Great Yalta. Where is the best place to relax in Yalta? The best boarding houses, sanatoriums and hotels in Yalta Where is the best place to relax in big Yalta

Having visited Crimea for the first time, I fell madly in love with its inexhaustible riches and atmosphere, and then I returned here to live, since just a vacation is not enough to study and understand the peninsula. But nevertheless, you can get incredible impressions during your vacation. So let's sharpen our skis towards Crimea. More precisely, flippers. The skis there are not functional.

The pearl of the peninsula and the place of the most massive tourist pilgrimages is, of course, the South Coast of Crimea (South Coast of Crimea). It is here that the most diverse nature is found, the purest pebble beaches, the highest mountains, the most ancient forests, the most diverse flora and fauna, the juiciest fruits, the richest wines and the most healing climate. It is here that the most picturesque nature trails with tall cliffs and waterfalls are located, it is here that the palaces of princes and other unique architectural monuments rise majestically... And many, many more unusual, unknown and fascinating things. And the pearl of the South Coast, which occupies a significant part of it and, in fact, spreads all these riches, is Bolshaya. A legendary area, definitely worth a visit.

In general, traveling by train to the south is a very dubious pleasure: you will have to make a lot of transfers in the heat, and even the risk of being stuck at the crossing for several hours is very high. The tourists traveling with the “Single Ticket”, whom I met at the stations, had a very sad and “rumpled” look. They were no longer happy about coming to Crimea - fatigue from numerous road troubles took over.

This option may be relevant for residents of remote regions where flight fares are quite high. It allows you to save a lot of money. Getting to Crimea by plane from Central Russia is not at all expensive.

By bus

There are regular buses from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Kerch. The ticket price is about 3 thousand rubles. Having reached Kerch, you will need to get to the city you need on your own. Fortunately, the bus service between Kerch and the rest of Crimea is quite well developed.

There is another option: buy bus tours, where all connections and logistics are already thought out for you. Similar offers can be found from many travel agencies. It's a little more expensive, but you won't have to wait long for connections. The same tours are organized to cities such as Yalta and Bakhchisarai. Then no transfers at all. Travel time is a little more than a day.

The buses that carry long distances are quite comfortable - my friends who travel this way did not complain of discomfort.

By car

You can get from Moscow to Yalta by private car in 18 hours, excluding stops and food breaks. Gasoline costs will be about 10 thousand rubles. The road will run through Ukraine. From Moscow you need to take the E105 highway, which leads directly to Yalta, the length of the route is 1,481 km.

The journey from St. Petersburg will take about 30 hours. There are options: go either only through Ukraine, or through Belarus and Ukraine. The average is 2,200 km. If you drive only through Ukraine, then you should take the E95 highway, in Bryansk get onto the E101, follow it to Belgorod, and then change the road to E105. This is the most optimal, simple

(less chance of getting lost at junctions and turns) and a fast option.

When is the season? When is the best time to go

The best time for a holiday in Crimea is mid-August - late September. Not so hot, not so stuffy, the sea is warm and rarely stormy. Local fruits, berries, nuts and vegetables have already ripened, young wines have been made from the new grape harvest, and markets are beginning to trade in all these riches of Crimea. In general, absolutely all, without exception, the delights of southern resort life can be enjoyed during this period.

Big Yalta in summer

In summer, Yalta is crowded. There is a crush in all minibuses, traffic jams on the roads, finding a place on the beach is a rare success, there is a queue for excursions, it is often impossible to disperse on narrow mountain paths, on the embankment you cannot fight off merchants of all stripes - here they lure you with baklava, and here they offer to tell fortunes for the future. Prices for food, housing and other tourist services are the highest and unrealistically inflated. But! The south is still the south, and no matter how you look at it, it’s nice in Yalta in the summer.

All other advantages of resort life significantly outweigh the disadvantages. Sun, sea, beach, warmth, mountains, forests, wine and delicious food, kind people - in comparison with this, all of the above shortcomings seem so insignificant.

As for the sea, it warms up to a comfortable temperature (about +23 °C) by mid-June and remains warm until the end of September. The period of sweltering heat occurs at the end of July - beginning of August. Then neither the sea nor the shade of pine forests can save you from the heat.

Big Yalta in autumn

Autumn is the best time to travel to Crimea. If you want to relax comfortably without the crowded tourist bustle and heat, but with a warm sea and red-red landscapes of the forest, maple and oak alleys, then autumn is ideal for you.

Off-season trips are good for those who do not like to be around noise and crowds. The city streets are not so crowded, many cafes are closed, and souvenir stalls are boarded up. But there is an opportunity to wander alone on the beaches, without stepping over densely lying sunbathers, to feel the scale of the elements, to listen to the waves. Well, housing, of course, is rented during this period at lower prices.

Big Yalta in spring

In spring, the sea is still cold (+15 °C), and only walruses enjoy swimming. During the day it is quite warm - the temperature rises to +25 °C, and at night to +17 °C. But, again, there are not many tourists, prices are not high. And if you come at the end of May-April, you can find Crimea in bloom! The plateau above Yalta is strewn with poppies, the forest clearings are all covered with snowdrops, and the gardens are covered in clouds of the most fragrant flowering in the world. It's incredibly pleasing to the eye! The lavender fields alone are worth it.

Big Yalta in winter

In winter, Yalta dies out. The embankment is emptying, many shops, cafes and hotels are closing, storms are becoming more frequent at sea, and cold winds blowing in the city, descending from the mountains. No one invites you on boat trips and diving, or offers boiled crayfish and salted corn. Yalta in winter is an ordinary small mainland town. There is simply no reason to go there at this time of year.

Snow in Yalta is a rather rare phenomenon. All winter it lies only in the mountains, and if it falls in the city, it melts within a day. The children immediately happily pour out into the streets and make short-lived snowmen. For Yalta, this is truly akin to a miracle (unlike the Simferopol region, which is located higher above sea level, and therefore fluffy precipitation lingers there longer).

Clue:

Big Yalta - weather by month

Districts. Where is the best place to live?

