Gelendzhik hosted almost 4 million guests in 2023, and there are no prerequisites for reducing the figure this season yet. The Black Sea resort with its long promenade and picturesque hills does not need a detailed introduction, so let’s go straight to the main thing: how to plan a summer vacation here.
Content
- The best beaches
- Hotels
- Entertainment
- Restaurants
The best beaches
Gelendzhik is convenient because you can find both pebble and sandy beaches here. No, we will not argue about the advantages and disadvantages of both, we will each have our own way: to chop heels on stones, to shake sand out of a swimsuit. Let’s just tell you about the best locations. Yes, there can be a lot of people (and even too many), but you have to shoot viral videos about the crowded beaches of the south somewhere!
Gelendzhik is convenient because you can find both pebble and sandy beaches here. Photo: saiko3p/Shutterstock.com
Calm, only calm
People on the beach and queues at changing booths can really be annoying. In this article, together with psychotherapists, we figured out how to avoid disappointment on vacation and become a little happier.
Central Beach
The largest beach in Gelendzhik with a pleasant sandy beach, convenient access to the sea and less pleasant consequences in the form of a high concentration of vacationers. A great place to train your stamina in the fight for a sunbed and a place in the sun.
More seriously, there are sun loungers, bungalows, changing rooms and paid toilets. But you will have to make your way to them, stepping over more economical fellow citizens and fighting off intrusive corn sellers and assorted touts. Whether it’s a rest or a test of the spirit is up to you. Next to the embankment with a dense row of cafes and restaurants — you will not stay hungry.
The largest beach in Gelendzhik with a pleasant sand, convenient access to the sea. Photo: Sergey Tinyakov/Shutterstock.com
Dolphin Beach
Another popular sandy beach in the center of the city is half a kilometer long, which, of course, does not always save you from crowds hungry for the sun. A gentle entrance to the water will almost completely ensure the neighborhood with children — beware of water pistols! There are bungalows, sun beds, showers and sanitary areas. Lifeguards are working, and a wide range of water activities is available, from bananas to jet skis. This beach has a special descent into the sea for disabled visitors.
2k23 Beach
A well-maintained sandy beach at the very beginning of the Tolstoy Cape area with a gentle entrance into the water. Interestingly, every year the last digit in the name of the beach changes according to the calendar, but so far to “Yandex.It still appears on Maps as “2k23”. By the way, the resort scenes of the Russian TV series “Vacation” were filmed here.
It deserves the title of the most creative beach due to the design: bungalows, umbrellas and cabins change color every season. It is easy to get everything you need for a comfortable stay: showers, toilets, sports and playgrounds, lifeguards, a swimming area for kids, exercise equipment, canopies, ice cream shops and snacks. Saps, bananas and artificial palm trees are also available for the entourage.
It deserves the title of the most creative beach due to the design: bungalows, umbrellas and cabins change color every season. Photo: Alyonushka/Yandex.Maps
Gardens of the Seas Beach
Salamandra Beach
A well-groomed small-pebble beach next to Lermontovsky Boulevard. Good infrastructure, attention to detail and bright design, soft music and generally a very pleasant atmosphere. Let your most difficult choice on vacation be where to sunbathe and lie down: in a shell, on a soft chaise longue, in a large or small bungalow, on armchairs or poufs. Of course, there are changing rooms, toilets and showers, lifeguards and a playground. There is a bar and sap rental, fitness and yoga classes are held here, as well as massages — all the pleasures in one place.
Good infrastructure, attention to detail and bright design, soft music and generally a very pleasant atmosphere. Photo: Maria Arnatskaya & Salamandra Beach Club/Yandex.Maps
Blue Bay beach
More reservoirs, beautiful and different
In this article, we talk about lakes in Russia and neighboring countries where you can enjoy a vacation. And in this cute collection of seas, we share options for beach holidays from Kaliningrad to the Far East.
Blue Abyss Beach
A wild pebble beach is a 30-minute drive from the center of Gelendzhik with a steep descent among pine forests and rocks. Actually, the beach here is called a narrow strip between the sea and steep cliffs. The views and the air are amazing, but there are also disadvantages: the beach is not equipped, there are no toilets and garbage containers. During strong waves, it can be difficult to return to shore due to large rocks, without special coral slippers it is not worth swimming here.
