Crimea Tourism

Crimea's Claim To Fame

Crimea is the name of the Ukraine's diamond-shaped peninsula that juts out into the Black Sea. Crimea is one of the most fascinating corners of Ukraine, with the most varied scenery and climate, the most ancient history, and the greatest opportunities for tourism. The climate of the Crimea's South Shore is near-mediterranean, making Crimea's beaches a prime vacation destination for millions of Ukrainians and Russians and growing numbers of foreigners each year. Holiday resorts abound the peninsula, which is famous for its mineral waters as well as its wines. Just a few kilometers from the Black Sea, the Crimean Mountains rise to 1500 m above sea level.

When To Visit Crimea

Crimea's high season is July and August. However, it is generally warm from mid-April to the end of October. September is a perfect time to enjoy the resorts with less crowds, and October brings wonderful color to the peninsula. Even during winter months which bring occasional snowfalls there are usually periods of sunshine every day. Spring in Crimea begins in early April and is especially scenic, with Crimea's wide variety of flora all in bloom. Summer itself can be scorching hot at times, especially when there is no wind.

Crimean Resorts

Crimea's most famous resort town is Yalta, which became a prestigious vacation destination in 19th century Tsarist Russia after the first road was built from Simferopol. Sevastopol, Alushta, Sudak, Feodosiya, Yevpatoriya, Saki, Koktebel, and Feodosiya are also well-known resorts. Sevastopol on the west end of the peninsula is more of a regular city than a resort; it is an navy town with shipyards and the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea fleet. Sudak has some awesome sights, and its beach front area has been very nicely developed. Yevpatoriya and Saki on Crimea's west coast are known for their soft sand beaches (most other beaches in Crimea are made of pebbles)

While each Crimean resort town has its unique set of sights and historical monuments, they are all alike in certain ways — there is always a beachfront area full of restaurants, discotheques, hot dog stands, musicians, jugglers, caricaturists, "find out how powerful your punch is" stands, and locals selling everything from trinkets to fresh milk. If you enjoy hanging out at crowded beaches in the daytime and having fun at night, these resorts are for you. You'd probably enjoy spending a couple days in each town as you move down the Crimean coast.

If you'd like more solitude, Crimea has plenty of that to offer, too. There are hundreds of secluded holiday resorts and hundreds of kilometers of undeveloped coastal areas. Here you may come across folks who spend the entire summer living in caves by the beach, groups that spend weeks practicing yoga or meditation in remote corners of the peninsula, and of course nudists who have congregated in Crimea since Soviet times.

Outdoor Recreation in Crimea

Crimea's incredibly varied relief and scenery provides wonderful opportunities for all kinds of outdoor recreation — hiking, cycling, mountain biking, horseback riding, spelunking, rock climbing, hang-gliding, scuba diving, windsurfing, and even skiing.

The Crimean Mountains are home to magnificent caves, forests of beech, oak, pine, juniper, and endemic species, windswept mountain plateaus, called yayly, and curious "cave cities" from the Middle Ages. The mountains are most accessible from Simferopol and the old Tatar town of Bakhchisaray, but you can also take an aerial tram that goes from Miskhor (between Alupka and Yalta) to Ay-Petri mountain at 1200 m above sea level. Here there is even downhill and cross-country skiing in the winter.

Please visit our sister company "Holidays In Crimea" for a lot more information on Holidays and Travel to Crimea