Crimea travel guide by car. Sights of Crimea that are definitely worth visiting. It wasn't worse then

Publication date: 2015-10-31

Hello everyone, my dears! If you are going to spend a vacation in Crimea, you are faced with a difficult task: how to manage to see all the most interesting things in a short period of time and not put in extra kilometers. We also faced this question, so today I decided to discuss with you our route for traveling around Crimea by car, and offer the best, in my opinion, route. Ready? Then I begin!

In this article:

All travelers to Crimea need this

To navigate the peninsula, you can use anything: paper maps, a navigator, heavy guidebooks and other inconvenient devices.

I suggest using the most convenient way to navigate the area and a huge number of attractions of the peninsula - a mobile application with a unique name Crimea.

What can you do with it?

1. Automatically determine your location and nearby attractions, indicating the mileage and route to each of them.

2. Select a city and see a list of attractions in its surroundings.

3. Just look at the list of all attractions with a detailed description: photographs, contact information, detailed descriptions and visitor reviews.

And if you are a complete novice at this and don’t know at all how to use the capabilities of your phone (or tablet), welcome to this topic, which will help you install the Crimea application and more.

Our route

Our first priority in Crimea was to meet a good friend who had moved to live in Sevastopol. Therefore, the first thing we did was go there, to the opposite side of the peninsula, not worrying at all about the fact that we were leaving behind many interesting places that we would not be able to visit with such a route ( you can open the map in a new window).

Then, of course, we set off from Sevastopol to other nearby cities,

but all this made our route a little ragged. And although we managed to visit many interesting places, I do not advise you to repeat our route.

Which route will be the best?

I think it must satisfy three basic requirements:

1. Contain the maximum number of attractions.
2. Pass through the most beautiful places of Crimea, so that the road is a pleasure.
3. Be cyclical, that is, if possible, avoid driving on the same roads.

So, I ended up with 4 sections of the route (Google doesn’t allow you to build long routes):

1. Port in Kerch - Feodosia
2. Feodosia — Yalta
3. Yalta — Sevastopol
4. Sevastopol — Kerch

The total duration of the route is 951 km.

It practically never repeats itself, and most of it runs along the sea.

What attractions are included in this route?

Remember, you can supplement it yourself along the route using the Crimea mobile application, which we talked about above. I tried to choose the most interesting, in my opinion, places. Let me list them in order according to the above route.

You can click on the names of attractions to open their location on the map.

1. Turkish fortress Yeni-Kale

2. Adzhimushkay quarries

3. Royal Kurgan

4. Mount Mithridates

5. Fort Totleben

6. St. Catherine's Church

7. House-Museum of Alexander Green

8. National Art Gallery named after Aivazovsky

I highly recommend watching the museum’s promotional video:

9. Tower of St. Constantine

10. Factory of vintage wines and cognacs in Koktebel

11. Golitsyn's path and grotto

12. Emerald Lake

13. Jur-Jur waterfall

14. Marble Cave

15. Mount Demerdzhi

16. Palace of Princess Gagarina

17. Massandra Palace

19. Cable car in Yalta and observation tower ()

20. Livadia Palace

21. Castle Swallow's Nest ()

For those who dream of going on a big trip around Crimea, we have compiled a tourist route to the most interesting places and attractions. You can travel through it by car, bus or bike. It is developed based on personal experience and future travel plans.

We offer a comprehensive itinerary for a long trip across Crimea from the Kerch Strait to Tarkhankut and back. We have already been to the peninsula four times and before each trip we made lists of attractions. This takes a lot of time and effort - so the idea was born to systematize the experience and create a route for a big trip around Crimea. Finding something sensible on this topic on the Internet is not easy, so we set out to fill the gap. The route will allow you to save time before your trip - you no longer need to sift through mountains of articles, everything is in one.

Rent a car- this is the best way to travel! - reliable and convenient car rental service in Crimea. Choose a car to suit your taste and budget. The cost of renting a car is from 1000 rubles per day. Do you have any questions? The Russian-speaking support service will help you with everything.

Poppy fields in the vicinity of Bakhchisarai. During our two weeks of traveling around Crimea, we found dozens of such fields.

Our journey through Crimea - route map

The tourist route includes both cities and towns we visited within the previous ones, as well as those planned for visiting. The route can be changed at your discretion, and the list of attractions does not claim to be complete. If you know interesting sights that are not included in the list, write in the comments, we will be happy to supplement the article.

When planning your trip, make an approximate calculation - this way you will protect yourself from excessive expenses.

This is what the route through Crimea looks like on the map from Kerch to Tarkhankut (Belogorsk and Stary Krym were not included, since Google did not allow me to add more markers):

Kerch - Bosphoro Cimmerio

Our route for a big trip around Crimea opens with the Hero City of Kerch. This is one of the oldest cities in the world, but unpopular with tourists. Many people visit Kerch only while passing through or devote no more than one day to the city, but in vain - there is something to see here. Many ancient settlements, monuments and burials will be of interest to lovers of antiquities: the ancient settlements of Panticapaeum, Myrmekium, the Tsarsky and Melek-Chesmensky mounds, the monuments of the Crypt of Demeter and Lapidarium. There are also the ancient fortresses of Kerch and Yeni-Kale, as well as an archaeological museum.