Yalta and surroundings (Massandra, Livadia)

As for Yalta itself, the well-known “Intourist” is always happy to welcome guests and is very much loved by tourists, and the prices there are quite reasonable. The most expensive places in Yalta are, of course, the hotels on the embankment (Villa Elena, Oreanda and others like them). These are architectural monuments where the Chekhovs and Chaliapins used to have tea. The hotels have a very high star rating, and therefore the prices are not budget. A comfortable area for living in Yalta is, again, its suburb - . Yalta itself is still very noisy and crowded, and the city beaches are dirty. Massandra is quieter, cleaner and still a little cheaper. more noisy, since the Livadia Palace is located there, and crowds of tourists come to it. But there are good beaches there.

But for lovers of noisy city life who do not want to live anywhere other than Yalta, I recommend the area of st. Pushkinskaya. This is the original Yalta Arbat, the center of vibrant city life. On the one hand, you live in a place with a high concentration of restaurants and clubs, and on the other, it’s only a 10-minute walk to the sea.

Only the prices there, of course, are high. Even simple housing can cost millions, just because of its favorable location.

Villages

Of all the Bolsheyalta villages for living, I would recommend. It is the most quiet, calm, clean and beautiful. Yalta and the most iconic sights are very close from there. You can read more about housing in Simeiz

The least I would recommend is . It is the most densely populated, the most hilly and mountainous, and the historical part in it is quite small. The rest of the space is occupied by standard block houses, built by the councils as dormitories for Artek employees - boring, gray and depressing. No resort romance. But here is the longest beach and embankment. The water in the sea, of course, is cleaner than that in Yalta, but still leaves much to be desired. But this is just my opinion; to some, Gurzuf may seem like an attractive resort area.

All other villages have the same idea - guest houses and simple hotels offer rooms of varying comfort. Somewhere there is a courtyard with gazebos and barbecues, somewhere there are swimming pools and other hotel attractions. Prices vary depending on the availability of these bonuses, the main one, of course, being distance from the sea.

But in general, all coastal villages differ little from each other - a pebble beach, a market, a historical part with dilapidated houses and crooked streets, and new neighborhoods with Soviet-era buildings and modern cottages. The cost of accommodation starts from 700 rubles per day. But each village has its own iconic attractions and unique natural areas.

I don’t see much difference where to live. These villages are all typical. But if you like peace, then I would not recommend staying in Alupka, where the Vorontsov Palace is located, and in Gaspra, where the Swallow's Nest is located. Daily pilgrimages of crowds of tourists and motorcades from slow buses will not allow you to catch relaxation.

By the way, the ubiquitous grannies with “housing” signs have not gone away. And they will be able to offer you good houses in the private sector, which the Internet doesn’t even know about.

And the most prestigious hotel in Greater Yalta (and in Crimea in general) is Mriya Resort&Spa. It is located near Simeiz and is considered a sanatorium-resort complex. All the big shots, coming to Crimea, stop there. A large territory, well-groomed safe beaches, tennis courts, restaurants and spa centers - all the benefits of civilization are at your service. The grannies with their signs weren’t even standing nearby.

I will tell you in detail about approximate housing prices in the section below.

What are the prices for holidays?

Nutrition

Lunch in a canteen or an average cafe will cost 200–300 rubles, and in restaurants and more decent cafes 500–700 rubles. The average price for visiting excursions and attractions is 300 rubles per piece.

Souvenirs

Classic souvenirs like magnets, shell beads, teas and soap can be purchased for 100 rubles. The price for tourist cards is the same. The cost of illustrated publications about Crimea starts from 300 rubles. Spices cost from rubles per bag. Wines - from 250 per bottle. In addition, in markets and souvenir stalls you can safely practice the art of bargaining and bring down the price a little :)

Main attractions. What to see

Top 5

Beaches. Which ones are better

There is nothing to do on the beaches in Yalta. There are too many boats and ships there, and the sea itself is very dirty. However, in the summer you can’t get through there either - there are too many people.

The beaches of all villages are approximately the same - a narrow pebble strip and groins every 50 meters. But nevertheless, there are protected places where the sea is clean and there are few people.

Chekhov Bay in Gurzuf
In Gurzuf, on the territory of the Chekhov museum-dacha, there is a small cove, very clean and beautiful, surrounded by tall rocks, hidden from prying eyes. You can go there through the museum by paying the caretaker 50 rubles. But you are guaranteed peace and quiet there.

Beach "Gurovskie Kameni"
Clean Artekivsky beach for public use. You can read more about it Now, due to the active construction of the new Artek buildings, the beach is closed. But I think that you can get into it through some hole in the fence, having first learned about it from the local old-timers.

Wild beach in Simeiz
Adherents of nudism will be satisfied with the Semeiz wild beach. Lying near beautiful rocks on snow-white smooth limestone boulders - what else can you dream of? More about the beach -

Beaches at the foot of Ayu-Dag
The famous one, which is located between and Partenit, is also famous for its wild beaches. You can get there by boat from Gurzuf or from Partenit (sea taxi is a very common phenomenon in Yalta. It is very pleasant to relax there - the mountain landscapes are impressive, and the clear sea is very pleasing, especially after Yalta.

Churches and temples. Which ones are worth visiting?

Muslim mosques and Orthodox churches are very common in Crimea. But in Yalta, unlike the Bakhchisarai region, there are no outstanding mosques of interest to tourists. But there are a couple of beautiful churches.

Museums. Which ones are worth visiting?

Basically, the museums of Yalta are divided into palaces of the Russian aristocracy of the 19th century, houses where famous writers and artists lived, and ancient fortresses. Not all of them are unusual, large-scale and worth the attention of a tourist. Here are the ones that I think are a must visit.

Parks

Gardens and parks invariably accompanied all large-scale palaces and aristocratic estates in Crimea. To create them, they called in foreign specialists and ordered plants from the world's leading greenhouses. Numerous sanatoriums also left a park legacy: plants were planted on their territory, the evaporation of oils from which has a healing effect

Tourist streets

In all coastal villages there are usually two tourist streets: the embankment, and another street going down from the city to it. They are notable for the fact that it is there that they sell everything that they go to Crimea for - herbs, tea, oils, fruits and vegetables, vests with the inscription “I love Yalta”, towels with a map of the Black Sea coast and other items that delight tourists’ bellies and soul.

Another tourist thoroughfare of the city is the pedestrian Pushkinskaya Street, which leads, of course, to the embankment. It is not for nothing that it is called that - after all, the very sun of Russian poetry, comrade, walked along it and admired the beauty of the city. The range of tourist places here is also classic: cheburek shops, cafes, souvenir shops, restaurants and terraces. The street is planted with beautiful southern trees, in the shade of which you can sit on comfortable wide benches. It also houses the Yalta Museum of Local Lore (poor and not developed in any way since Soviet times) and a Catholic church, quite nice from the outside.

