Canyon is located in the South Kazakhstan, 195 km from Almaty, near the Chinese border. The National park on its territory was created on 23 of February, 2004.Canyon was formed by the Charyn River, flowing from the south of Tien-Shan. The picturesque snowy Alatau Mountains are seen from the top. Beautiful wide Ili and Sugatin valleys spread along the canyon.The layered massif is 154 meters high. Red clay walls are covered in deep wrinkles and ravines. A numerous beams and gullies create dense and chaotic net.Charyn climate is sharply continental. The average annual temperature is 5 degrees. The hottest month is July – 27 degrees. In the coldest month, a temperature doesn’t go higher than 6 degrees.The local flora and fauna are diverse, despite the dry and deserted surroundings. Tall poplars and violet tamarisks grow from cracks. The seventeen local plants are in the Red Book of Kazakhstan.The foot of the mountain is a habitat for foxes and wolves. Sky is occupied by falcons, eagles and golden eagles. Charyn is the home of lizards as well – a cottonmouth, coluber and dice snake.The famous “Valley of Castles” is 2 km long and located a bit further, 200 km from Almaty. This is the best spot to observe this unique, washed away by wind and time, sandy landscape. The rocky and indented scenery runs in the middle of a deserted steppe.A stream fresh wind is blowing from the mountain tops. Reed, saxaul and sedge are hiding in the rocks. An aromatic relict ash plant has survived the glaciation and now grows in the river valley. In 1964 it became the UNESCO natural heritage. The only similar one is situated in North America. The Asian poplar is rising nearby.The best view opens at dawn – red clay from the rock towers, formed by wind, modulates in pink shades. This scenery attracts tourists from all over the world. There are not many similar surfaces, covered in grottos and cracks, in the world.
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