The nature here is not as picturesque and diverse as on the southern coast of Crimea, but in the vicinity of Kerch you can find amazing places: the salty pink lake Koyashskoye (Opukskoye) in the Opuksky nature reserve, the salty lake Chokrak with healing mud and hydrogen sulfide springs, the Bulganak mud hill field (Valley of Volcanoes) and much more. Did you know that there are more than 50 mud volcanoes on the Kerch Peninsula?

Of course, in Kerch there is no shortage of beaches, a variety of holiday homes, hotels, cafes and restaurants - in general, the tourist infrastructure here is developed and you can have a good rest. The beaches are mostly sandy and sandy-shell.

Personal experience. We were allocated 1 day for the city. We saw the Yeni-Kale fortress and Mount Mithridates. We also wanted to get to the Kerch Fortress, but due to the construction of the bridge, the road to it was blocked.

In Crimea there are landscapes in the spirit of Franco Fontana. On the road from Kerch to Sudak.

Feodosia - God Given

The next stop on our big trip around Crimea is Feodosia, or Kafa. This is what the city was called in the Middle Ages, when it flourished. In general, the city was founded in the 6th century BC by the Greeks, but the ancient buildings have practically not survived. But the monuments of the Middle Ages have been preserved:

• the remains of the Genoese fortress and towers (St. Constantine, Dokovaya, Round, Thomas);
• medieval Armenian and Greek temples (the temple of John the Baptist, St. Sergius, St. George, the archangels Michael and Gabriel).

There are also Orthodox churches, the Mufti-Jami Mosque, monuments, museums (Museum of Money, Museum of Antiquities, Museum of Hang Gliding, A. Greene Museum, etc.) and fountains (Armenian, Aivazovsky, “Good Genius”). There are many buildings from the late 19th - early 20th centuries (mansions, dachas, villas, for example, "Milos", "Flora", "Aida", etc.). And, of course, it is worth visiting the Aivazovsky National Art Gallery, where not only his works are stored, but also paintings by other marine painters.

Feodosia ends (and for many visitors, begins) the main ridge of the Crimean Mountains, which means that the landscape outside the window will gradually change from now on - from the steppe and small hilly terrain to high mountains. In addition, not far from Feodosia, near Koktebel, there is the famous Karadag Nature Reserve.

Personal experience. We chose the Aivazovsky Museum.

(Photo © kamicatzen / flickr.com)

Koktebel is a bohemian place

The next point on our tourist route in Crimea is a village with the romantic name Koktebel. In fact, there is nothing romantic or bohemian about it - a typical seaside town with a tourist infrastructure. But since the end of the 19th century, famous figures of art and culture flocked here, who glorified Koktebel as a bohemian place. The village is also known as a center of gliding due to the rising currents on the Uzun-Syrt plateau. It also gained fame thanks to Lisya Bay (“Fox”), which was loved by naturists and hippies.

What else to see in Koktebel and its surroundings:

• Golden Gate Rock (take a boat trip);
• salt lake Barakol;
• Cape Chameleon, which changes color depending on the light;
• "Starfall of Memories" - Mount Koklyuk;
• paragliding flights and views from the Uzun-Syrt plateau (Mount Klementyev);
• vintage wine factory;
• Karadag Nature Museum;
• for children - a dolphinarium.

Personal experience. We went to the “Starfall of Memories”, Uzun-Syrt and the salt lake Barakol, which is drying up - a kind of mini-salt marsh.

(Photo © a"Shioji / flickr.com)

We went up to the Starfall of Memories. Mount Koklyuk, Koktebel.

Sun Valley - 300 days of sun

The road from Koktebel is very picturesque - the route passes by the Sunny Valley. Bizarre cliffs with vineyards on the slopes and steep serpentine roads make your head spin (in the literal sense of the word).

Sunny Valley is peace and tranquility, the absence of tourists, deserted bays, sunny weather, cloudless skies and, of course, mountains. The valley is closed on three sides by mountains, it smoothly descends to the sea. Here, 3 km from the sea, the village of the same name is located - one of the centers of winemaking in Crimea. Try unique wines made from grape varieties that grow only here: “Black Doctor”, “Meganom”, “Sunny Valley”.

The valley is conducive to secluded relaxation and leisurely walks in the mountains. The surrounding area is full of paths! We recommend visiting Echki-Dag, there is an unusual karst cave “Ear of the Earth” - it goes 132 meters deep.

Personal experience. We just drove along this road and stopped at observation platforms.