What to see in 1 day

So, you only have one day to visit Yalta. You shouldn’t be hysterical, annoyed at the injustice of fate, and believe that you won’t be able to accomplish anything in just one day in the vast Yalta. If you don't wrinkle your pillow until noon, you can embrace the immensity.

8 a.m. You have already left home and are standing at the bus station. Jump on a minibus to Alupka. You will be there around 9. For a whole hour before the opening of the Vorontsov Palace Museum, you walk through the fragrant morning garden, admiring the landscape art and views of the sea. Around 10, go to the museum ticket office and buy a ticket for the first excursion. The guide is still cheerful, cheerful and you skim the cream of the Crimean excursion skills. At 11 you leave the palace, enriched with new knowledge and impressed by the royal interiors. To consolidate the material, you can go to one or two more exhibitions of the palace.
12:00. It's noon. Don't rush to fill your stomachs! We'll have lunch at , but in the meantime, grab a cheburek in case you have to stand in line at . From the palace you can get to it by minibus No. 132 or 102, but it takes just a couple of stops, so you can walk. We get in line for the ride and enjoy the impressive funicular ride.
13:00. You are at the top. Walk along the plateau, go to the battlements along the bridge (the rocks themselves are nameless, but both tourists and locals call them “teeth”), buy souvenirs at the Tatar market, admire the mountain and sea landscapes.
14:30. Dinner time. We have lunch at the wonderful cafe “Ai-Petri”. It is located on a cliff, to the right of the cable car station, if you are facing the sea. The prices there are surprisingly affordable for such a popular place, and lunch will cost 500 rubles. But the view is wonderful! From the panoramic windows you can admire the battlements, the sea, and Yalta. Beauty.
15:30. Having enjoyed the high - nature, we return to the earth, to the low. We jump into any minibus going from Miskhor to the Yalta bus station. At the bus station we transfer to transport to Massandra.
17:00. We have time for a five-hour excursion and subsequent tasting at.
19:00 . We tumble out of the factory, prudently taking their wine with us on the road. We are going to the evening party, where at this time life is in full swing: street musicians who have had enough sleep in the evening, fire show masters and other stunt performers begin to perform. Street artists paint you and the Crimean landscapes, and cafes are filled with the intoxicating aromas of delicious gourmet dishes.
20:00. Take a walk along the embankment, digest the impressions accumulated during the day, look into different shops for souvenirs, listen to the waves and admire the lights and garlands. And for dinner, go to the Yalta Dvorik cafe (Lenin embankment, 19). This is a cozy terrace with soft sofas, delicious food and good music. Dinner here will cost 500–700 rubles.

You can spend even one day in Yalta richly, filling it with interesting events.

What to see in the area

The surroundings of Yalta are replete with natural attractions. Not seeing them means not seeing Crimea.

Food. What to try

Of course, in Crimea, the first thing you should do is fill your belly with all the southern delicacies - crayfish, oysters and mussels, boiled corn, dried Black Sea fish, churchkhela and baklava. All this is available in stalls on beaches and embankments, as well as from merchants walking along tourist streets.

Since Crimea is famous for its rich Tatar culture, establishments of Crimean Tatar cuisine are most common here. And you should definitely try pilaf, chebureki, lagman and other national gastronomic delights. There are no such cafes in all the villages of greater Yalta, and on average lunch in them costs 500 rubles.

In addition, during the high tourist season, a bunch of canteens and cafes with European cuisine open. Many of them boast outdoor terraces.

Self-catering

Those who prefer to cook themselves will also not be lost. In the markets you can buy absolutely everything - meat, fruits and vegetables, and dairy products from local farmers. Well, even though Crimea is a village, supermarkets have reached it too. The popular chain stores here “Pud”, “Sosedi”, “Furshet”, “Yabloko” are scattered in handfuls throughout all the villages and villages.

In general, you won’t go hungry. Generous Yalta will feed everyone.

Cafe "Mangal", st. Pushkinskaya, 18a
Lovers of quality grilling definitely come here! The intoxicating smells of kebab and kebabs are tempting. I tried fish cooked over charcoal there and was pleased with everything - the spices, the cooking, and the service. The interior is also very nice. Among other things, the cafe offers a wide selection of draft beer, which goes very well with its signature dishes :) The average check is 500 rubles.

Cafe "Spices and Passions", emb. them. Lenina, 31b
Just a nice veranda on the embankment. A classic lounge-cafe with panoramic windows and sea views, a modern cozy hi-tech design and a standard menu - from pasta to tiramisu. The average bill is 600 rubles.

South Cafe, st. Botkinskaya, 2v
A trendy cafe, atypical for Crimea. More like mainland establishments. What I like about it is that for a business lunch they offer national dishes from different countries - Japanese, Greek, Italian. You can choose according to your mood. There is also always pleasant music playing there, some kind of fresh Internet radio, where all the tracks are selected with great taste. The interior and service are also at the same level. I advise you to take a look. And, as far as I know, good musicians from the mainland come there on weekends and perform their music. Everyone praises these concerts :) The average bill is 700 rubles.

Budget

Dining room "Crimea", st. Moskovskaya 1/6;
Canteen "Lilac", st. Roosevelt 4;
Dining room “At home”, emb. named after Lenin 15;
Cafe "Mangal", st. Pushkinskaya, 18a;
Cafe "Medusa", st. Marshak, 4.

Mid-level

"People's Cafe No. 1", st. Lomonosova, 15;
South Cafe, st. Botkinskaya, 2v;
Restaurant "Chaika", emb. named after Lenin, 15;
Cafe "Massandra", Drazhinsky street, 46;
Cafe "Van Gogh", st. Massandrovskaya, 11.

Expensive

Restaurant "Fabrikant", Primorsky Park, 4;
Kaat Park, Primorsky Park, 1a;
Restaurant "Tiflis", st. Baturina, 1;
Cafe "Balcony", emb. named after Lenin, 35a;
Grant-cafe Persona Grata, emb. named after Lenin, 17;
Grand Cafe "Orange", emb. named after Lenin, 31a;
Restaurant "Colonnade", Kommunarov Street, 2A, Primorsky Park;
Verdi bar&restaurant, Primorsky Park 1.

