Sheitan Dere (the “Devil’s Canyon”)

Sheitan Dere (the “Devil’s Canyon”) is a dramatic gorge carved by the Arda River immediately below the wall of Studen Kladenets Dam in Kardzhali Province, about 2 km from Rabovo village in the Eastern Rhodopes. The canyon is squeezed between steep, overhanging cliffs made of extremely hard volcanic rock—solidified lava linked to the long-extinct St. Iliya volcano. In the bedrock the river has drilled dozens of cylindrical potholes known locally as “abrazivni kladentsi” or “sharapani”, created by swirling water and pebbles during high flow; some reach about 8 m across and impressive depths. Along roughly 1 km you can also spot deep hollows and clefts (3–25 m), giving the landscape an otherworldly, almost lunar look.