A sea of pleasure and interest prepared for the tourist a wonderful peninsula of Crimea. Lake Chokrak, its healing mud attracts thousands of tourists annually. Here, the most unpleasant ailments have been successfully healed for more than one hundred years.
Lake Chokrak in Crimea: geographical characteristic
The Kerch Peninsula is perhaps the most mysterious, mysterious and unexpectedly interesting area in the Crimea. Nevertheless, most tourists bypass it, preferring the more hyped resorts of the South Coast.
Chokrak Lake is often called the generous gift of planet Earth. All thanks to its unique healing factors, which include the most valuable mud and mineral springs.
The total area of Lake Chokraks is almost 9 square kilometers. However, its greatest depth does not exceed 1.5 meters. The shores of the lake are rocky, deserted and very picturesque. The local landscapes would have become a wonderful decoration for some anti-utopian, surrealistic film.
The banks of Chokrak are covered exclusively with grassy vegetation. Oregano, thyme, wormwood, ivan tea and other herbs grow here. Lake Chokrak is located in close proximity to the Sea of Azov, it is separated from its water area by a narrow sand lintel.
How to get to the lake?
The facility is located in the eastern part of the Crimean peninsula. The city of Kerch is located 18 kilometers away. Lake Chokrak is located near the village with the corresponding name - Kurortnoye (Leninsky district).
You can get here both by public transport (from the Kerch bus station, buses leave every 30-40 minutes), and by your own car. However, it is worth warning: the road to Kurortny is far from the best quality. After the village of Voikovo, the hard surface disappears altogether, so you have to drive through dust and pits with minimal speed. As a result, a distance of 20 kilometers is covered in an hour!
Chokrak - a resort of world importance
Lake Chokrak in Crimea is a famous balneological resort. The ancient Greeks began to use local mud in the first century BC. They actively exported this medical resource to Europe. The very word "chokrak" can be translated as "spring". There are also enough sources of mineral water saturated with hydrogen sulfide: they go both along the shores of the lake and on its bottom.
The main wealth of Chokrak is precisely its healing mud. They successfully treat arthritis, radiculitis, as well as various gynecological diseases. And after taking mud baths, you can soak up on the neighboring sandy beaches and swim in the warm Sea of Azov. Fishing enthusiasts will also find joy in Chokraka: a goby and other fish are perfectly caught here.
Professor S. Albov devoted a lot of time and effort to the study of the resort. According to him, Lake Chokrak is much more than Matsesta and Saki combined. The main therapeutic factor of the resort will be discussed later.
Therapeutic mud of Lake Chokrak
Lake Chokrak is rightly considered one of the most valuable deposits of medicinal mud on the planet. In addition, the local mud is characterized by great environmental cleanliness. It contains sludge, brine and various trace elements that enter it from numerous mineral springs. Chokrak muds also have a rather high colloid content (3.6%).
Today, several medical institutions operate on the basis of the mud deposits of Chokrak Lake. Among them, the largest is the Feodosia sanatorium "Sunrise".
The unique in composition and properties of Mud Chokraka are successfully used to treat diseases (including various inflammatory processes in the genitals), diseases of the spine, ailments of the digestive system, disorders of the peripheral nervous system, and so on. However, in some cases, mud therapy is strictly contraindicated. These include pregnancy, angina pectoris, arrhythmia, asthma, active tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, cirrhosis and some other diseases. Before you go to Chokrak, you must always consult a doctor.
Doctors recommend taking a full course of mud therapy, which consists of 10-12 procedures. Each of them should not last longer than 15 minutes. After the procedure, all dirt should be washed off the body. It is worth noting that in the early days, patients at Chokraka often experience side-effects of treatment: fever, mild numbness of the fingers, as well as general weakness and fatigue. However, after a few days, all the unpleasant symptoms usually disappear.
The mud of the Chokrak deposit can also be used for cosmetic purposes. Recreationalists with experience are also advised to collect local mineral salt on Chokraka. Gargling with a solution of it helps well with angina.
The surroundings of Lake Chokrak
Holidays on Lake Chokrak are not limited to balneological procedures only. In between mud therapy sessions, you can visit many interesting sites located in the vicinity of Chokrak.
First of all, this is Cape Zyuk in the village of Kurortnoye, which is famous for a long series of beautiful beaches and cozy bays. South of the lake, in the Kerch steppes, is the famous Valley of mud volcanoes. These are small (up to 1.5 meters in height) mounds, periodically spewing dirt to the surface. It’s very interesting to see these natural phenomena with your own eyes!
10 kilometers from Chokrak, Mount Ararat rises above a spacious steppe . It is low (175 meters above sea level), but very picturesque. The mountain is pronounced in relief and has a beautiful rocky peak. The slopes of the Crimean Ararat are covered with shrubs and fragrant herbs.
Conclusion
Chokrak Lake is a truly amazing corner of Crimean nature and an invaluable recreational facility. The resort is located on the Kerch Peninsula, twenty kilometers from Kerch. The main wealth of Chokrak is the local healing mud, which is effectively used to treat many diseases.