Holidays

In September at the Theater. Chekhov International Theater Festival takes place in Yalta THEATER.CHEKHOV. YALTA" Theaters come there from many Russian cities, as well as from neighboring countries. All day long, the theater shows a wide variety of performances; during the festival, you can meet many famous actors in the city.

This is a big event for Yalta residents, and it is definitely worth a visit. You can view the poster on the theater website, and buy tickets only at the box office on the embankment, or in the theater itself.

Safety. What to watch out for

In general, Yalta is a fairly safe city, but there are things that it is better to warn yourself against:

Things to do

Yalta is a great place both for a beach holiday and a night out, as well as for extreme sports enthusiasts of various stripes - rock climbers, divers, speleologists and racers. Everyone will find something to their liking here.

Shopping and shops

On the embankment, of course, there are several fashion stores of familiar brands, but due to sanctions, they initially have inflated prices and sell outdated collections. So fashionistas have nothing to do in Yalta. All fashion here begins and ends with flip-flops, striped shorts and a beer belly spilling out of them.

It is better to do shopping in Crimea in the markets. And buy exclusively authentic products - oils, jams, fruits, shells, teas, etc. Yalta is not for you, and you shouldn’t go there for fashionable clothes. But there’s so much that’s missing from the markets! And this is not there, and that is not there either :)

Local craftsmen and craftswomen sell all kinds of goods, here everyone will find something for themselves and their loved ones to taste. Food, cosmetics, traditional medicine, paintings by local artists, spices... You can’t list it all. The markets of Greater Yalta are a storehouse of folk wisdom and ingenuity.

Bars. Where to go

As you know, the highest concentration of bars in resort areas is located by the sea: on the beaches and not far from them. Yalta is no exception.

Pub "Ulf", Karl Marx str. 4/2
An atmospheric place stylized as a medieval Irish pub. Here you will be offered strong ale and meat snacks, which are especially pleasant to eat under the vaulted stone ceilings on rough oak tables. Bar prices are slightly above average.

All bars are open until approximately 5 a.m.; only very low-class establishments, such as port wine bars, where port thieves and local drunks gather, are open 24 hours a day.

Clubs and nightlife

Nightlife is also in full swing. During the high tourist season, the clubs are open every day.

Cafe-club "Chocolate", Kyiv street 1
A classic nightclub where all Yalta youth gather to hang out. Popular hits are played, popular drinks are poured. Parties are traditionally held on Fridays and Saturdays. There is nothing remarkable in the club itself, which is why the prices are quite standard for middle-class establishments.

Extreme Sports

The Southern Coast of Crimea is a real haven for extreme sports enthusiasts. Steep forest trails are wonderful for downhill cycling and freeride, mountain cliffs are for rope jumpers, the mysterious waters of the Black Sea are for divers and kayakers, tall rock formations are for rock climbing and mountaineering, relief plateaus are for jeeping, mountain river beds are for canyoning, deep caves - for caving tourism. And I'm sure this is not the whole list.

There are many companies that organize various extreme tours around Crimea and provide all the necessary equipment. You just have to do some good Googling. As for people who are independent in this regard, I can only talk in more detail about rock climbing and caving.

Rock climbing

The most famous rock massifs with a bunch of beaten routes are:

and the Swan's Wing rock,
Nikitskaya cleft in Nikita,
Ai-Nikola rock massif and Alim rock in Oreanda,
Red Stone in Krasnokamenka,
Parus rock in Foros,
Mount Krestovaya in Alupka.

The routes on them vary in difficulty from 4c to 8c.

There is a campsite for climbers under Red Rock where you can pitch a tent and use the shower and kitchen. And although the path from there to the sea is not close, under the rock itself there is a small lake, which is filled with cold springs. It is very pleasant to swim in it after climbing.

And under Parus there is an active rescue station and a spring.

Climbing on Ai-Nikola is very specific: on the road, above the massif itself, there is an Orthodox church, where a tape recorder with religious chants is played for the whole day from the very morning. They turn it off only at 6 o'clock. Echo, as you know, is quite strong in the mountains. And although the routes there are very interesting, it is difficult for an unprepared listener to endure such accompaniment for more than two hours.

The coolest thing about the Crimean Rocks is the short approaches. Many rocks are located 50 meters from the route, some take 10 minutes to walk to. There is no need to drag your equipment through the forest up the mountain, accompanied by mosquitoes, 10 kilometers to the nearest rock. The main rock type in Crimea is limestone. In some places it is very comfortable and pleasant for climbing, in others it is sharp and hurts your fingers. So you have to be careful.

Caving tourism

As for caves, many speleologists argue that speleology should be done only for the sake of later descending into the caves of Crimea. Mount Karabi, near Simferopol, is very famous in the world speleological community, as it contains some of the deepest and most unexplored caves in the world (for example, Krasnaya Cave). In addition, you can find very beautiful caves there with snow-white stalactites and stalagmites, sparkling crystals and other speleological goodies.

The caves of Mount Chatyr-Dag near Alushta are no less interesting for speleologists-researchers and ordinary speleotourists. In addition, the closest to Yalta is a mountain, in the depths of which a lot of interesting things are also hidden. The depth of the descents into many caves reaches hundreds of meters in total, so you need to correctly calculate the length of the rope and take it with a supply of hooks for hanging.

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

As a gift from Yalta, it is definitely worth bringing sweet Yalta onions, aromatic sunflower oil, Crimean teas and wines (only it is better to buy them at wineries, the markets are full of fakes), local spices (the Svan mixture is especially good), aromatic oils and soaps, nuts and olives, jam from local fruits.

In general, everything that makes Crimea Crimea. Its small, but very tasty and healthy pieces:)

How to get around the city

Transport communication between the villages of Greater Yalta is carried out by minibuses and trolleybuses. The latter go only towards Simferopol, to the east. That is, from Bolsheyalta villages you can only get to Gurzuf. Trolleybuses No. 51, 52 and 53 will take you to all eastern villages of Big Yalta. The trolleybus station is located across the street from the bus station. Minibuses regularly go to the villages located to the west of Yalta from the upper platform of the bus station.

Minibuses and trolleybuses also travel around the city itself. The fare is 13 rubles.

Taxi. What features exist

A taxi ride around the city costs on average 150 rubles. You just need to call the ordering services, and not use the services of bombs that lure rogue tourists. They jack up prices shamelessly. Yalta taxi numbers are available on the Internet, I just called the first number that came up in the search engine. Unfortunately, convenient Yandex taxi and other applications have not yet reached Crimea. To the airport, taxi drivers usually charge 2000–3000 rubles.

