Amazing Cliff Houses
There those who love to “live life on the edge”, and then there are those who do it literally. Cliff-houses have been with us for millennia. Today, they are considered exotic, even flamboyant, displays of modern architecture. For the wealthy, it can add another credit to their home. Not only is the house huge and filled with every amenity one could imagine, it’s also built in a seemingly impossible location. In the past, however, cliff-houses were built for protection. Predators of man, including other humans, would find it difficult to invade homes built along a vertical plain. Today, cliff-houses can be found throughout the world in a multitude of varieties, some are veritable palaces while other are made from the most basic and green of materials.
Cliffside Container Home
With so much focus today on “going green”, a new building material that has begun to take root is steel shipping containers. A used shipping container typically costs around $1200, and they’re still only $6000 if bought brand new. By design, they are already durable as they are expected to handle ocean voyages in the open air and exposure to road-salt on highways. They are strong enough to be stacked twelve high when empty, and are already built to be modular with predetermined standards for ease of shipping and placement. Since a house built of steel shipping containers is already largely prefabricated, the total price, waste, and time of construction are all incredibly low. With vertical real-estate also often cheaper than horizontal land, a cliff-side container home may be one of the best ways to achieve the most bang for one’s buck when buying a home.
Bonifacio, Corsica
photo credit: gripso_banana_prune
This commune at the southern tip of Corsica features a number of limestone cliffs, and as one can guess, the tops of these cliffs are lined with houses perched along the very edge. Despite this, the homes are actually quite stable and have been easily able to withstand the elements for ages.
Cliff Palace
Located in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, USA, the Cliff Palace is an ancient pueblo cliff dwelling. It was believed to be built from 1190AD though 1260AD. Despite it’s age, the Cliff Palace is still the largest cliff dwelling in North America. It was abandoned around 1300AD, most likely due to drought and a general lack of food sources in the area.
Castellfollit de la Roca
photo credit: nafra cendrers
Less than a square kilometer in size, Castellfollit de la Roca, is one of the smallest towns in Catalonia, Spain. The entire town is built atop a basalt crag, fifty meters high. This of course means that virtually every building in the entire town is perched on the edge of a cliff.
Casa Iguana
Named after its resident iguana, this home begins upon arrival with its large five car garage. One does not, however, just then walk into the house. A ten story elevator lowers visitors down to where the house rests on a cliff-side. Located above a private beach in Acapulco, Mexico this 18,000 square foot house offers awe-inspiring ocean views with a living and dining room that are both open-air. The house features seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms. Suffice to say, it was designed with parties especially in mind. It features all of the amenities including DirecTV, air conditioning, and high-speed internet. Not enough? The house sports not one, not two, but five Jacuzzis (party house indeed). It also features a full-size swimming pool, all up against the cliff. The house utilizes a staff of four people, with all staff quarters on premises. Asking price? $4.9 million, which actually, if you’re from certain areas in the United States, isn’t all that much.
Dogon Cliff Houses
photo credit: Ferdinand Reus
The Dogon are a cliff dwelling people located in Southeastern Mali and Burkino Faso. Their culture is very unique as the Dogon have kept mostly separate from other African cultures. Their cliff homes have protected them for centuries from any outside invader that has wished to conquer them, including the Europeans. They are still thriving today and a favorite among tourists who have visited their villages.
Hanging Houses of Cuenca, Spain
photo credit: Mike_el Madrileño
A long time ago, houses like these were a common site in this area of Spain. Today though, the only examples left are located on a rock above the Huecar’s River. These houses were built in the 16th century and are still used for various purposes today.
Manarola
photo credit: Rob Inh00d
Located in the northern Italy province of La Spezia, Liguria, Manarola is the smallest, but likely oldest town of the famous “Cinque Terre” towns found in the area. The town goes back to Roman times and has been known since then for its wine. Many of its buildings lie perched along its cliffs, looking out over the sea.
Holman House
Built on a rock giving panoramic views of the ocean, this house is located in Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia. It’s unusual geometry is designed to make full use of its spectacular views. Because of its cliff-side construction, the home feels almost as if it were hanging over the sear. During storms, its owners have claimed that it feels as if the ocean waves will wash the home away.
Oia, Greece
photo credit: Wolfgang Staudt
Located on the islands of Therasia and Thira, Oia is a community comprised of countless cliff-side homes that have been built into the porous volcanic rock found on the two islands. The community is widely considered to be quintessentially “Greek”, which means if you’ve seen a fleeting shot of Greece on network TV, it was probably Oia. The area is also famous for its sunsets. And while many other destinations may claim that as well, it is not unusual for tourists to visit Oia just to experience one of its breath-taking sundowns.
While they may not be as useful for protection as they were for our ancestors, cliff-side homes are still the amazing feats of engineering now as they were back then. Best of all, due to the sheer variety of their designs, anyone who can afford a home can also afford a cliff-house. They may even be less expensive.
Amazing Cliff Houses
