Cape Fiolent is located on the southern outskirts of Sevastopol, 10 kilometers from Balaklava. The height of the rocky cliff at Cape Fiolent reaches 150 meters. At the edge of the cape, a pyramidal rock rises above the sea water, similar to an animal`s fang. The rocks at Cape Fiolent are of volcanic origin, as there was an ancient volcano.
2 kilometers east of Cape Fiolent on the high shore is the St. George Monastery. In 2019, the monastery and the area around it were reconstructed, a small garden with viewing points appeared here. It offers the most beautiful view of Cape Fiolent. There is also a descent to the sea by a long staircase of 891 steps, which was called the "Path of Health". This staircase leads to the Jasper Beach at Cape Fiolent.
The length of the Jasper beach reaches 500 meters, it is covered with pebbles. Boats that bring tourists here run between Balaklava and Jasper Beach. The journey time is about 15 minutes. Also, a small ship runs here from Balaklava. The travel time on it reaches 40 minutes. Many tourists come from Balaklava or Sevastopol by car.
The Crimean Mountains range begins at Cape Fiolent, which stretches for 200 kilometers along the Southern coast of Crimea till Feodosia. In the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic era, about 150 million years ago, these lands were under the waters of the ancient Tethys Ocean. Only the Crimean and Caucasian Mountains towered above the water. During this era, two volcanic eruptions occurred on the territory of Crimea. The most powerful volcano in Crimea was the Karadag volcano, which is located near the resort village of Koktebel. The volcano in the vicinity of Cape Fiolent was much weaker, so there was practically nothing left of it, however, the volcanic rock that geologists found here proves its eruption.
Due to volcanic activity, the rock structure differs from the usual composition of the Crimean Mountains. There are layers of yellow and white rock here. Jasper beach has such a name, because semiprecious stones were previously found on it: jasper, carnelian, chalcedony. Now such finds are unlikely, since hundreds of tourists come here every day in the summer. This beach is one of the most popular for tourists vacationing in Balaklava.
There are many legends associated with Cape Fiolent. The ancient Greeks during the colonization of the Crimea from the 6th century BC called it Cape Partenium in honor of the goddess Artemis. The cape is associated with the legend of Iphigenia, who was transferred to this place by the goddess Artemis to become a priestess in her temple. The ancient Greek poet Euripides wrote his famous tragedy "Iphigenia in Tauris" on this topic. Also, on Cape Fiolent there are two free-standing rocks, which are called Orestes and Pylades. Orestes was the brother of Iphigenia, who took her from Taurida and returned her to Greece. Pylades was his cousin.
Another legend tells about the wreck of a Byzantine ship near Cape Fiolent in 891. The ship crashed on the coastal rocks, but the sailors began to pray to St. George the Victorious. On a rock near the shore, Saint George appeared to them, with his hands raised to the sky. After that, the storm immediately subsided. The surviving sailors climbed the rock and found an icon of St. George on it. After that, they founded the St. George Monastery on the shore near the rock. This rock has become an Orthodox shrine of the Crimea. It was called the Rock of the Holy Apparition, and a Worship Cross was installed on the top. The cross was originally made of wood, but it was often broken by storm waves. In 1891, in honor of the millennial foundation of the monastery, a marble cross was installed on the Rock of the Holy Apparition.
In Soviet times, many holiday villages appeared on the high shore of Cape Fiolent, however, the forests on the very outskirts of Cape Fiolent have been preserved. In 1996, the Cape Fiolent Landscape Park was created on this site. Also in Soviet times, a military unit was located on the edge of Cape Fiolent. Then it was disbanded, but the territory remains closed to the public. There is a Tiger Cape near it, where there is an viewing point.
In addition to the most famous Jasper Beach at Cape Fiolent, there are several other wild beaches. To some of them you can go down iron ladders, to others you need to go down steep paths, holding on to a rope. Near Cape Lermontov is the Grotto of Diana, which is a giant natural arch.