Transport rental

Many people rent cars and for good reason. This is much more convenient than being stuck in crowded summer minibuses, not knowing where to get off and whether you will catch the last flight.

At the airport itself in Simferopol there are several offices of various car rental companies. On average, renting an economy class car for 7 days costs about 8,000 rubles. Business class - about 15,000. During the high tourist season, you need to book cars in advance, at least a month in advance.

Be careful on winding and steep mountain roads - that's my only advice. Driving on flat terrain is different from driving on mountainous terrain. The latter requires more skill and dexterity. So don't be reckless, just be careful :)

Big Yalta - holidays with children

In my opinion, Crimea and Bolshaya in particular are perfect for families with children. Here you will find the sea, sun, fruits, mountain air, safe beaches, playgrounds, cozy parks for walking with kids, a water park and other children's entertainment.

And the breathtaking views and rich nature will be remembered for a long time by impressionable children and will serve to significantly expand their horizons. The only thing I would not recommend is taking children in the heat of the day, at the end of July - beginning of August. Heat and stuffiness can negatively affect the health and mood of children.

Anything to add?

All about Yalta - the most popular and expensive resort in Crimea. The article will be useful to those readers who have not yet decided on a vacation spot or are going to Yalta for the first time.

The city of Yalta is the pearl of the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula. The excellent climate, rich subtropical flora, impressive views, developed infrastructure of the city and the close location of all the main ones make it the most expensive and popular holiday destination on the peninsula. In addition, Yalta is in demand among foreign tourists and famous media personalities.

Yalta is located in the southern part of Crimea, in a kind of “bed” among the mountains - they surround the city on all sides by land. It can easily be compared with Mediterranean resorts not only because of the similar climate, but also because of the equal number of sunny days a year. Stone massifs reliably protect Yalta from cold air currents from the north, so in winter the temperature here rarely drops below zero. Spring and autumn are characterized by warm and pleasant weather, and summer lasts a long time and delights tourists with hot and sunny days.

The swimming season in Yalta is long, it usually begins at the end of May and ends at the end of the velvet season. The city is very green, the streets are fragrant with flowers: at different times you will see crocuses, tulips, cyclamens, peonies, roses. They exude pleasant aromas and create a festive atmosphere.

Excursions around Yalta and surrounding areas

The most interesting excursions are routes from local residents to Tripster. We recommend getting to know each other first, and then the big one - one of the most picturesque resorts in Crimea (the old town, a boat trip and the Cold War Museum in 8 hours).

What is the best way to get to Yalta

If you decide to visit Crimea by plane (the only operating civil airport on the peninsula) no problem. Both regular minibuses and regular buses go to the resort very often.

The distance between the cities is about 80 kilometers, which is about an hour's drive. In addition, Yalta can be reached using the intercity trolleybus network, connecting Yalta, Simferopol, and many settlements of Greater Yalta. The trolleybus travels quite slowly, but in this walking mode you can fully enjoy the beauty of the surrounding nature.

If you are traveling by car, then you need to go through the Kerch crossing. After a half-hour ferry ride, you will need to travel more than two hundred kilometers to your destination. Keep in mind that the last kilometers will be quite difficult due to the mountainous, narrow and winding road.

If you decide to experience all the delights, get ready for a large number of transfers. But by bus they will take you directly to your destination and also take you away. There is no need to get anywhere on your own.

Where to stay in Yalta - prices 2019

The city is aimed at tourists; there is plenty of all kinds of accommodation here.

Yalta is divided into districts: Old Town and New Town. In the Old Town you can find all the attractions and entertainment, but the houses are far from the freshest. The new city boasts modern buildings, peace and tranquility. There are accommodation options to suit every taste. Sanatoriums and dispensaries, boarding houses, large hotels, private hotels, apartments and cottages, budget rooms in the private sector. Yalta has everything.

Where to stay closer to the center/beach and for reasonable money:

Eco Hotel Levant. A very cool hotel on the first line from the beach, in the Primorsky Park area. Modern rooms, beautiful area with a lot of amenities, view of the Yalta embankment! Price from 5,000 rub.

Conquering the status of the unofficial capital of the republic is worth a lot. Indeed, such a situation is sometimes much more important than the legal aspects. On the other hand, this city was simply doomed to turn into a resort center of the Crimean peninsula. It was Yalta that became the true mother of the hotel industry on the territory of the Russian Empire, which made the beautiful area stand out from the general mass of settlements. The number of vacationers on the local coast grew rapidly and does not stop to this day. Incredible serpentine roads, air with the scent of pine forests and other elements of the landscape instantly make vacationers fall in love with the reserved serenity. No, civilization could not pass by, but the echo of the metropolis is barely audible here. Fortunately, no one dared to turn natural elegance into a concrete jungle monolith.

The road awaits us

The famous resort does not display a VIP sign at its boundaries. Anyone can get to this wonderful city. Traveling to the unofficial capital of the peninsula does not require diplomatic immunity or other attributes of elitism. Fortunately, transport links with Yalta do not pose any difficulties. Yes, processes took place here that influenced the methods of movement. However, the changes did not affect comfort too much. The infrastructure allowed vacationers to try alternative transfer options from the mainland. However, some of the delights of logistics have been preserved in their traditional form. Simferopol Airport, as before, serves as a transit zone. But the usual route along the railroad tracks now offers detours. This situation does not at all increase the time between point A to point B; fortunately, the opening of the Crimean Bridge eliminated the need for a visit to the Kerch crossing.

Simferopol Airport allows you to get to Crimea from almost any region of the country
Buses to Crimea depart from the Krasnodar Territory along the mentioned bridge
You need to travel along the railway track to the Krasnodar Territory, and then take a bus to Kerch

Road connections of the peninsula

It is immediately worth noting that the transplants described above do not cause serious discomfort. Perhaps they only increase the resort excitement. Yalta is very easy to get to both from the air harbor of Simferopol and from Kerch. The road, as they say, is on a crossroads, and does not imply any significant financial costs. Let's start with the fact that the existence of a “single transport ticket” (train-bus) already at the start saves the pilgrim from emptying his wallet. The desire to free tourists from additional financial problems is certainly felt. It is visible not only on the mainland, but also in the possessions of the peninsula. The legendary trolleybus route “Simferopol - Yalta” openly hints to guests of Crimea about the romance of public transport. There, regular buses run from the official capital to the resort capital. From Kerch it is just as easy to move to the south of the autonomy. Well, the logistics of reaching the city “I” are very rich. What is the amazing cable car worth?

