Debed Canyon

Debed Canyon is in Northern Armenia region of Armenia. There are two cities along the river at the bottom of the canyon, and a good number of villages that are mainly on the plain that is atop the canyon walls. Alaverdi is the biggest city in the region by far. It is known for the large copper mine that operated for many years, and is a pretty industrial city. Tumanyan is the other city of the canyon, in a central part of it. This attractive settlement with a nice square is at the crossroads of many hiking trails and located right across from Kobayr Monastery, though is more of a small town than a city.

Understand
This deep river canyon, studded with historic sites, hiking trails and green fields and hills is quickly becoming a popular destination. It is located halfway between Yerevan and Tbilisi.

History
Inhabited for millennia, this canyon saw a golden age in between the 9-12th centuries. On the border between Armenia and Georgia, it changed hands a few times over the centuries, which the monastery inscriptions show.

Landscape
With cliffs towering up to 350m above the Debed river, and a flat plain on top of the cliffs, followed by forested mountains, the landscapes of the Debed Canyon are exciting and diverse.

Flora and fauna
The mild climate and the rain provide the perfect environment for a very diverse flora and fauna. Hawks and eagles can often be spotted soaring at the top of the canyon. Jackals, foxes, hedgehogs and turtles can also be found. The forests have a rich array of flora, including wild pears, barberries, linden trees, and many others.

Climate
With summers and winters milder than those in Yerevan, and higher rainfall, the canyon remains green much of the year.

Get in
The main points of entry are Vanadzor from the south and Alaverdi (or further Georgia) from the north.

Get around
Taxis and marshutkas are the main forms of transportation, though hitchhiking or regular hiking are also easy. Marshutkas which service the canyon are mainly the Alaverdi-Vanadzor ones, though there are those that go from the local settlements such as Tumanyan, Odzun and Dsegh to Alaverdi and Vanadzor as well. The Vanadzor-Alaverdi road is also the main Yerevan-Tbilisi road, and the main road through the canyon and region, meaning it gets a steady flow of transport and cars.

The GG Taxi app began covering much of Debed Canyon in 2023, however, there are not always enough taxis around to pick up requests on the app. Best not to depend on it without a backup.

When looking at maps and making plans to get around in Debed Canyon, take note that while Alaveri and Tumanyan are at the bottom of the canyon, along the highway, most of Debed Canyon's villages like Odzun, Haghpat and Dsegh are on the plain above the canyon, requiring separate roads going up the switchbacks of the canyon, meaning they are not nearly as easy to reach as the short distance on the map on the map may lead you to believe.

Do
The deep Debed River Canyon, with basalt cliffs, flat plains on top, and rolling hills and mountains surrounding it is a hiking and mounting biking paradise. A good number of trails have been marked or are being marked, with countless unmarked trails in every direction. Many of them are available on the Hike Armenia app. There is organized river rafting as well, and visitors are free to camp almost anywhere they like.

Buy
Local homemade preserves, honey and homemade alcohols (oghi). Cornelian cherry oghi (a very strong liquor made purely of cornelian cherries and sugar) is a local favorite. Wild pear, quince, mulberry and other oghis are also homemade in the area.

Camping
Very little of Armenia is fenced, and wild camping is widely accepted. There are a couple of campgrounds, or places that accept campers, but it's not yet widely established.