These brave communities certainly live life on the edge… if you like a room with a view, these jaw-dropping clifftop towns may make you reconsider:
Ronda, Spain
Those a with a fear of heights take note: peering over the edge of this historic Spanish bridge may leave you feeling weak at the knees. The clifftop town of Ronda lies in the Spanish province of Malaga and is divided by a 100-meter deep canyon known as 'El Tajo', separating the old town from the new. As a result, many of the buildings sit perilously on the edge of the abyss.
Bonifacio, Corsica
The precarious looking township of Bonifacio on the island of Corsica has developed over the years into a small marina for expensive yachts, but those with vertigo should steer clear… Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea at 230 ft high, this quaint town has over the years been molded into the white limestone cliffs, guaranteeing anyone visiting a room with a (steep) ocean view.
Castellfolit de la Roca, Spain
This quaint Spanish metropolis is perched 50 metres high from the ground on top of a sheer basalt cliff, created by the overlaying of two lava flows. Despite being one of the smallest towns in the province, it is certainly not the shortest - residents are faced with a formidable vertical drop on opening their windows. Well that's one way of waking you up in the morning!
Santorini, Greece
Overlooking the crystal clear waters of the Aegean Sea, the spectacular island location of Santorini, located about 200km from Greece's mainland, have made it a thriving tourist hotspot which must be seen to be believed. Surrounded by dramatically steep cliffs on three sides, the central lagoon is the result of an ancient volcanic eruption which created a colossal caldera enclosed by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of feet deep. Sounds scary, but the end result is a paradise setting to behold.
Manarola,Italy
An artist's dream, the ancient village of Manarola overlooks the craggy rock faces and frothy, crashing waves of Liguria, complete with charming multi-coloured buildings which sit perilously on the cliff edge. Just don't venture too far to the bottom - you may get swept away…
Amalfi Coast, Campania, Italy
The beauty of the Amalfi Coast, which looks out over the Mediterranean Sea inItaly is a spectacle for any visitor to behold, with many small townships built into the outreaching cliffs and coves. Even by car, the area is perfect for any visitor to explore - just don't get too close to the edge.
Rocamadour, France
The charming 150 metre deep canyon township of Rocamadour in France has a magical, fairytale-like feel having been carved into the limestone of the Causse de Gramat. Seeped in history, the site has become France's second most visited spot after Mount St. Michael.
The Calanques
Allie has suggested the Calanques in Cassis near Marseille. These are a series of deep narrow inlets in the rocky limestone cliffs, running along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, stretching for over 20km. Not necessarily a community clifftop, but definitely worth highlighting!
Eidfjord og Vøringsfossen
Voringsfossen is actually one of the most famous waterfalls in Norway with a drop of 182 meters! Located at the top of this waterfall is the Fossli Hotel which provides some stunning views for its guests, they just have to be careful not to venture too close to the edge! Thanks to Anders for this one!
Mesa Verde - Cliff Palace
Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. The residents of Mesa Verde (Spanish for "green table") built their stunning cliff dwellings in 1200, only to abandon them a hundred years later. Debate remains as to the causes of this, some believe a series of mega-droughts interrupting food production systems was the main reason. Thanks to William for highlighting this one!
Meteora Monasteries, Greece
The Meteora Monasteries are some of the most spectacular sights in Greece! The name Meteora is Greek for "suspended in the air" which is the best way to describe these Greek Orthodox monasteries. The first monastery was built in the 1300’s and was called the Great Meteoron. By 1500 there was a total of 24 monasteries, but unfortunately there are only 6 still around today!
Dar al-Hajar, Yemen
Dar al-Hajar is located on top of a rock formation and is better known as ‘Rock Palace’. It was built in the 1930s by Imam Yahya as a summer residence and is now open to the public to explore at a small fee! Thanks to trevgall1982 for highlighting this one!
As always if you know of any more cliff top communities we can add to the list then let us know in the comments below..
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