The trolleybus route Simferopol - Yalta is not only a transport hub, but also a landmark of Crimea
A bus to Yalta from Kerch will cost a tourist about a hundred rubles and will take about two hours
The journey by bus from Simferopol will take the same amount of time, and the ticket price for a similar transfer from Kerch is almost identical

Let's visit a restaurant

In terms of gastronomic tourism, Yalta will give odds to the best resorts in Europe. No, of course, you should not perceive this part of the holiday as the only type of leisure. However, the number of cafes, combined with the native love of cooking among the locals, makes the city on the Black Sea coast a real center for gourmets.

The fish menu is especially appreciated in Yalta
Restaurants are scattered throughout the city, and also concentrated on the coast
Due to the large number of catering outlets, prices on the menu usually do not scare visitors with exorbitant values.

Tender climate

The climatic features of Yalta were sung by both great writers and legendary artists. Medical professionals also spoke about the benefits of the Crimean air. The great Botkin recommended the southern shores of the region, perhaps, not as a medicine. It was here that Anton Pavlovich Chekhov tried to overcome a progressive illness. Tuberculosis, which attacked the classic, retreated in battles with the local air. In addition to the incredible number of sunny days, the weather on the peninsula favors a tourism boom. Infrequent rain, not too intrusive heat and a refreshing wind - an outstanding combination!

The concept of “off season” is irrelevant for Yalta
Local walruses do not consider themselves as such, since the water temperature already in February reaches at least ten degrees
Let us add that this part of the Black Sea is never covered with an ice crust

Cradle of the hotel business

As we have already said, it was Yalta that turned out to be the starting point for the creation of the hotel industry in the south of the Russian Empire. The building named after the state now has a different sign, but still exists. She remembers the visits of Stanislavsky and Chekhov, as well as a huge number of legendary people. Of course, the business veteran is now surrounded by competitors. Moreover, we are talking not only about elite structures, but also about the private sector. Low-rise hotels are also full participants in the mentioned process. Gradually, all the complexes are gaining myths about cult figures from the world of art and politics living in their apartments. This is probably the best evidence of the growing quality of service.

The private sector is located in the center of Yalta, but the price here is quite reasonable - from 1000 rubles per day per person
Sanatorium facilities will offer a similar price tag
Multi-storey complexes claim prices starting from 1,500 rubles per night

Both leisure and science

The Crimean peninsula is an ideal place for those who want to combine resort serenity with immersion in the cultural environment of the region. Yalta is not going to abandon traditional leisure. It would seem that ordinary things are turned into an exclusive offer here. A zoo, an aquarium and a high street - an outstanding trio that will make your holiday even more unforgettable.

The Yalta Zoo is not inferior to its Moscow counterpart in terms of the number of animals and the size of its territories.
The Yalta Oceanarium provides an opportunity to see marine animals living in completely different parts of the world (from Australia to North America)
The central street of Yalta is an open-air gallery. Almost all artists in the region exhibit their works there.

Yalta, beaches

The Yalta coast is unique. Moreover, this epithet should not be taken as a banality. The legendary “ghost ship” turned into a restaurant, the famous film studio, which has an analogue only in distant Malta - the list is long. And here, in an atmosphere of charm and wonderful shocks, city guests enjoy a beach holiday. The Black Sea here does not frighten visitors with its huge waves. Storms, of course, happen, but they are never transformed into scenes from Aivazovsky’s painting “The Ninth Wave.” Well-groomed areas and a mild climate attract people of all ages.

Despite the constant swimming season, it is still recommended to dive into the reservoir no earlier than the May holidays
This part of the Black Sea is considered an ideal combination of shallow waters and more impressive depths
Most of Yalta's beaches have a pebble surface (from small to very coarse)

The largest resort in Crimea is a favorite holiday destination for tourists from Russia - Yalta. Big Yalta This is a resort area located from Gurzuf to Foros on the southern coast of Crimea. The climate of this resort is favorable for recreation all year round. This is explained by the fact that the bay in which the city is located is closed on all sides by the Crimean mountains, which prevent cold winds. The temperature in Yalta is +24°C from July to August, and +4°C in February. The humidity here is moderate, precipitation falls only in winter, and there is almost no snow in Yalta, but there is plenty of it on Mount Ai-Petri.

Tourists flock to Yalta at the height of the swimming season, which lasts from June to October. The most favorite period is the velvet season. Holidays at this time have a particularly beneficial effect on the health of vacationers, since the sun is no longer so scorching, and the sea is still very warm. The beaches of Yalta have pebbles; the most popular beach is Massandrovsky. The city beach of the resort is located near the Oreanda hotel. On each beach, including small private beaches, tourists are provided with scooters, catamarans, water skis, massages, showers, children's cafes, summer playgrounds and bars. A big advantage of a holiday in Yalta is the opportunity to ride along the coast of Crimea on a motor or sailing yacht, which is at the mercy of the coast and accepts everyone on board.

Yalta and its suburbs are rich in attractions that you can visit on your own or book an excursion. The attention of tourists is deserved by palaces and squares, the Skazka zoo, recognized as the largest in Crimea, cathedrals and churches, the Yalta Historical and Literary Museum and museums named after. A.P. Chekhov, in addition, the fascinating Uchan-Su waterfall and a large number of other amazing places that distinguish Yalta from other Crimean resorts.

Stories from tourists about Yalta.

Despite the fact that spring had just arrived, my husband and I concentrated on visiting Yalta. Fortunately, in March 2018 the weather was not bad in our opinion, so we packed our bags and hit the road. What can stop us when the opportunity arises to take a break from work and household chores? They didn’t take any extra things; they took a minimum of clothes, a video camera and money.

Having arrived at the place, we did not regret at all that we had come out of season, people had already begun to arrive, there was not much influx, but there were enough vacationers. We settled in a hotel near the sea. The prices suited us quite well, the service was courteous, the room design was stylish, there was internet, we had no complaints.

Among the tourists there was a very diverse audience, of course more young people and middle-aged people, few children, perhaps because school was not over yet. There were many pensioners; they mostly walked along the embankment or sat in the parks.