(Photo © Sergiy Kadulin / flickr.com)

Sudak and New World

The next point on the route around Crimea is Sudak and Novy Svet. They need to devote a lot of time - the area is rich in natural attractions. In the New World, these are the Golitsyn Trail, Tsarsky Beach, juniper grove, Sokol and Karaul-Oba mountains, Cosmos Peak, the Valleys of Hell and Paradise, and the Staircase of Taurus. In Sudak there is a Genoese fortress, capes Meganom and Alchak, as well as mountains Ai-Georgiy and Perchem-Kaya. We recommend staying in Sudak (housing and food are cheaper than in the New World), and in the neighboring village.

Not far from Sudak lies the Cimmerian steppe - the red Kapsel valley, mercilessly scorched by the sun in the summer. Driving along it, admiring its harsh beauty, is a pleasure. You can go into coves and swim - some of them have campsites.

We recommend going on a boat trip with dolphins- it's amazing. They swim right under the boat and jump out of the water! You can even swim in the open sea with them. Price - 600-700 rubles per person for 1 hour. The video can be viewed on Instagram using the hashtag #hunterboat. Book a tour by calling 89780652938, name is Vitaly.

Personal experience. We lived in Sudak and the New World for the fourth time and visited all the sights more than once. All that remains is to climb Sokol.

Our boat trip to a pod of graceful dolphins.

Alushta - Valley of Ghosts

Alushta is a boring town, there is nothing interesting there. All the beauty outside is the bizarre rocks of the Valley of Ghosts and the Demerzhdi massif. It is great luck to visit the valley in fog and cloudy weather, when the pillars seem ghostly. Tourists advise watching the sunrise at Demerdzhi - it’s an amazing sight. Also interesting are Mount Kastel and the Chatyr-Daga caves, as well as the Dzhur-Dzhur waterfall near the village of Generalskoye.

In Alushta we saw the most boring fortress in the world, Aluston - don’t even waste time on it. There is also the medieval fortification of Funa and the palace of Princess Gagarina, as well as various ancient estates. In general, tourists come here primarily for beach holidays and treatment - there are many boarding houses and sanatoriums in Alushta and the surrounding area.

Personal experience. We came to Alushta for Demerdzhi - we found both fog and scorching sun there. On the way to Alushta, stop by the Museum of Water Disasters - touching and amazing.

Very picturesque rocks!
We were lucky enough to see fogs while climbing to the top.
From the top of Mount Demerdzhi there are panoramic views of the sea and villages on the shore.

Enjoy a breathtaking video from the Valley of Ghosts in the Demerdzhi Mountains:

Yalta and its surroundings

Next along the route of travel around Crimea is Yalta. But attention should be paid not to the city itself, boring, large and noisy, but to its surroundings - Greater Yalta, which includes Gaspra, Simeiz, Massandra, Gurzuf, Nikita, Alupka, etc.. For example, on the way from Alushta to Yalta on along the route (if you are taking a route around Crimea) you will see a sign to the Nikitsky Botanical Garden - we recommend visiting if you are partial to flora! In addition, the Nikitskaya Cleft is interesting in Nikita. Next - Massandra: visit the Massandra Palace and Park, a winery where you can taste wines, and the Vorontsov Grotto.

In the vicinity of Yalta you can find a lot of interesting things and spend busy days:

• go down or up Ai-Petri along the picturesque paths - Taraktashskaya, Shtangeevskaya, Koreizskaya or Botkinskaya;
• visit the Iograph temple cave and the Uchan-Su waterfall;
• walk along the Solar Path from Livadia to Gaspra (or vice versa) and see the dolmens;
• climb Ai-Petri by cable car - next to Yalta (in Miskhor) there is just the lower station of the cable car for climbing the mountain;
• on the Ai-Petrinsky plateau, visit the caves, walk across the suspension bridge over the abyss and go down on the trolley at a speed of 40 km/h;
• visit the Grand Canyon.

Architecture lovers will be interested in the Livadia Palace (the Yalta Conference was held here), Massandra Palace, the Emir of Bukhara and Count Mordvinov, the Armenian Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Children also have something to do: in Yalta there is a theater of sea animals, a zoo and an aquarium, a crocodilarium and the Glade of Fairy Tales.

Personal experience. We went up and down Ai-Petri by car, and also rode the cable car. Lesha walked across the suspension bridge to the battlements.

We admire the clouds and views from Mount Ai-Petri.
Lesha walks along the suspension bridge at the top of Ai-Petri.
Ai-Petri in the clouds (Photo © mr_wood / flickr.com)

Gaspra is not only "Swallow's Nest"

Usually, when traveling around Crimea, tourists come to Gaspra only to see the Swallow's Nest palace. However, there are many attractions there: for connoisseurs of antiquities, we recommend the Taurus necropolises, the Roman fortress of Charax and the ruins of the Gaspra-Isar fortification; for lovers of trekking and active recreation, we recommend a walk along the “Sunny Path”, where Nicholas II rested. Another attraction of Gaspra is the palace of Prince Golitsyn and Countess Panina (now the Yasnaya Polyana sanatorium), where the museum room of Leo Tolstoy is located.

