I've been to Aлушта a few times, and I'm still amazed by its small-town charm.
It's a tiny resort town located on the southern coast of Crimea, and it's got a pretty laid-back vibe.
Aлушта, центр города
THE BOARDWALK:
It's the longest one in Crimea, stretching over 7 kilometers.
Divided into three parts:
Central boardwalk - 4 km
Worker (Professor's) corner - 2 km
Eastern boardwalk - a bit over 1 km.
1. CENTRAL BOARDWALK:
It's got a wide promenade and plenty of spots to relax.
There are all sorts of cafes, restaurants, and snack bars along the way.
The beaches are public and free to use.
Aлушта. Центральная набережная
Aлушта. Центральная набережная
There's a fountain called Rыбак (Fisherman) on the central boardwalk. It's a bit different from what I expected, but it's still pretty cool.
Aлушта, фонтан Рыбак
You'll also find the Olympic Mишка (Mushka) statue on the central boardwalk.
Aлушта, Олимпийский мишка
There's also a kids' playground on the boardwalk.
Aлушта, детская площадка
The beaches are free to use, but you'll have to pay for some extra services:
Beach umbrella - 200 rubles
Beach mat - 300 rubles
Umbrella - 100 rubles
Beach hut - 3,000 rubles per day or 2,000 rubles for 6 hours.
The central public beach is huge, and it's always packed with people.
The majority of the beach is taken up by sun loungers, and it's not allowed to move them.
There's a lot of arguing between beachgoers and lifeguards about the sun loungers.
There are smaller beaches in the central area, but they have a major downside - there are lots of beach huts that block the view.
Aлушта, центральные пляжи
The entrance to the sea is gentle, but swimming beyond the buoys is prohibited.
However, not everyone listens to the lifeguards, and some people try to swim beyond the buoys.
Many tourists get exhausted and need to be rescued.
Alushta, beach Alushta, beach2. Working (Professor's) Corner:
I love this place for beach relaxation. The beaches here are cleaner and more comfortable than anywhere else. At the moment, the beaches are being renovated. They're tearing down old fences, adding gravel, and completely landscaping the beach area. Whether they'll finish all the work before the beach season opens is anyone's guess. Everything is cordoned off by a high fence, so you can't even peek.
Alushta. Embankment Working Corner (Professor's) View from Mindalnoe Grove Water ParkThe embankment is beautiful and wide, but it's right next to a road where many people drive to the sea. I think it'd be great if they banned cars from driving here during the summer. Alushta is a small town, and there are regular buses and trams, but still, many people want to drive right up to the beach. If they could, maybe they'd actually use the beach...
Alushta. Embankment Working Corner (Professor's) Alushta. Embankment Working Corner (Professor's)The embankment has designated relaxation areas, but it's not all smooth sailing. During the summer, people are constantly sleeping on the benches. They're too exhausted to make it to their hotel, so they just crash on the benches. It's not a pretty sight.
Alushta. Embankment Working Corner (Professor's) Alushta. Embankment Working Corner (Professor's)Here, just like in the central part of the embankment, the view is obstructed by the containers. If you want to feel like you're in a wide open space, it's better to relax on the central public beach or head to the Working Corner pier - in these areas, you've got a stunning view and no containers. Even when the sea gets a bit choppy, you barely feel it in areas without containers.
Alushta. Embankment Working Corner (Professor's), beachAll the beaches have canopies, but the shaded areas are where the sunbeds are. Yeah, you can't touch them. Some locals (mostly) manage to squeeze in between the sunbeds on a towel. In that case, the person who paid for the sunbed isn't exactly having a comfortable time...
Alushta. Beach. Professor's corner (Working corner). I had to be careful not to jump off the rocks. Who reads the signs, anyway? You have to run and jump into the water headfirst... Some people don't resurface...
Alushta. Beach. Professor's corner (Working corner). There are two piers in Alushta. One is on the central beach, and the other is in the Professor's corner. Both piers need to be rebuilt. The excursion ships don't dock at the piers. The larger ships dock on the beach behind the pier in the Professor's corner. People swim and the big ships come in... All mixed together.
Alushta. Beach. Professor's corner (Working corner). Pier. All beaches in Alushta are pebble beaches. And there are a lot of seagulls that fly over the beaches and steal food... Yes, they really steal. People sit and have a snack, and suddenly a seagull flies in, grabs the food with its beak, and takes off...
Alushta, beach. There's always a lot of fishermen on the rocks. You can buy the freshest fish. Or you can try fishing yourself. The sea in Alushta is clean. It gets dirty only during storms.
Alushta, beach.
The most popular place to relax is the Chernovskie stones beach.
They're also known as the "Fate stones".
Chernovskie stones – the Fate stones, which change the life of that person who approaches the last limit and doesn't know where to go.
