So summer has come. Do you already have plans where to go on vacation? In the past two years, many Russians have been thinking about spending it in their native country. After all, the country has its own “south”. The undisputed leader in popularity among holidaymakers from Russia is the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. But his pearl - Sochi - is not affordable for everyone. In this article we will consider another Black Sea resort - Gelendzhik. The reviews of vacationers in 2015 will help us figure out what is the situation in this city with hotels, offers in the private sector, the possibility of food, prices. Russian tourists, having visited Turkey or Greece, are accustomed to high standards of recreation. Maybe those who traveled to Gelendzhik in the Soviet years remember the sheds deprived of the most basic conveniences, which were rented out by local residents. But do not be afraid to come to this resort again. After the fall of the Soviet Union, a lot of water flowed, and the winds of change affected Gelendzhik. "All inclusive", pools, Wi-Fi and even animation - now private hotels lure vacationers with this. The situation is the same in state pensions and resorts. The room base is updated every year, the leisure infrastructure improves.
Greater Gelendzhik
The shores of a convenient bay were inhabited a long time ago, five thousand years ago. The first settlement of Torikos was built by Greek colonists. Then on this spot stood the Roman military fort of Pagra. In the Middle Ages, this territory was part of Byzantium (port of Eptala). The Khazars captured the Gelendzhik bay, and Genoese watchtowers were erected on its shores. Their fortified settlement was called Mavrolako. Then the Adyghes settled here, and later the Ottoman Turks. With them, Gelendzhik got his modern name. But the name was given to the city by Magrels (Georgians). Gelen Jih means "external fortress." In the end, this territory was captured by Russia. A mild climate, five sources of mineral waters of various compositions, a warm sea - all this led to the fact that already in 1900 the first sanatorium was opened in Gelendzhik. The city became an all-Russian resort in 1907. Gelendzhik, reviews of vacationers in 2015 confirm this, continues to be a health resort now. In addition to water, it is treated with mud that is specially brought from the Taman Peninsula. Gelendzhik repeatedly won in all-Russian competitions as the most comfortable city in the country. Naturally, the resort has grown and has included satellite villages. Now we can talk about the Big Gelendzhik, which includes Praskoveevka, Dzhanhot, Kabardinka, Arkhipo-Osipovka, Betta and Divnomorskoe. With a population of seventy thousand people, the resort annually receives three million vacationers.
How to get to Gelendzhik
In 2010, the resort acquired its own airport. However, Aeroflot airplanes on the route Moscow - Gelendzhik begin to run only from the end of March. From the beginning of the beach season, the local airport also begins to receive UTair and Alrosa liners. You can also consider options for departure to Anapa, Adler or Krasnodar. Buses run from these cities to Gelendzhik. An air ticket in the low season will cost from one thousand seven hundred rubles, and in the high - from three and a half thousand. Moscow-Gelendzhik trains do not exist, since this seaside resort is not connected by rail. But you can get to Novorossiysk. Trains depart from Kazan and Paveletsky stations. A seat in the reserved seat costs 1,700 rubles. Given that you have to spend about a day and a half in the car, it is wiser to take a compartment. A place in it will cost a thousand rubles more. From the Novorossiysk station you need to arrive by trolleybus number 6 to the main bus station. A ticket to Gelendzhik will cost about a hundred rubles. The resort also accepts bus services from Anapa, Sochi, Tuapse, Kislovodsk, Rostov-on-Don, Pyatigorsk, Taganrog. Own car should move along the highway "Don", then in Krasnodar turn onto A146. Passing Krymsk, you need to go towards Novorossiysk. So you will avoid serpentines in the Dzhubga area.