A wild pebble beach is a 30-minute drive from the center of Gelendzhik with a steep descent among pine forests and rocks. Photo: ROMAN DZIUBALO/Shutterstock.com
Where to stay
There is no shortage of accommodation options in Gelendzhik, we have collected several successful hotels in different parts of the city:
- “Metropol Grand Hotel Gelendzhik” is a five—star class option on Tolstoy Cape, formerly Kempinski, with three pools and its own beach.
- The Golden Lotus Hotel is a new hotel with great breakfasts, a swimming pool and a spa in the area of the Thin Cape.
- The Marine Palace Hotel is located in the northern part of the bay, next to the water park and 300 meters from the pebble beach.
- The Atmosphere Hotel is an adult—only format on the first line, two minutes from Krasnaya Talka beach, there is a nightclub.
- The Brigantine Hotel is an option on the first line in the Tolstoy Cape area, a couple of minutes to the sandy beach.
The Atmosphere Hotel is an adult—only format on the first line.
- The Lermont Hotel is located in the center, a three-minute walk from the embankment and the central beach.
- The Dynasty Hotel is a brand new hotel with a thoughtful design (the rooms have walk—in closets!) and helpful staff, near the pebble beach “Magnolia”.
- Sanatorium “Krasnaya Talka” with a large well-groomed territory, squirrels, flower beds and photo zones, a swimming pool and an outdoor cinema, the pebble beach of the same name is a five-minute walk away.
Even more hotels can be found on the Island:
We know everything about hotels
To definitely enjoy your vacation, read the instructions on how to find a beach diamond on an island and how to avoid mistakes when choosing a hotel. And if you are going on vacation with children, we advise you to take a look at oura selection of hotels with water parks and fairy-tale characters.
What to see and where to go
Embankment
Where: from Thick to Thin cape.
What kind of vacation at sea without leisurely promenades along the embankment? There is a place to roam in Gelendzhik: a folk trail stretches along the bay for almost 14 km. What you won’t find here: photo zones and interesting sculptures — the popular beauty “White Bride”, the imposing “Maestro” or “Assol” with the invariable “Scarlet sails”. There are countless beaches, cafes and restaurants, photographers and street musicians, bike and scooter rentals, fountains and a pretty lighthouse. In general, it is unlikely to be possible to get around the entire embankment in one go, you don’t even have to try — it’s better to stay on the beach or in the inviting coolness of a trendy restaurant.
What you won’t find here: photo zones and interesting sculptures — the popular beauty “White Bride”. Photo: saiko3p/Shutterstock.com
Golden Bay Water Park
- Where: Tourist str., 23.
- Ticket price: visitors up to 106 cm tall are free, from 106 to 145 cm — 1300 rubles, above 145 cm — 2200 rubles per day. There are no half-day tariffs.
- Opening hours: from 9:00 to 19:00.
To visit Gelendzhik and not look into the largest open—air water park in Russia is certainly a crime. 45 slides are waiting for guests in the Golden Bay, including the Tornado slide, which has no analogues in the country — they ride four—person rafts from it, the starting height is almost 21 meters. There is also a “Black Hole”, a Kamikaze slide, cute “Mammoth Tusks”, “Pigtail” and many others.
The complex of slides “Akulenok” works for kids, and for older children — “Pirate ship”, “Island” and “Fortress”. When you get tired of screaming, fighting claustrophobia and catching babies, you can relax in one of the seven pools or languidly lie down on a sun lounger.
To visit Gelendzhik and not look into the largest open—air water park in Russia is certainly a crime. Photo: Vladfotograf/Shutterstock.com
Olympus Amusement Park
- Where: Kupriyanova str., 1.
- Ticket prices: children under 5 years old — free of charge, from 5 to 11 years old — 800 rubles, adults — 1,500 rubles. To go down the mountain by cable car — 1000 rub.
- Working hours: from 10:00 to 19:00, the cable car — until 20:00.