Not far from Gaspra is Koreiz - it is worth visiting the Yusupov Palace, Miskhor Park and the lighthouse of Cape Ai-Todor.

Personal experience. They looked at the Swallow's Nest only from the outside, because all tourists loudly advise against going inside. From the lookout you can see beautiful rocks with waves crashing against them.

(Photo © pilot34 / flickr.com)

Alupka

First of all, Alupka is known for the luxurious Vorontsov Palace, the former residence of Count Vorontsov. Nowadays there is a museum in the palace, and around 40 hectares there is the no less beautiful Alupka Park - very natural and harmonious. It’s pleasant to walk here, inhaling the aromas of cypress, juniper and about 200 other plant species. Always shady and cool, the park sometimes attracts more tourists than the palace. Kuindzhi's apartment museum is also worthy of attention.

As for natural attractions, it is worth visiting the Shaan-Kaya rock and the lake located near it - the views of the mountain range are simply excellent.

Personal experience. We visited the Vorontsov Palace and Alupka Park - they are truly impressive.

You can also look for housing in Crimea on the spot - as soon as you get off the bus at the station, you will be bombarded with dozens of offers for renting out the best housing, certainly cheap and always with a sea view. Classic Crimean holidays.

Sevastopol - White City

To see all the sights of Sevastopol and its surroundings, you need to spend a very, very long time. Start your introductory tourist route from the city itself: Malakhov Kurgan, the ancient and mysterious Chersonesos (we recommend either early in the morning or closer to sunset), Vladimir Cathedral and the Tower of the Winds, the panorama "Defense of Sevastopol", Historical Boulevard, Count's Marina, etc. - A separate article should be devoted to the sights of the hero city.

Must see in the area:

• Cape Fiolent and Jasper Beach with the Rock of the Holy Apparition and Diana's Grotto - you have to climb 800 steps down and back;
• the most beautiful Cape Vinogradny (our favorite);
• beaches of Sevastopol - there are many of them, but some of them can clearly be classified as natural attractions, for example, Lyubimovka beach is very beautiful if you go beyond the pile of stones (to the part of the beach favored by nudists and tent campers);
• Balaklava: atmospheric submarine museum, Balaklava Bay, Genoese fortress Chembalo, Northern and Southern forts, Sunny trail to the Inzhir tract;
• Baydar Valley and Fatma Koba Grotto;
• Death Valley;
• Inkerman: cave monastery, Maiden Tower, Chernorechensky Canyon;
• Chorgun Aqueduct Bridge and Chorgun Tower and much more.

This is only a small part of the attractions in the vicinity of Sevastopol - write in the comments if you have been somewhere else!

Personal experience. We visited Fiolent, Cape Vinogradny, Inkerman and Balaklava, and also spent the night in a tent on Lyubimovka beach.

My favorite place in Crimea is Cape Vinogradny in Sevastopol.

(Photo © mr. Wood / flickr.com)

Bakhchisaray - eastern garden-palace

Let's continue our great journey through Crimea - the road leads us to ancient Bakhchisarai, the real center of the hiking and active Crimea. The city is located in the foothills, so the area is very interesting. In our opinion, the main attraction of Bakhchisarai is not the Khan's Palace (although it is good), but the cave cities, fortresses and monasteries: Chufut-Kale, Magup-Kale, Kachi-Kalyon, Eski-Kermen, Tepe-Kermen, Chelter-Koba, Bakla, Syuren, Shuldan.

Bakhchisaray is a city with an oriental flavor, which makes it special. You should definitely visit the Balta-Tiymez Karaite cemetery, the Dervish cemetery and the Old Town - very atmospheric places.

Like in Sevastopol, Bakhchisarai has a huge number of natural attractions that you cannot see in a couple of days - you need to live here for at least a week. By the way, the city has very tasty cuisine - mostly Crimean Tatars live here.

Personal experience. We visited Chufut-kale, Khan's Palace, Balta-Tiymez, the Dervish cemetery and the temple in Laki. Disappointment befell us in the village of Laki, where we were traveling 20 km for the sake of the Church of St. Luke. Previously, there was an unusually beautiful Greek temple with frescoes and mosaics, which was dilapidated during the Second World War. It still stands there - only it now sparkles with whiteness and gold in the best traditions of Orthodoxy. Caring hands restored it, painting over all the beauty and memory of the past. Now inside is a soulless white space with cardboard letters reading “Christ is Risen” and cheap icons.

Landscape in the vicinity of Bakhchisaray - view from the cave city of Chufut-Kale.

Simferopol

• caves (Marble, Zmeinaya, Krasnaya);
• cliffs and rocks (above Kalinovaya Balka, Tash-Dzhargan tract);
• ancient site of Scythian Naples;
• Kessler's estate.

