Hospitable and sunny Armenia traditionally attracts tourists with delicious dolma, juicy kebab, young pomegranate wine, strong cognac and, of course, a rich cultural and historical heritage. For people who are not personally familiar with Armenia, the only natural attractions that come to mind in the republic are Lake Sevan, the largest and most popular body of water in the Caucasus. But on the territory of this compact country there are other points worthy of tourist attention – picturesque waterfalls are scattered throughout Armenia. Some of them are difficult to access and require special preparation when visiting, others are easy to reach by car, but all of them are certainly worth seeing.
How to get there
To get to Armenia, Russian citizens do not need a visa or even a foreign passport, and a return ticket from Moscow will cost only 12,000 rubles*. To see the most beautiful waterfalls, it is best to rent a car. The rental price starts from 2100 rubles* per day. To visit all the waterfalls discussed in the article, you will need at least four days.
Torchekan Waterfall
Torchekan is located three hours from Yerevan on the border between Shirak and Lori regions (40.9163366, 44.1157773). This powerful 23-meter cascading waterfall on the Chichkhan River, surrounded by lush greenery and relief rocks in the warm season, is reminiscent of the landscapes of Iceland.
It owes its name to trout, which at the time of spawning goes against the current and jumps out of the water right above the falling streams, which is why “trchkan” is translated from Armenian as “jump”. And the waterfall area is the habitat of many rare birds listed in the Red Book, which sing in voices unusual for the Russian ear.
The road from Yerevan or Gyumri is convenient, it reaches almost to Torchekan itself, even a passenger car can pass along it without any problems. Not far from the waterfall you can see Chichkhanavank – the most ancient sanctuary in the Lori region, dating back to the 7th century.
Jermuk and Shaki
Jermuk (39.8365564, 45.6681759) and Shaki (39.5518789, 45.9931415) waterfalls are located away from Yerevan to the east, so they can be visited in one day, provided that the departure is early.
Jermuk is a unique waterfall for Armenia: the fact is that it is located in the center of a small town of the same name and is its main attraction. The city itself is a famous high-altitude balneological resort, which is famous for its healing mineral water and hot springs. It may seem surprising, but the waters of the 68-meter cascade remain icy even in the summer heat. Strictly speaking, Jermuk is more like a waterfall: along one of the steep slopes of the Arpi gorge, which divides the entire city in half, hissing and wriggling, water flows down in streams, reminiscent of long, scattered hair. Therefore, the second name of the waterfall is “Mermaid Hair”. Having risen from the gorge, you can stroll through the resort part of the city and try mineral water in the gallery.
If Jermuk is an urban waterfall, gentrified, then its neighbor Shaki (just an hour and a half leisurely drive to the east) is wild and free, although it works according to a schedule. Quite small, about 30 meters wide and 18 meters high, this picturesque waterfall scatters along the steep slope with a wall of thundering jets during the hours when the hydroelectric power station upstream of the river is not operating. Usually, regardless of the season, Shaky can be found “on” before 11 am and after five pm. In the era of free travel, this pretty waterfall was very loved by foreign tourists, as it is convenient and easy to get to: a car can pass one and a half kilometers from the highway to the organized parking along a country road, and leaving the car, you need to walk another 400 meters along the path. Not far from Shaka there is an ancient observatory “Stone Bouquet”, more than 6000 years old. Locals call it the Armenian Stonehenge because of the stone forms similar to the British monument. In addition, in the area of the waterfall you can discover and carefully explore many Paleolithic caves and grottoes. And a trip to Jermuk and Shaki is successfully combined with a visit to the high-mountain monastery of Tatev, which is located 60 kilometers from the second waterfall.
Waterfalls of the Gegaroth River
Another full day will be spent walking to the waterfalls of the Gegharot River. This small river, only 28 kilometers long, originates from the crater of Mount Aragats and in its flow forms several beautiful cascades, which are the highest waterfalls in Armenia. The largest of them, about 17 meters high, is usually called Gegarot waterfall (40.4998336, 44.2063869). The milky yellow color of the water is explained by the large amount of clay and looks very contrasting against the background of the burgundy-red stones of its bed. Downstream there is another small waterfall, and the landscapes around are mesmerizing with their beauty: it is not for nothing that Aragats is considered the favorite and most visited place in Armenia among fans of hiking tours and mountain climbing. The journey to Gegharot from Yerevan by car will take about an hour; you must specify Lake Kari as your destination. You can leave your car there and continue on foot. The route does not seem difficult, but still requires some experience and preparation. It is worth noting that in winter the waterfall freezes, and the path to it becomes several times more difficult and dangerous, so you can safely add it to the route only in the warm season.
Vahagn and Astghik waterfalls
Surprisingly, such a small country as Armenia has more than two dozen national parks and state reserves. One of them, the oldest in the world, is the Khosrov Forest, located in the province of Ararat, which houses many cultural heritage monuments on its territory, including the famous Garni Temple and the ancient Kakavaberd fortress. In addition, there are four waterfalls on its territory, but tourists are more often attracted by two of them – Vahagn (40.0906380, 44.8121565) and Astghik (40.0893366, 44.8168863), named after ancient pagan gods and located several hundred meters from each other. The first, which received the name of the god of thunder and war, falls in a narrow powerful stream from a steep cliff about 10 meters high and breaks on the flat rocks below. Astghik, named after the goddess of beauty and fertility, is smoother, rapids, flowing down stone steps formed by a rocky slope into a transparent pool at the foot. The waterfall is surrounded by greenery of trees and bushes leaning towards the streams. You can only get to Vahagn and Astghik on foot, as vehicle traffic is prohibited within the reserve.
Kasakh waterfall
Those who find themselves in Armenia in the spring will have a unique chance to look at the disappeared waterfall – Kasakhsky (40.3363128, 44.3910527). Once the highest in Armenia, today, due to the construction of a hydroelectric power station, it flows through a pipe most of the year. But the spring spillway refills the dry riverbed, and from the 70-meter height of the picturesque gorge, stormy noisy streams rush down into the Kasakh River.
A country of high mountains, deep gorges and turbulent rivers, Armenia has about thirty waterfalls. Visiting some of them is a must for anyone who wants to get to know the rich and beautiful nature of this land.
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*Prices valid at time of publication