The Olymp Family Recreation and Entertainment Park on the slope of the Markhotsky Ridge is a pleasant place to diversify your beach vacation with beautiful views, light extreme sports and nature. There is a cable car leading to the observation deck. On it you will find a Ferris wheel with a height of 60 meters with a panoramic view of Gelendzhik Bay. Interesting are the amusement zone, the wildlife park “Call of the Jungle”, where some of the peaceful inhabitants can be fed and petted, an aquarium with moray eels and an exotarium with a crocodile and an anaconda.
Safari Park
- Where: The 1511th kilometer of the M-4 Don highway.
- Ticket prices:1200 rubles to the park itself and another 600 rubles if you want to take a ride on the cable car to the observation deck “630 meters” and the dolmen layout.
- Opening hours: park — from 9:00 to 18:00, cable car — from 11:00 to 18:30 on weekdays and from 10:00 to 18:30 on weekends and holidays.
Not just a zoo, but a rehabilitation center for wild animals, home to more than 200 species, including tigers, lions, bears, raccoons, elephants, zebras and other milahs. Their enclosures are not cramped concrete cages, but a thoughtful imitation of the natural habitat, for example, the taiga of Amur tigers. Animals can hide under a bush, climb a tree or go to their lair — just like in nature. You can watch bears and wolves from the glass bridge. A cable car takes park guests to the top of the Markoth Ridge in 20 minutes — in addition to views of the sea and the city, you will find a Jurassic park, a playground and a mock-up of an ancient dolmen.
Not just a zoo, but a rehabilitation center for wild animals, home to more than 200 species, including tigers, lions and other milahs. Photo: Kcuxen/Shutterstock.com
Roman Empire Show Park
- Where: Sukhumi highway, 4th kilometer.
- Ticket price: children under 6 years old — free, show program – 1200 rubles. for children from 6 to 12 years old and 1500 rubles. for adults, you can get a discount.
- Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 18:00.
A revived mock-up of an ancient Roman village, where it will be fun and interesting for guests from young to old. Residents of the once great empire — gladiators and centurion, legionnaires, barbarians and slaves — are invited to participate in an interactive show program or just take a look at the tour. Here you can pretend to “sell children into slavery” at the Imperial Mine (350 rubles from the nose), shoot at a shooting range from exact copies of antique combat vehicles, visit a barbarian camp, take pictures in themed outfits, conquer a climbing wall or have fun at master classes in a pottery or bakery.
For those who can’t sit still
If your vacation is based on the principle of “embrace the immensity”, catch our selection of ten picturesque places of the Krasnodar Territory.
Where to eat
Note that this list includes not only the invariable southern hot corn, ice cream and beer!
- “Divnomorskaya Rakushka” is a local street food chain, only instead of shawarma they offer seafood delicacies: mussels, oysters, shrimps. They are paired with wine, including sparkling wine. It is convenient that you can take a minimal set for a romantic evening in one place and go to the beach to see off the sunset.
- Rybinsk Restaurant is a cozy Mediterranean—style restaurant on Primorye beach with panoramic views, rattan chairs, funny straw chandeliers and a wide selection of seafood delicacies.
- The Mediterra Green family restaurant is a place for those who miss Italy. The star of the establishment is Khan the cat, who will keep company for soulful gatherings overlooking the sea.
- 1870 Wine&Food Bar is a project of the Abrau—Durso wine library with a large selection of wines at the prices of branded stores and dishes mainly from local products. To book a table, you need to make a deposit at the rate of 2000 rubles per person.
- The Cheese Factory restaurant is a Moscow classic right on the beach with wonderful sea views and high service. It is worth booking a table in advance.
- Restaurant “On the Steep” — from the series “I sit high, look far away, eat delicious”. Cool views from panoramic windows and colorful sunsets will be a pleasant addition to the extensive menu with seafood delicacies.
1870 Wine&Food Bar is a project of the Abrau-Durso wine library. Photo: visitabrau.ru v./Yandex.Maps
A summer vacation in Gelendzhik will allow you to collect a lot of bright and unforgettable impressions in your piggy bank. Then you know what to do: call a company, book accommodation on the Island and long live the vacation!
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Cover photo: AleksNT/Shutterstock.com