Watch this amazing video of Crimean caves:

Evpatoria

The next city on our route around Crimea is Evpatoria. There are many religious shrines here - mosques, temples, tekies: the Duma-Jami mosque, Tekie dervishes, the temple of St. Elijah, Karaite kenas and so on. In addition, the city has many museums and monuments. What else to see? Turkish baths, kariz (ancient water supply) and the Old City in general.

In the vicinity of Yevpatoria there are several salt lakes where you can improve your health with the help of healing mud and mineralized water: lakes Moinaki, Donuzlav, Dzharylgach and Yarylgach.

One of the most impressive places on our big trip across Crimea is Cape Tarkhankut, the westernmost point of the peninsula. It is better to stay in the small village of Olenevka on the coast - from there it is convenient to get to the nearest attractions by bike, car or bicycle.

Tarkhankut is famous for the picturesque Dzhangul landslide coast in the northeast and Atlesh (Big and Small Atlesh, Cup of Love, lighthouse in the village of Mayak) in the southeast. The Miami beach in Olenevka is sandy, and the sea is crystal clear, coral reefs are visible from the cliffs, so divers and windsurfers hang out here. Such popular Soviet films as “Pirates of the 20th Century” and “Amphibian Man” were filmed on Tarkhankut.

Personal experience. We looked at everything there is in the surrounding area. Be careful on Dzhangul! Do not drive your car close to the edge, the bank may collapse.

The steep coast of Tarkhankut - view from the sea during a boat trip.
A dry cargo ship that ran aground near the coast, Tarkhankut.

Belogorsk - white mountain and lions

This is where our journey through Crimea ends - on the way to the Kerch Bridge we will stop in small Belogorsk. What's so special about it? Nearby there is a picturesque white mountain - the Ak-Kaya rock, where the Soviet film "The Headless Horseman" was filmed. In addition, the area is interesting for the Kok-Asan gorge with the Chermisovsky cascade of waterfalls, which form “baths” with emerald water. The tourist route passing through the Kok-Asan canyon is extremely picturesque - we highly recommend it!

Hello dear friends!

Agree that when planning a long-awaited trip to Crimea, you always want to see as many sights as possible. Visit several resorts at once so that you have something to remember on long winter evenings.

To everyone who doubts that this is possible in a short vacation time , I declare - it has been verified, it is possible! And even more so if you plan to travel to Crimea by your own car.

This route around Crimea by car was developed based on personal experience, which I will be happy to share with you.

After going through many options, I decided to settle on a fairly large section of the peninsula: Kerch - Tarkhankut. In my opinion, it will allow anyone to get acquainted with the beauties of Crimea in a fairly short period of time.

By the way, you can make this trip with a rented car. Read about car rental in Crimea in.

All stops, attractions and tips.

Unfortunately, Kerch does not attract as many tourists as Yalta. This is due to the low popularity of the resort, and the introduction of a bypass road past the city from the Crimean Bridge to Simferopol.

But, completely in vain:

• firstly, it is one of the oldest cities in the world (and the hero city of the Second World War),
• secondly, this is where they are located more than 50 mud volcanoes (Valley of Volcanoes, Bondarenkovo ​​village, 8 km from the city).

Some of them are just small puddles with bubbling mud, others are entire fountains that reach a height of 15-20 meters. The mud of the Kerch volcanoes is very healthy; it is rich in iodine, borax, soda and other elements. So don’t be shy and get yourself dirty like kids))

Of course, the impressive and health-improving Valley of Volcanoes is not the only thing you can see in Kerch. More details about Kerch.

Ancient settlements, burials, monuments of ancient architecture, Oluk Nature Reserve with his fantastic Opuk Serpent. As well as the sandy coast, restaurants, cafes and holiday homes can make a tourist get stuck in this city for a long time.

Attractive Feodosia

Feodosia is the second stop on our journey. The resort is popular among those who come on holiday with children. Although Kafa (that’s what the city was called in the Middle Ages) was founded in the 6th century BC, practically no ancient buildings have survived in it.

And here There are more than enough buildings from the Middle Ages : numerous towers (Thomas, Round, Dokovaya), remains of a Genoese fortress, Greek and Armenian temples, mosques, villas and cottages.

You can also visit there National Gallery named after Aivazovsky . And the sea... of course the sea!

Interested in Feodosia? Then you should go to this one.

Koktebel - the cradle of bohemia

Further along the highway is the next point on our route - Koktebel. This village has become popular since the end of the 19th century. According to tradition, poets, artists, people of culture and art came here from all over the country, so Koktebel acquired the glory of a bohemian place.

For those who are not in the know, gliding is well developed in Koktebel, and all thanks to the upward air currents on the Uzun-Syrt plateau, near Mount Klementyev.

The village itself is located at mountains of volcanic originKara-Dag, and next to it there is the famous Karadag Nature Reserve with rare species of plants and animals. You can only walk around the reserve with a guide.

