Skazka Canyon (Fairy Tale Canyon)
Colourful, wind-carved rock formations on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul that look like castles and creatures.
About
Skazka is a small canyon of red, orange, yellow and cream clay and sandstone, carved by wind and rain into towers, walls and domes. The shapes look like castles, camels, dragons or a sleeping giant, depending on your imagination, and the Russian name means fairy tale.
A walking path winds through the formations, with views over the lake and the snow-capped mountains of the north shore in the distance. It is a pleasant half-hour walk, best in the golden light of late afternoon.
History
The canyon is cut into soft layers of clay, sandstone and other sediments that were laid down over millions of years and tilted by the slow collision of the earth’s plates that built the Tien Shan. Rain, wind and the freeze and thaw of the seasons have eroded the soft rock into the odd shapes visible today, and the process continues, so the formations slowly change. The different colours come from minerals such as iron oxides, which stain the layers red and orange. The name Skazka was given in the Soviet period, when Russian-speaking visitors noticed the fairy-tale look of the place, and it has remained in use. For generations, local herders used the area, and the tracks along the south shore of Issyk-Kul have long carried traders and travellers. Because it lies on the quieter south shore, near the village of Tosor, the canyon sees fewer visitors than the north shore resorts, although it has become a popular stop on the drive around the lake.