First of all we went to the sea, it was nice... read more

Despite the fact that it’s spring outside, my husband and I are ready to go on vacation, where we decided to go a long time ago. March 2018 was quite cool, we focused on Yalta, the weather there will be milder than at home, and there is something to see. Personally, I’m quite happy with the freshness, I can’t stand the heat, what kind of vacation is it to lie on the shore and fry, exposing your side to the direct rays. We stayed at the hotel, there were no complaints about the order, the staff was courteous, the view from the window was good, but we had no time to look at the beauty from the windows, we were busy all the time.

First of all, we went to see the Chekhov house-museum. The building is nice, I would like to have one like this, the surroundings around the estate are attractive, the garden is especially impressive, the trees have just begun to wake up. We were in the zoo, it’s interesting, of course, to look at the inhabitants, but it’s a pity that they are, as if in prison, probably not a natural habitat, bad... read more

Last spring, the family went to relax and unwind in Yalta. It is a tradition in our family to spend holidays in this beautiful place. At first, our parents toughened us up, now my husband and I are instilling in our children a love of tourism. It’s also beautiful in Yalta in early spring. We stayed at a small hotel. The price per night was reasonable. We ate at a cafe located near the hotel. The dishes were always tasty and satisfying. We bought fresh fruits and vegetables in stores. We have already been to these places in the summer, but this is the first time in the spring. But to improve your health, you don’t have to go out during the hot season. For example, we visited salons where we breathed hot air filled with the smell of pine needles.

How wonderful it is to walk along the coastline and admire the hospitable beauty. Seeing the enchanting views creates an intoxicating state of mind. A child could run along the shore for hours, because there are no sunbathing daredevils in this month of the year. I was pleasantly surprised by the clean beaches. We drew conclusions - either vacationers in cool weather... read more

If we describe our family vacation in Yalta in a few words, it will be only three adverbs - beautiful, calm and expensive. We were there for only a week, but for that money we could have spent a good month relaxing in Turkey.

The city itself is very beautiful, just a “pearl by the sea.” Nature and the sea are the main assets of the entire South Coast. It's a shame that the frame of this pearl turned out to be very rusty. Of course, if you choose an all-inclusive hotel (there are plenty of them in the city, such as Yalta Intourist, Mriya Resort or Crimean Breeze), then you can relax quite comfortably on the hotel premises. And if you also go out for a walk along the beautiful embankment a couple of times and go to the Livadia and Vorontsov Palaces for an excursion, then your vacation will be 100% successful. At first we also set our sights on this type of vacation, but when we monitored the prices, we began to think a little about whether it’s worth spending 150 thousand for a week’s vacation for two?! And this is without additional services and entertainment “outside the fence”. Therefore, we began to look for cheaper options.

We went through a dozen options, but more or less... read more

Latest reviews of hotels in Yalta.

This summer, my husband and I decided to go on vacation to Crimea on our own. We stayed at the Morskaya League hotel in Simeiz. I must say that after we entered the room, our hopes for a comfortable stay collapsed at that very moment. The condition of this very “room” was so disgusting. And we paid for it as for a standard room - 1600 rubles per day!

We didn’t expect at all that they would put us in a barn. There was only one chandelier hanging in the room, but for some reason not a single light bulb was on! The wallpaper is completely dirty and generally stained with something unknown, and even comes off the walls in shreds. The parquet is shaking and boards are falling out of their places right under your feet.

The view from the window was on the so-called common terrace, which essentially resembled a balcony with a broken concrete floor. The courtyard below seems nice, but there is a dead palm tree in the middle of it. The windows in the room are so reminiscent of a prison - in a completely destroyed state, and even with rusty bars. There is no sound insulation in this so-called “room” at all.

The furniture in the room included three beds, three bedside tables, a refrigerator, a wardrobe, there was also a kettle and a mirror. There was no trace of a shower or toilet or air conditioning in the room. And the shared showers and toilets were in a disgusting state.

The trip we paid included two meals a day, incredibly meager in content and choice, and generally tasteless. Wi-Fi could only be found in the cafe; there was no trace of it in the room.

Naturally, no one had ever cleaned the room and in general the staff were not friendly, and they responded to all requests with sidelong glances. The only people in this hotel who were more or less friendly were the waiters in the cafe. Always polite and courteous. The beach is very rocky and the stones are slippery. It's as easy as pie to sprain your ankle.

To be honest, I have very long-standing ties with this hotel, because the first time I visited here was fifteen years ago when there was my first tourism exhibition that I visited. And then, under strong impressions and delight, I truly fell in love with this hotel. Well, over the past time, the hotel, of course, has changed significantly and a huge number of people relax there every year. In general, it is tall - 16 floors, and when I visited it again, for some reason it strongly reminded me of Turkey.

Its territory is huge, probably of all the hotels I have ever visited, it is the largest. And in 2017, the territory of the nearby Donbass boarding house was added to the territory of the Yalta Intourist hotel. It is now being rebuilt and everything is being carefully changed there. So due to this, Intourist has become even bigger. A modern and very high-quality zoo appeared on the territory, the area for walking was landscaped, and access to the hotel is now only possible with guest wristbands.

As for food, this is still the largest buffet in the largest restaurant I have ever seen. I personally really liked the food then and now. I believe that there is everything you need to have a comfortable and leisurely breakfast in the morning. You can also easily find food for children.

Almost all rooms have undergone a very good and high-quality renovation. The rooms themselves are small in size, but the audibility is terrible, as it was then and remains now. I can’t say anything about adult animation, but for children there was entertainment every evening in the summer theater. In addition, the hotel has a large children's room with a teacher on duty and there is also a large children's playground.

There are many outdoor pools on the territory; for example, I enjoyed swimming in the largest of them in the evenings. And soon the water park will be finished, it will be even more fun. The hotel has two paid parking lots - the upper one is more expensive, it is paid by the hour, and the second one below the fence is cheaper. In summer, you can get to the Yalta embankment by a small electric bus. You can, of course, walk there, which will take about half an hour.

To be honest, this was our second trip to the Levant. Well, the first time my colleagues and I went there was exactly three years ago. And this time we chose the same Levant only because, in comparison with other Yalta hotels, more or less optimal prices were offered here for Christmas. We only took breakfast meals, as we remembered our last visit when we left hungry after dinner. And we didn’t like the dinners themselves at all.