When to go on vacation to Gelendzhik
The time for a comfortable stay begins at the resort from the second decade of May. The deep Black Sea, warmed up over the summer, cools slowly. And the prevailing winds drive away the cooled layers from shallow water. They are being replaced by deep seams. Due to such water circulation in the Gelendzhik Bay, the winters in the resort are extremely mild. Air temperature rarely drops to + 6 degrees. However, in spring, the situation is radically changing. The cooled sea and winds from the Main Caucasian Range cool the air. But the location in the south of Russia makes itself felt, and already from the May holidays, the first swimmers with a squeal open the swimming season. From the foregoing, it can be understood that the best time to relax in Gelendzhik is the so-called velvet period, which lasts from September to the end of October. But the mass Russian tourist traditionally prefers to go south in the summer months. Gelendzhik in July is very crowded. Prices soar, housing without prior reservation is difficult to find, on the beaches - crowds, in cafes and shops - queues. But if you are interested in a wellness holiday in Gelendzhik, then the health resort accepts vacationers all year round. Prices in the sanatoriums are almost independent of the season.
Resorts Greater Gelendzhik
As already mentioned, now the resort includes several resort villages that retain their separate status. Each of them has its own specialization of relaxation. If you like museums, want to visit the famous June carnival or try out the slides in one of the best water parks in Russia, then choose the city of Gelendzhik itself. Reviews of vacationers in 2015 assure that the resort always has a lot of interesting events. In addition, Gelendzhik was not in vain receiving prizes for well-being. It has excellent infrastructure for housing and recreation. If you want to go "to the south" with a small child, choose Kabardinka. In the Tsemess Bay (north of Gelendzhik) a shallow bottom and a dry microclimate. If your child is already over the age when, with rapture, picking a shovel in the sand, go to Divnomorskoe. This village was formerly called "Fake Gelendzhik", as it is the southern suburbs of the resort. Divnomorskoye has its own water park. In addition, there is a beautiful nature. The Aderbievka River flows into the sea, and Pizund pine trees grow on the beaches.
Resorts in the south of Greater Gelendzhik
The name "Dzhanhot" is translated from Adyghe as "happy person". The name of the farm, and now the resort village was not given by chance. Happy are the people who rested here. A thick pine forest comes close to the shore, the small river Khotetsay murmurs, the picturesque rock Parus is seen in the sea. In Dzhanhot, the summer house-museum of the writer Korolenko is located. The village of Praskoveevka lies five kilometers from the sea, but vacationers are also welcome there. Naturally, housing prices there are much lower. Therefore, the option of accommodation in Praskoveevka should be considered if you have a vehicle at your disposal and are interested in a budget holiday in Gelendzhik. 2015 pleased the holidaymakers with rather low prices (starting from 350 rubles per person per night). But not only private owners rent turnkey rooms and houses in Praskoveevka. There is no shortage of resort hotels and recreation facilities. Further south of Gelendzhik are two villages - Krinitsa and Betta. Despite the remoteness from the city, they have established tourist infrastructure - there are recreation centers, pensions, hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. Arkhipo-Osipovka is the extreme southern village of Greater Gelendzhik. He will be interested in outdoor enthusiasts. In the vicinity of Arkhipo-Osipovka there are ruins of a watch tower of the ancient era and dolmens, and in the village itself there is a dolphinarium, water park, museum and garden with relic plants.
Beaches of Gelendzhik
The horseshoe-shaped bay of the city is the subject of ongoing forum disputes. Its closed form harbors the coast of Gelendzhik from storms. The water area warms up very quickly, which allows you to continue the swimming season until the last decade of October. But the isolation of the bay also has its negative side. Garbage accumulates in it, and the quality of water, given the influx of vacationers, makes you wish for the best. So is it worth going to Gelendzhik? Reviews of vacationers in 2015 assure that a crew of divers-cleaners and a special filter ship are working in the bay. But this is not a panacea. If you want a truly clean sea, go to satellite villages. After all, the beaches of Greater Gelendzhik stretch for a hundred kilometers along the sea. Mostly, they are pebble. A sandy beach, and even then an artificial one, is strewn only in the center of the city. There are steep cliffs near Dzhanhot. Very interesting coast in the area of Praskoveevka. There, the sea and the cliffs formed natural “baths”. The cleanest water in Krinitsa. And in Betta there is a small nudist beach. In Arkhipo-Osipovka, the coast is pebbled, but the bottom of the sea is sandy.
