East Crimea is a romantic resort, which is surrounded by blue bays, pristine cliffs and mystical grottoes. Unforgettable impressions will bring rest in Crimea. Koktebel, which will be described in detail below, will allow you to enjoy swimming in the sea, various sights, travel through the mountains of the national reserve.
Arrival in Crimea
The first thing tourists are interested in is: where to settle? An excellent place will be the boarding house "Kara-Dag". Having booked a place in advance, the tourist will be in a comfortable, comfortable room with sea views. Without even unpacking the suitcases properly, he immediately goes to the pebble beach, which is just a five-minute walk away.
Freshened up after a trip and laid out things in his room at the “Kara-Dag” boarding house, a tireless traveler will go to explore the resort village, going along the way to your favorite cafes, restaurants or bars to refresh yourself. At the hotel, the tourist will be told what is most interesting in the vicinity, how to sign up for an excursion, which beach to go to, as they differ in various subjects: the beach towns Zelenka and Vodianaya Balka are for lovers of classical tourism, but with children go to the water park, dinoteria or dolphinarium.
Koktebel
A full rest in the Crimea in Koktebel is guaranteed to those who will not spend all their time on the beach. This place is falling in love gradually. The valley, surrounded by low hills, forms a microclimate in which sea, mountain and steppe air is mixed. It is transparent and drunk with the bitter aroma of wormwood. Light sea breezes refresh the air in the heat. At the foot of the Kara-Dag mountain in Koktebel, there is a village on the bay. He is very appreciated by creative people and students. Koktebel is always associated with the name of M.A. Voloshin.
House museum
A philosopher and artist, translator and poet settled at the foot of Kara-Dag in Koktebel after the revolution, in the house that his mother built. Now it is a memorial museum. Almost a hundred years have passed, and interest in M. Voloshin does not fade away. As during the Silver Age, when famous cultural figures gathered here, now fans of poetry and history are arriving in Koktebel. They can see not only photographs, personal letters and documents, but also a workshop composed of genuine furnishings that reflect the delicate taste of the owner. It has become a tradition in August to honor the memory of this outstanding person. From the tower you can see Mount Kuchuk-Yanyshar, where M. Voloshin is buried. Mount Kara-Dag, which is located on the other side, resembles its profile.
What not to be missed after visiting Koktebel
The main attractions of Koktebel are listed below:
- Museum of Nature of Kara-Dag. Its exposition consists of three sections and will prepare the tourist for visiting the reserve.
- Water park . This is a whole town in which there are twenty-four slides. Babies 5-6 years old were given half of them. For lovers of extreme sports there are waterways “Space Pipe”, “Kamikaze” and “Free Fall”. In addition, there are very interesting slides, which are intertwined tunnels. Tired people can relax in the jacuzzi or sunbathe on the sun loungers.
- Aquarium . It is located on the waterfront. Do not pass by it, be sure to meet the exotic inhabitants of the seabed!
- Dolphinarium . Clever bottlenose dolphins, belugas and seals will show all kinds of tricks under the guidance of trainers and even draw pictures.
- Dinoterium . This is a bird park. Its huge white spheres stand at the foot of the Kara-Dag in Koktebel. Here live about seventy parrots, which were brought from three continents. Here you can see the skeleton of a dinosaur and a maze of time. A whole legend will tell about him.
- Winery "Koktebel". Visitors will be introduced to Madeira’s production technology and taken to a tasting room.
- Mount Klementyev. It has a base on which it is trained to fly in hang gliders.
- The Golden Gate Rock. She is unusually beautiful, lit by the rays of the sun. The sea that bathes it is constantly changing color from azure to cornflower. There is a legend that when you drive under it, you need to make a wish and throw a coin in the water.
The reserve "Kara-Dag", Koktebel
The entire mountain range and the adjacent water area with a total area of 3683 hectares in 1979 made a state reserve. You can come to it only with a guided tour. This is not an accident, but a necessity. Here is an ancient extinct volcano. Only a small part of it rises above the ground, and a large part is under water. The aboveground part is exceptional and unusual in its beauty and represents a “place of power”. NASA conducted a study of the earth and identified six high-energy sites. One of them is Kara-Dag. This energy led here an incredible number of independent tourists who trampled and destroyed a unique place.
To preserve this unique place, they created a closed reserve.
Vegetable world
Flora of the conservation zone is divided into three parts.
- The first belt, at an altitude of up to 250 m , is the steppe. Separate trees grow in it, but mostly it is covered with shrubs.
- In the second zone, which is located at an altitude of 450 meters, forests of hornbeam and rocky oak grow.
- The third strip is located three hundred meters from the top, it is occupied by fluffy and rocky oak and hornbeam forests.
Microlandscapes are also distinguished:
- Holy Mountain and the Beregovoy Range (volcanic complex).
- The totality of sedimentary rocks is the rest of the reserve.
Of great scientific interest are those plants that besides Kara-Dag do not grow anywhere else. These are perennial herbs, and Poyarkova hawthorn, which has large edible fruits.
Fauna
The animal world is much poorer than the vegetable one, but this makes it no less interesting. Of particular note are badgers, foxes and field mice. Birds that nest in the reserve, more than two hundred species. Here you can see the peregrine falcon, which has survived only in Kara-Dag and has now successfully begun to breed. It is impossible not to mention that half of the species of fish living in the Black Sea are found in the bays of Kara-Dag.
Excursions
Passage to the reserve is possible only as part of an excursion group, which includes ten to twenty people. The passage along the ecological trail takes three to four hours. The route is seven kilometers long. Be sure to have comfortable shoes, clothing that protects from the sun, a hat and water.
Boat trips allow you to see bays that are inaccessible from the coast. They last no more than an hour and are canceled if the sea is stormy.
Kara-Dag is one of the treasures of the Crimea, it is unique, has great cultural and natural significance.