But the breakfasts at this hotel are quite good - a standard set of omelettes, scrambled eggs, sausages, cutlets, sliced vegetables and sausages with cheese, then tea, coffee, juices and baked goods, of course. They bake very tasty bread here and the coffee is excellent.

There is no entertainment as such in the hotel, except that during the Christmas holidays they came up with at least some master classes for children. It’s also great that the hotel is famously located next to the Primorsky Park Hotel. We often went there to the spa area right across the beach. And it’s also nice that guests of the Levant Hotel have at least a small discount in this SPA area. Although it’s a small thing, as they say, it’s still nice.

My colleague and I had a standard room for two. The number itself is quite normal, but the audibility is just a problem. I want to get some sleep while on vacation, but it’s impossible here - you can hear everything, especially when the children and their parents go to breakfast in the morning.

The bed is still not comfortable and the mattress is very uncomfortable, it somehow shakes like some kind of jelly. Also, surprisingly, there was only one socket in the room, and it was located behind the cabinet. Naturally, we had to move it aside in order to somehow charge our mobile phones, toothbrush and laptop in turn. And of course I can’t help but write about the stunning view from the window to the sea. It seems to be splashing right under the window and you fall asleep and wake up to the gentle rustle of the waves.

The maids work like bees while we are not in the room, washing, cleaning, wiping, making the beds. Everything would be fine, but the terrible smell in the corridor is simply terrible. Whether they poisoned cockroaches there, or whether a flock of cats peed, it’s unclear, but even no amount of constant ventilation could get rid of this smell. This smell was constantly in my nose throughout our entire vacation.

Well, in general, everything is very good. I hope that the hoteliers have corrected all the shortcomings so as not to spoil the impression of the hotel. Well, the most important advantage in my opinion is definitely its location. Well, of course, a three-ruble note is a three-ruble note - this is not VIP or even luxury.

We chose a deluxe room for our accommodation, because it is somehow the most decent of all that is in this hotel. However, the building itself is very old and the room, of course, is also not new, there are no new rooms at all, but at least this one was renovated. Even though the deluxe room is quite small in size. It was on the second floor, but I wonder what made the room so luxurious? It turns out that only a balcony with furniture is available!

And the huge sequoia growing right under the balcony really saved the situation. At first I really didn’t like the number and, to be honest, I was even upset because it reminded me a lot of a hospital ward. But it was the sequoia that corrected my entire condition - we then constantly sat on the balcony in the evenings and inhaled its amazing smell!

In general, there are a lot of coniferous trees on the territory, including beautiful cedars and pines. There are also picturesque laurel and rosemary bushes. In general, the area is amazing, the plants and trees and the architecture. There is a nest of swallows on the flight of stairs, it was very interesting to watch them.

The beach is small and another problem is that if you don’t have time to grab a sunbed before eight o’clock in the morning, you will lie on bare large stones, and they are very, very sharp here. We just went and bought ourselves new mattresses on the market that were very soft and didn’t suffer afterwards. The hotel beach is very narrow and after five in the evening the sun disappears, but you can go to the left to another beach or even go to the city one. The sun shines longer there.

For breakfast we were given very tasty pancakes, and we usually had lunch somewhere in the city. And for dinner we took it to the hotel’s Rapanov cafe. It was a real treat. We also usually bought wine, cheese and fruit at the store and had dinner right on the balcony. We didn’t go anywhere in the evening because it was dark and scary. Moreover, the area around is mountainous and it is easy to break your legs in the evening. The hotel is located far from all the benefits of civilization and in the evenings there is no entertainment nearby at all.

All main attractions could be easily reached by minibus. Ai-Petri was visible right from the hotel window, we went several times to Yalta and the Vorontsov Palace, to Sevastopol, and climbed the mountains in the area. In general, the impression was excellent, we are satisfied. However, I want to say that the luxury room is still very expensive, and the ordinary rooms here are dead and in general there are all the amenities in the corridor. The cleaning seemed to be fine, but for us it didn’t matter at all; we were only in the room in the evenings, and even then we mostly sat on the balcony. Of course, I still want to return to Simeiz, but not to this hotel, it’s a little expensive here.

Yalta is the largest pearl in the crown of the Crimean coast. It is located on the shore of Yalta Bay, on three hills, in the valley of two rivers, surrounded by a semi-ring of the Crimean Mountains. The city and suburbs of Yalta form Greater Yalta, similar to Greater Sochi.

The name of the city comes from the Greek "yalos", which means "shore". Venetians, Genoese, and Turks lived in this place, but the city remained a small village. After a strong earthquake in the 15th century, no one lived here for a long time. Only in 1823, the Governor-General of Crimea M.S. Vorontsov began to allocate land plots in this place. Here, like mushrooms, palaces and castles began to be built.

The end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries was a time of rapid construction and development of the city. New holiday homes and sanatoriums were built, and in 1925 the Artek pioneer camp began to function.

Now the city is visited annually by hundreds of thousands of vacationers. For accommodation there are a large number of hotels, mini-hotels, inns, boarding houses, guest houses, sanatoriums, holiday homes, and the private sector is also widely represented. We can select and book accommodation for you, without intermediaries, for every taste and budget.

The main treatment in Yalta: sun, sea and air. By the way, there are more sunny days here than in Sochi. There are a great many beaches in Yalta: some of them are free, and some are paid. Paid beaches belong to sanatoriums and holiday homes. Basically, they all have a pebble surface, but some are covered with imported sand. The sea, in the bay area, drops sharply to depth. The water is warm and clean. The beach infrastructure on paid beaches is well developed, but public beaches have only the essentials.

The food industry in the coastal zone is well developed. The city has a lot of excellent restaurants, cafes and canteens. There are markets where you can always buy fresh food, fruits and vegetables.

Yalta is called an open-air museum. Of primary interest are the Swallow's Nest, the Palace of the Emir of Bukhara, the Massandra Palace, the Livadia Palace, the Chekhov House-Museum, and the schooner Escanola. For children, the zoo, sea aquarium, and the Glade of Fairy Tales museum are interesting. Another attraction is the cable car; from a bird's eye view you can immediately see the entire city. You can always purchase a ticket to visit any attraction in Crimea from numerous travel agents.

Since there is no railway in Yalta, all transportation is carried out by road. The longest trolleybus route from Simferopol runs here. Taxis, minibuses and buses constantly run between coastal cities.