Accommodation in sanatoriums
The all-Russian health resort Gelendzhik in summer and winter takes vacationers. The medical base is about twenty mineral springs beating in the district, as well as the healing mud of the Taman Peninsula. In total, there are about forty sanatoriums and health centers in Gelendzhik. The most popular "Blue Wave", "Rus", them. M. Lomonosov, "Chernomorets", "Sunny Beach", "Primorye". There are also boarding houses with treatment - for example, “Pine Grove” and “Pearl of the Sea”. Since the sources of Gelendzhik have a different composition of water (hydrocarbonate, sodium chloride, iodide-bromide), the health resorts of the resort are famous for their wide profile. It effectively treats problems with the heart and blood vessels, from metabolism, the musculoskeletal system, respiratory system, urogenital system, nervous and skin diseases. But the healing effect is achieved only after passing a ten-day course of treatment.
Elite holidays in Gelendzhik
As we have already mentioned, this Black Sea resort of Russia is developing its infrastructure from year to year. Now even the most picky and moody tourists can come to rest in Gelendzhik. “All Inclusive” - a catering program so beloved by Russian tourists, now operates in this resort. In the sanatoriums this is provided for itself. After all, the nutrition for people who came for recovery should be special. When checking into a sanatorium, a dietitian appoints him. Most guest houses also have an All Inclusive program. But three meals a day (and tasty, homemade) you will find even when you choose a mini-hotel or guest house for relaxation. Gelendzhik offers a large selection of such housing, both in the city and in satellite villages. Tourists who rested in 2015 left favorable reviews about the Kamelot hotels in Kabardinka, Baden-Baden in Arkhipo-Osipovka, as well as about the boarding house with Pine Grove treatment. They praise food and accommodation in guest houses “On Morskoy” and “Blue Bay”. There are friendly hosts, close to the sea and excellent value for money.
Gelendzhik: private sector, prices
With the introduction of new rental laws, finding suitable housing has become more difficult. But demand, as you know, creates supply. And the most common and popular accommodation option at the resort was and remains a guest house. Gelendzhik in this regard provides vacationers with a huge selection. Both small neat rooms in the house where the owners live and turnkey apartments are for rent. The price depends on the amenities in the room. But this is not the main thing. An important factor is the distance from the beach and the season. Prices in July-August are two times higher than in May and October. But this is not surprising, still the peak of the season. Some private houses are arranged as luxury hotels. The courtyard has a swimming pool, playground, gazebos and barbecue equipment, and Wi-Fi is available in the rooms. You can arrange meals with the hosts - whether it is half board or even “all inclusive”. Some mini-hotels include breakfast in the price of the room. Thus, the price range is very wide. You can rent a bed for four hundred rubles, or you can relax with all the chic for two and a half thousand a day (guest house "Exclusive").
Resort Prices
How expensive is Gelendzhik? Prices for 2015 were quite high. The resort has no shortage of restaurants, cafes, canteens and fast foods. They offer mainly Caucasian, Ukrainian, Greek cuisine. Dumplings with rabbit meat cost three hundred rubles per serving. Fried flounder costed five hundred rubles, and red meat - four hundred. What about the first? A plate of soup cost four hundred or seven hundred rubles, meat dishes - about a thousand. In cafes and fast foods Gelendzhik, the average check was about eight hundred rubles per person. The budget canteens offered set meals (first, second, drink). Such meals, depending on the status of the institution, cost from two hundred and fifty to five hundred rubles per person. If you come to Gelendzhik in the summer months, you will see that prices in the market will be higher than in the whole country. To enjoy berries and fruits will be too expensive a pleasure. But autumn vacationers will receive a bonus. The harvest will just ripen, and the crowds of visitors will thinn. In the markets of Gelendzhik and villages always offers cheap draft Kuban wine. But reviews warn of its low quality. It is better to buy Myskhako wine from the eponymous state farm near Novorossiysk in the store. It, according to vacationers, is excellent.