next to a geothermal lake, includes a clinic, a spa center, a restaurant, a shop that sells excellent Blue Lagoon cosmetics, developed on the basis of local water, clay and mineral salts.

Guests of the "Blue Lagoon" can take a course of spa treatments, which includes: body wraps based on algae, salt peeling, lymphatic drainage, various types of massage, mud baths. The Blue Lagoon line of cosmetics works real miracles, making the skin smooth and velvety, smoothing out wrinkles and cleansing the surface of the body from scales and growths.

Patients of the dermatological clinic can stay in a room that meets all requirements. The conclusion of the attending physician is obligatory, which recommends treatment in this sanatorium-resort complex. Already after a week of taking the first procedures, there is a significant improvement in the patient's skin diseases.

The nature around this wonderful corner of nature also helps healing. Rocky coast, amazing, fumaroles, hot springs, fields covered with volcanic lava. And also - a noisy, colorful bird market, where many species of birds are found.

The Blue Lagoon is a magnificent spa resort that has won the honorary Blue Flag award many times. This sign means recognition of this complex as one of the most environmentally friendly places on Earth. And in 2005, the magnificent Blue Lagoon was awarded the title of The Best Thermal Spa and Medical Complex in the World! Pride - a wonderful SPA complex is always happy to welcome guests.

What could be more beautiful - to bask in a warm lake with azure water and admire the northern lights sparkling in the sky above the huge rocks ...

Blue Lagoon in Iceland photo