Azure Window, image source: www.pixabay.com
Hello, guys!
If you read the title, you probably already know that today I'll be writing on a travel/nature/rock topic, and I'll talk about rock phenomena by the coast in different countries, including mine. Before you get to know which sites I'm specifically referring to, I'll give you a hint in regards to their locations. These arches or gates are in England, Portugal, Malta, Greece, and Bulgaria. Half of them I visited myself, and the other half are on my must-visit-one-day list... ;)
Why do I want to combine them in a single blog? Because they all share the fact, that are naturally created and formed through time, and have a similar shape. Not to forget - they are really fascinating! Many of such places are shown in movies, music videos, commercials, etc., to add to the atmosphere as there is no better stage than nature itself.
1. Durdle Door, England
image source: www.pixabay.com
I'll start with this arch because it's the northernmost one and it's also a popular and world-known location. It is situated on the Jurassic Coast near Dorset, South England. The arch was formed a long time ago and is located right next to a sandy beach. Since the place is in England the annual average temperature is around 10 °C. The rocks consist of limestone, clay, sands, and at the point where the door stands they reach up to 20 m. At that specific area where Durdle Door was created, the land goes deeper into the sea and the door is a little bit further inside the water. In the area, several bays are available, as the coastline is winding and sharper at some places.
2. Azure Window, Malta
Malta is a tiny island and a country in the Mediterranean Sea, with plenty of tourist opportunities and amazing nature. It actually includes three islands Malta, Gozo, and Comino, but the name of the country is the same as the biggest and most populated island. I'll share about two locations in sunny Malta because it is a country with lots of rock phenomena, and their coastline is mostly rocky, rather than consisting of sandy beaches.
Azure Window in Gozo, Malta
Azure Window is a naturally formed sea arch in the northern island Gozo, part of the country Malta. Situated on the Mediterranean seashore, it is a part of the rocky Maltese coastline. The area is wild, with rocks and heat everywhere. The minimum temperature for Gozo is 10 - 12 °C. The area of Azure Window is outside of any villages and far away from sandy beaches. In a close distance to the arch, one can find high cliffs, lots of bigger and smaller sea caves and the locals also offer the opportunity to pass under the gate with a boat. The height of the arch is 28 m, consisting of limestone with a specific yellowish color. The seawater depth under the gate is around 16 m and the water itself is really clear as the area is not very populated. Malta, and specifically, Gozo are in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea so after the arch is the open sea.
video source: www.youtube.com
The locals claim that it is completely natural and possible in the future, the arch to break at its weakest and narrowest point, and after that, it will not exist in the way we see it today. Through the years the water continually affects and shapes the structure. And as a natural creation and due to its size, there is no way to be fixed by people.
The arch is disintegrating because large pieces of rock have begun to fall from the underside of the arch. The rate suggests that the arch will completely disintegrate within a few years.
3. Blue Grotto, Malta
Blue Grotto is another rock phenomenon in Malta, situated in the south part of the island Malta, near the village Zurrieq. The shape of this arch is different than the one in Gozo - it's rounded and indeed giant. It's again an entire area of rocks, cliffs, holes in the rocks with a particular smooth shape, carved by the seawater. As this natural rock formation is on the biggest island of Malta, it is a bit more populated. In a near distance is the village and one can reach Blue Grotto by walking down an alley. The location is popular not only for sightseeing but also for boat trips and cliff diving, although it's really dangerous if you jump from the top. The highest point stands at 42 m above the water. Blue Grotto in Malta shouldn't be confused with other places. This is a common name, and I noticed there are many places around the world which use it (e.g. Blue Grotto in Capri, Italy).
Blue Grotto (The Arch) in Malta
An interesting fact about Blue Grotto is the crystal clear blue water that can be observed underneath the arch. This particular color is caused by the reflection of the sunlight on the rocks and the water, creating unique seawater colors and tints of the blue color. Being extremely clear and transparent, everything on the sea bottom and in the water can be easily seen during a boat trip.
Sea caves at Blue Grotto, Malta
4. Benagil Sea Cave, Portugal
image source: www.google.com
This is one of the places I've never been to but plan to visit one day. However, I have no idea when that will happen as Portugal is too far away and I usually choose closer locations for my trips. The rock formation I'm referring to is Benagil Cave on the shore of South Portugal. Although the rock structure is considered a sea cave, and not exactly an arch, I definitely want to mention it here because this place is really popular and known by many people. The entire coastline is full of sea caves of different sizes, and most of them are accessible only by boat. I can only imagine how exciting would be a trip like that. The things which really grab me about Benagil Cave are the beach, located inside the cave, and the color of the rocks. This location is ranked high by many companies for being one of the best natural sites in the world.
video source: www.youtube.com
5. Zakynthos, Greece
image source: www.pixabay.com
Zakynthos is an island in the west of Greece, with beautiful beaches, huge cliffs by the seashore and of course, sea caves and arches. There are so many that I'm not sure if it's right to count them. Zakynthos is situated in the Ionian Sea. One of the many magnificent tourist attractions on the island is the Blue Caves. Their location is the northern part of the island near Cape Skinari. Not all of them are accessible for tourists, but it is possible to visit some of the caves with a boat. They are called the Blue Caves due to the particular color of the water inside the caves. This attraction is also famous for diving and boat trips.
image source: www.pixabay.com
6. Tyulenovo, Bulgaria
The beach in Tyulenovo, Bulgaria
As I'm a Bulgarian, I can't miss the opportunity to mention the rock arches in Tyulenovo. Tyulenovo is a village in the north seaside (the Black Sea) of Bulgaria, which has a tiny beach and lots of rocks. The high cliffs create one bigger and one smaller arches, as well as many different shapes and formations in the sea. In fact, I didn't even know this place exists until one or two years ago, because it is very far from me, and I never actually had the chance to hear about it. But it's indeed a superb location. The height of the arch is around 15 - 16 m. It looks a lot like Azure Window in Malta, but the size is quite smaller, and the color of the rocks is darker. A restaurant is available on the beach, so one can enjoy a view of the cliffs over a coffee or lunch.
The sea arch in Tyulenovo
All such places naturally attract thousands of tourists for a variety of reasons - spending a nice holiday, diving, boat trips, swimming, jumping from the high rocks, etc. What's a bit scary is that from time to time incidents happen, where people get injured, mainly because they didn't take the necessary precautions when attempting to practice these activities. And it's important to pay attention and measure the risk plus your capabilities when dealing with nature. It might be a lot of fun to jump from the rocks, but it's also as dangerous, and the result can't always be completely predicted, especially when the weather is a factor.
I'm fully aware of the fact, that these six sites are just a little portion of all miracles of nature formed near the waterfront. The coastline is full of rocks and caves with similar shapes and colors. But I wanted to mention places I either visited, or plan to go in the future. I hope you enjoyed my blog.
Thanks so much!
- NinaB
