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Aktovskyi Canyon is a unique natural complex. It is located on the Mertvovod River, near the Aktove village of Voznesensky district in Mykolaiv region. Canyon occupies an area of over 250 hectares. Granite rocks up to 50 meters in height. Aktovsky Canyon - is a unique combination of flora with an ensemble of the cliffs and granite boulders. The Canyon is the only one in Europe, which according to its geological and landscape indicators resembles to the famous canyons of North America, but only in miniature. It appeared on a split of a huge granite shield, on which the region is based on. The natural complex of Aktovskyi canyon is a part of the National Natural Park Buzkyi Gard. Curving streaming of the Mertvovod riverbed, amazing beauty of the granite and basalt cliffs and the unique nature, attract many tourists, climbers, photographers, fans of ecotourism and extreme sports. The unique natural conditions contribute to the formation of the ecosystems, which are not typical for this area. Hundreds of species of plants, many of which are listed in the Red Book, such as wild mountain tulips are growing here.
Between the high cliffs of the Aktovskyi canyon the small Mertvovod river meanders, which received its name not by chance. Researchers think that the name is unchanged since the Scythian times, and they believe that with the flow of the Mertvovod the Scythian rulers were sent to the last journey of their life. There are also legends that tell about the battle of the Cossacks with the Turks, after which the river water could not be seen because of the dead bodies. Herodotus called the river Eksampey, which literally means dead water. Scientists have linked the name of the river with the presence of large amounts of hydrogen sulfide in its waters. In addition to all sorts of stories and legends associated with this place, one of the main attractions is its unique and unrestrained wild beauty. Without a doubt, Aktovskyi Canyon has a special historical, aesthetic and ecological value.
Aktovskyi canyon is called the Little Crimea because of the similarity to the granite-basalt rocks and boulders in the Crimea. Unlike the traditional Ukrainian steppe, landscapes of the Aktovskyi canyon conquer with its beauty. It is one of the most beautiful and unusual places in Mykolayiv region.