What places are interesting in Koktebel? This With feces calledGolden Gate (they say it fulfills any desire), Quiet Bay and Cape Chameleon (it changes its color in the morning and evening), Fox Bay for hippies and nudists. More in mine.

Personally, I was interested in visiting the Vintage Wine Factory, on whose territory there is Europe's largest Madera venue(Madeira is a strong wine).

Along the Sun Valley to Sudak and the New World

Departing from Koktebel to your next destination, you will pass through colorful places past the Sun Valley. The abundance of vineyards growing on the steep slopes of bizarre rocks, as well as mountain serpentine roads, is literally dizzying.

There are practically no tourists in Sunny Valley - it is a calm and quiet place. The valley received its name due to the abundance of the warmest, clearest days of the year (about three hundred). Here you can stop and enjoy the silence, clean air and mountain scenery.

By the way, 3 km from the sea there is a village with the same name - this is one of the many winemaking centers in Crimea. There you can taste delicious wine from unique grape varieties growing only in this area.

A very interesting place in the valley is the so-called Ear of the earth. Karst cave, going 132 meters deep (local residents will tell you how to get to it).

Once you arrive in Sudak and the New World, you definitely won’t get bored. These resorts are very rich in attractions, especially of natural origin.

New World: Tsarsky Beach, Golitsyn Trail, Cosmos Peak, Staircase of Taurus, etc.
Zander: Mount Ai-Georgiy, Cape Frenchwoman, Alchak, Genoese fortress.

Alushta

For me personally, Alushta is attractive for two things: Demerzhdi massif and . The bizarrely inverted rocks of Demerzhdi are very beautiful at dawn. In the haze they seem ghostly, almost like a mirage - it’s an amazing sight!

On the southern slope of the massif there is the Valley of Ghosts, overgrown with legends and myths - a collection of stone pillars of various shapes. At sunset they seem to move from place to place.

If nature doesn't appeal to you, you can visit in Utes, Aluston fortress or just hang out on the local beach.

I described more attractions in.

Neighborhoods of Yalta

The next destination is the resort of Yalta, a large and noisy city with lots of entertainment. But its surroundings are no less interesting.

For example, along the Alushta-Yalta highway you can see a sign to . Next you will meet Massandra, where interesting , winery And Vorontsovsky Grotto .

Gaspra

Many associate Gaspra with the famous and most beautiful castle - the unofficial symbol of Crimea.

But here you can see other, no less interesting sights:

• Roman fortress Charax,
• Taurus necropolises,
• ascent to the Ai-Petrinsky meridian,
• palace of princes Yusuov, etc.

Further passing...

If you have not decided to stop at any of the above places for the rest of your vacation, then I will briefly describe the continuation of the route:

• Alupka: , with more than 200 species of plants, the Kuindzhi Apartment Museum, the Shaan-Kaya rock and the nearby lake.
• Sevastopol: , Malakhov Kurgan, Tower of the Winds, Count's pier, Lyubimovka beach, Death Valley, cave monastery.
• Bakhchisarai: ,

Hello dear travelers and lovers of the sun, sea and mountains! So the two-week independent trip around Crimea has ended, after which we usually write a final review of the country (region, region) with the route, total costs and other useful information that is so necessary when planning a trip.

Total budget

This time we traveled without a tent and without hitchhiking (we don’t count a couple of kilometers while hitchhiking). Therefore, the costs are a little higher and closer to the people, so to speak. In any case, there will be no hotels with luxury rooms, private cars or other expensive frills. You can safely consider a budget trip within the usual conditions. Prices for the duration of the trip are summer 2015 (unless otherwise indicated in the text).

We flew to Crimea from Moscow with Aeroflot at a price of 7,500 rubles. per person (both ways). For June this is quite a good price; in any case, it would have been more expensive to travel by land.

Cost of air tickets to Crimea today (clickable):

1. length of stay – 13 days
2. financial expenses for two:

• railway tickets Kirov-Moscow (3600 rub.),
• air tickets Moscow - Simferopol (Crimea) - 15,000 rubles;
• housing - 7270 rub.
• for other expenses - about 10,000 rubles.
• result- 35,870 rub. for two.

3. Briefly about the weather in June - light rain for three days, the rest of the time the temperature is about 25C. You can swim.

Map of our route

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Transport in Crimea

I talked a little about public transport in Simferopol in.

I'll go over it briefly. If you want freedom of movement, a little comfort and have rights in your pocket, then of course it is better, and, as they say, do not deny yourself anything.

In any case, even if you don’t have a license, but want comfort, you can always book it at any resort.

And if you want to experience the local flavor, you can travel by public transport. I advise you to look at the maps and schedule in more detail at home, you will save a lot of time and money. I won’t post the schedules here, there are a lot of them on the Internet, both in photographs and simply in text form (for example, the same Yandex.Schedules). On our blog, at the beginning of each article, I also wrote how to get to the place I was describing. So you can get some information here too.