There's a whole legend:
Stern King of the Tavrovo, Pharnak, who ruled in these lands, demanded the death of all strangers who landed on the shore, including shipwreck victims. Many were sacrificed by the priestess Iphigenia, although it wasn't in her heart. A lot of blood flowed from the altar under her knife. Only a big black rock listened to the midnight prayers, complaints, and cries of the young priestess, who was forced to be a killer. And the weathered rocks, soaked with sea water, were moved by the girl's pleas, and their stone hearts were shaken. The biggest rock cracked in the middle, predicting that the fate of the Greek captive would soon change. And Iphigenia's fate was turned upside down, thanks to the black stones. Her brother Orest arrived and saved her, taking her back to their native Greece. The fate of the people changed drastically, thanks to the black stones. A lot of time and water have passed since then.
The legend says that desperate people, standing at the edge of the abyss, were helped by the stones, but the stones don't hear the pleas of insignificant people with trivial desires. Maybe that's why the stones weren't destroyed, because deep down, every person hopes for a miracle...
"Alushta, Chernovskie KamyChernovskie Kamy are situated on the waterfront at Rabochy Ugolok, right behind the Kalyips Hotel, and close to the More Hotel. These rocks are easy to climb. I wouldn't recommend jumping off them, though - the water's not very deep.Beach at Chernovskie KamyAlushta's got a wide beach and crystal-clear waters. The bathing season kicks off on June 1st. Sometimes, even in May, it's so hot that people start swimming already.
The peak season is from July to the middle of August. Roughly from August 20th, families with kids start packing up and heading back home. The kids need to get ready for school... And from September 10th to 15th, Alushta's got a peaceful vibe - a great time for locals to relax. After September 10th, the soft season kicks in, and a new wave of tourists arrives.
People tend to swim in Alushta (depending on the weather) until around October 15th.
Beach and sea in Alushta
Eastern Waterfront:
Located behind the Primorsky Park.
You can get there in two ways:
Walk past the Demerdji PensionOr take the tunnel near the Blue Wave Pension, close to the Porto Mare Hotel.Alushta, tunnel leading to the Eastern WaterfrontThe waterfront needs some renovation. It's not very pleasant to walk along here: the tiles are broken, and there aren't many kiosks selling drinks or snacks.
This part of the waterfront has beaches belonging to pensions. The entrance is free. The only place where you won't be allowed in is the Porto Mare Hotel's beach - it's reserved for hotel guests. The Demerdji Pension's beach is also off-limits.
On the Central Waterfront, you'll find another inaccessible beach, too.
Alushta. View of the Eastern WaterfrontHere, the sea is clean, and the beaches are spacious. However, this spot isn't very popular among tourists because there's nothing to do here.Alushta, Eastern Waterfront, seaSea in AlushtaYou can spend your time building sandcastles, sunbathing, and swimming.
Alushta, entertainmentENTERTAINMENT:
When it comes to things to do in Aлушта, I'm spoilt for choice. There's the Ferris wheel on the Central Embankment, two dolphinariums (at the Tram Stop Circle and the Primorsky Park), a park called Crimea in miniature (at the Tram Stop Circle), an aquarium (at the Tram Stop Circle), a cinema (at the Tram Stop Circle), a dendrozoopark (at the turn for the Red Poppies), a contact zoo (on the Central Embankment), an aquapark called Mindal's Grove (at the Seaside Promenade), kids' attractions (at the Primorsky Park), a museum of stone and gemstones (on the Central Embankment), and a free guided city tour (on the Central Embankment near the Museum of Stone and Gemstones).
Aлушта, развлеченияMARINE ENTERTAINMENT:
PedalosDonutsJet skisBoatsCatamaransExtreme jet skis called Stealth: they do sharp turns on the water. Three motors, 900 horsepowerAlso:Parachute flights under a canopyFishing from a boat Aлушта, развлеченияFOOD:
Starik-Hinkalych (reasonable prices)Restaurant Vstrecha (expensive, but delicious)Restaurant Liidia (live music in the evenings)Roppongi - a fish restaurantCafe In-Yan (the tastiest sushi, pizza, burgers)The Mussels PlaceBarabulya-BarRestaurant Crimea - gets wild in the evenings.Restaurant VodoleyRestaurant Jules Verne (extremely expensive)And various canteens (average meal for two: 2000 rubles). Aлушта, кафе Aлушта, обед на пляжеACCOMMODATION:
Apartments (flats) from 2500 rublesHotels: from 5000 rubles Развлечения в Алуште Aлушта, развлечения летомTHE VERDICT:
I love Aлушта. There's loads of things to do, plenty of restaurants and cafes, a long promenade, and some fantastic beaches in the Seaside Corner. The atmosphere is pleasant if you move away from the central promenade.
If you're after some fun, you need to come to the promenade in the evenings. There's a disco, live music, dancers, and jugglers.
Only thing is, I'm not sure if they'll finish rebuilding the Seaside Corner in time for the beach season. Aлушта is constantly improving. It's not just a great place to relax, but also a lovely place to live.
A Cocktail by the SeaTHE GOOD:Lots of beaches to choose fromA lengthy promenadeWater activitiesAffordable sunbedsCrystal-clear waterTHE NOT-SO-GOOD:
You can't move the sunbedsTHE VERDICT:
I'd highly recommend relaxing on Alushta's beaches.
Thanks for reading.