Cikola Canyon

The Cikola cuts a canyon up to about 170 metres deep through the karst between Drnis and its junction with the Krka, with vertical walls, caves in the faces and a bed that in a dry summer holds only pools. That seasonality is normal here - the river depends on rain and the karst swallows what it gets - and it means the canyon can be walked in the bed itself in late summer and is impassable in spring. Griffon vultures and eagle owls use the walls. The lower part falls inside Krka national park. The Nos Kalik viewpoint and the ruined Kljucica fortress above the canyon are the usual objectives.

What you actually see

• Walls up to 170 metres - vertical limestone with caves in the faces.
• A bed that dries out - pools only in a hot summer.
• Kljucica fortress above - a ruin on the canyon rim.
• Vultures and eagle owls - nesting on the walls.

When to go

April to June and September to October; midsummer is too hot for the descents. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Paths down are steep, rough and unmarked in places. There is no water and no shade in the canyon. Flash rises after rain are dangerous in the bed. The area was mined in the 1990s in parts - stay on established routes.

Nearby

Krka national park is downstream; Drnis is north.