By the way, Crimea has the longest trolleybus line (96 km just from the airport in Simferopol to Yalta)! I also recommend taking a ride on this remarkable transport number 52, which runs almost every 25 minutes.

In general, transport connections in and between cities are quite good. Even from sparsely populated areas you can go in the right direction without any problems if you know the schedule. Moreover, the cost of public transport is still at a low level (when compared with our small city of Kirov).

For example:

• trolleybus travel around the city - 7 rubles.
• on buses and minibuses - up to 10 rubles.
• to regional settlements with a radius of up to 20 km - up to 30 rubles.

However, if you buy tickets for intercity buses at the ticket office, then be prepared to pay a “tax” for servicing the bus at the station. This is exactly how the cashier explained to me the extra 15 rubles, which I saw as an additional line to the main price of 25 rubles. in Bakhchisaray.

So I’ll give you some advice right away: If you want to travel for the price indicated in the price list or even cheaper, then it is better to immediately contact the bus driver. True, during the season this may mean that you will have to ride while standing. But we were always lucky to have free seats.

After the annexation of Crimea to Russia, local authorities seriously began to put in order not only resort towns, but also transport links. Namely, by introducing a single database for purchasing tickets at all stations. Knowing how we do everything on a large scale in Russia, the predictable happened - the system began to malfunction. As a result, tickets for the same place were often sold to several people at different transport stations. I think you understand how it all ended in the end: swearing, arguments, dissatisfaction, etc.

In some cases, it was impossible to buy a ticket for intercity buses at the bus station. For example, in Sudak we couldn’t get a ticket to Simferopol (to the airport) for several days and had to rush to the station every day. Until I found out that there is a second ticket office in the city near the coast. Therefore, when you arrive at the bus station, don’t be lazy to find out if there is a second ticket office in the city, just in case.

Housing

I have already written in articles on Crimea that finding housing in Crimea is not such a difficult matter, and prices are lower if you go there during the off-season. The season begins in Crimea on June 15, so our trip still fell within this framework. Therefore, I did not torment myself with searching for housing via the Internet, but decided to look for it locally.

Moreover, those who have already visited our resorts know that at any bus or railway station in a resort town there are local grannies, intermediaries or simply owners of private apartments who want to make extra money for you. Of the three categories mentioned, I would only be wary of intermediaries, because they often deceive with the declared characteristics of the housing. What does it mean?

In Alushta we came across two women who organized an entire auction (only to reduce the price) for us, just to make extra money. One of them was an intermediary, the other a homeowner. Both said that the housing has a shower, toilet, kitchen, internet, etc. And both reduce the price to a minimum. But who will you believe more? The intermediary essentially doesn’t care where and in what conditions you will live, the main thing for him is to earn money, and the owner is the owner. He will lead you to his private home, which means he will be responsible for what he said. And the deception is that yes, housing has all the above-mentioned benefits, but in what condition exactly? And in such a situation that the shower and toilet may be on the street. As is the kitchen. Moreover, all this can be in a very deplorable state. Therefore, I advise you not to waste any time or effort on them.

You can read about exactly how we managed to find housing and its cost in the relevant articles above. On average, I can say that it costs less than 500 rubles. (for a room for two) we did not find anywhere. The most expensive one was in Sevastopol - 870 rubles. for a semi-luxury suite, although we could have rented a simpler room for 700. In other cases, the average price for a room is 700 - 800 rubles. Under the conditions that I always tried to get a lower price and the housing was clean and corresponded to the original description, even though the locals told me that it was less than 1000 rubles. There is no housing to be found in Crimea.

We mostly lived in the private sector, and only once we rented a room in a small hotel in Balaklava for 700 rubles. for two.

If you are traveling during the season, then it is undoubtedly better to resolve the issue of apartments in advance. For this purpose I recommend using the service Roomguru.ru, which compares prices in all major booking systems (Booking, Agoda, etc.) and finds the best one!

Food and prices

Food prices in Crimea are not much different from prices in other parts of Russia. I don't see much point in paying attention to this. If we ate in an inexpensive cafe or canteen, on average we spent about 250-300 rubles. for two. This amount included one serving of the first, two servings of the second, salad, tea. This takes into account the fact that I usually do not take meat, since it is not important for me. Especially in the summer.

Many people recommend trying local Tatar cuisine: large portions, tastier, but the cost is almost twice as high.

Yes, Crimea is located in the south, so in theory there should be a lot of fruit here. But we were there at the beginning of June, which means that at the market you could only see cherries, sweet cherries, and sometimes strawberries. All three types of berries cost approximately the same anywhere in Crimea - from 100 to 150 rubles. per kilogram. It was rare, but it was possible to find the remains of overripe cherries from some granny for 70 rubles. In Sudak we even came across several cherry trees. There are probably more fruits here during the season, but don’t expect low prices, especially in tourist areas.

And of course, vacationers come here for Crimean wine, chacha and other alcoholic drinks. My companion, for example, bought two bottles of homemade wine as a gift from the owner of the guest house where we were staying. Because he had his own vineyards. A 1.5 liter bottle cost him 150 rubles. And I don’t drink alcohol in any form, so this question is not too interesting for me.

Attractions

I didn’t like that the pricing policy for attractions in Crimea resembles the policy of low-cost airlines. If earlier, while Crimea was still part of Ukraine, tickets were basically the same for everything, now the attraction is divided into several parts and the fee for each part is separate. From which it follows that if you look at everything, it will turn out to be much more expensive. An example of this is the Nikitsky Botanical Garden or the Vorontsov Palace.

Some price examples:

• Golitsyn trail - 100 rubles.
• Marble cave - 350-500 rubles.
• Nikitsky BS - 200-500 rubles.
• Vorontsov Palace - 300-500 rubles.
• Cable car to Ai-Petri - 500 rubles. round trip.
• Genoese fortress - 150 rubles.

Moreover, prices in season and prices out of season may be different.

Personal impression

Overall, I liked the trip to Crimea. There are really beautiful mountains and sea, clean air, warm sun. For a now Russian resort, everything is at a fairly good level, combined with inexpensive prices. I especially remember the Bakhchisarai region; I would like to study it better.

People are the same as in central Russia, the only difference being that Russian laws have not yet reached them. I think this will be fixed soon.

It’s a pity that in Crimea it’s not summer all year round, otherwise it would be worthy competition to foreign resorts. For fans of all-inclusive, this is, of course, not an option, but for independent and family vacations it is quite possible.

Thank you for your attention, if you have any questions, please ask them in the comments. Have a good holiday in Crimea!

In general, we didn’t plan Crimea at all, but it just so happened - April 7 is my birthday. I wanted something unusual on this day. I went to Skyscanner looking for tempting offers: what if I got lucky! And what I see: tickets to Crimea with Aeroflot from St. Petersburg at a very tempting price. I took it without hesitation.

Upon landing at the Simferopol airport, we were met by a representative of the car rental company, whom we had contacted in advance. We rented a car for all the days of our stay on the peninsula at a favorable price. I compared prices and looked for the perfect car and, both services are reliable, convenient and allow you to rent a car at Simferopol airport.

This is how our journey across Crimea by car began, and my birthday was celebrated on the Koreiz trail, which leads to the top of Ai-Petri, when we wanted to make a festive lunch: pasta with stewed meat, and forgot water. 🙂

Spring is a great time for walking around Crimea and sightseeing. For example, we got to Chersonesus completely free of charge (paid entrance only during the tourist season). We enjoyed walking around the cities where flowers were already blooming and the grass was bright green. As we climbed the mountains, we watched them slowly awaken from their winter hibernation: the slopes were not overgrown with grass, but the snow had already melted.

Of course, the ideal month for traveling through the mountains of Crimea is May. You will see poppies, huge fields of red poppies - a magnificent sight that I have not had the opportunity to see yet: this is a great idea for the next trip. In the meantime, let's see how hospitable the peninsula is in April.

This page will contain a plan for our trip around Crimea in a rented car. We visited caves, on mountain tops, walked through a redwood grove, looked at many ancient ruins, and admired waterfalls.

Our route for traveling around Crimea by car in April

April, 4. We picked up our car from the airport and drove to Sevastopol. We walked around the city a little, seeing an armored train and various monuments, and also drove to Cape Fiolent. Read the photo story.

Mileage for all days of travel

Let me remind you that we rented a car straight from the airport and returned to the airport. According to the agreement, there was a daily mileage limit of 200 km, which was more than enough for us. The total together with all the rides came out 1052 km. Not bad!

Expenses for an April trip to Crimea

Each person's expense item will be individual, but I will still write my numbers. First of all, I want to warn you: we really love trips, but we don’t like to overpay. This applies to everything: food, travel, excursions and anything else.

I have a friend who says that he doesn’t deny himself anything on vacation. So: I deny myself something that I can do without, but I will have more money for other trips. And that friend goes on vacation only once a year.

So, let's cut down our expenses.

Flights: 16,800 rubles for two. St. Petersburg - Simferopol, Rossiya airline.

Car rental: 6000 rubles (+ deposit 6000, returned at the end)

Housing: 8500 rub (9 nights)

Food: 6980 rub.

Petrol: approximately 2500 rub.

Car wash: 400 rub (2 times)

Marble Cave: 1000 rub

In total we spent 10 days of travel: 25,380 rubles (without air tickets), 42,180 rubles (with air tickets) for two.

In principle, with this money you can relax for a week in Egypt or 1.5-2 weeks in Turkey through a travel agency :) But this is not our method.

This trip around Crimea can be considered our first more or less serious road trip. Just a couple of months after this trip, we will go with friends to Altai, more than 4 thousand km from home. And we will become full-fledged auto travelers. But more on that in the next issues. 🙂