All about the village of Koktebel in Crimea

If we compare Koktebel with other villages, where at least 3 thousand inhabitants are also not recruited, it turns out that it is simply incredibly famous for its scale. According to vacationers, he probably would not have entered the top 5 resorts of Crimea, but he was certainly one of the best among those who did not get there. At the same time, there will certainly be individuals who say that it is here that they are most comfortable with and that they would love to return there.

Due to its modest size, this village is not yet on every map, but finding an experienced tourist will not be so difficult. It is located in the south-eastern part of the Crimean peninsula. It should be guided by Theodosius - it is to her that Koktebel obeys administratively. The village itself is located about 20 kilometers from it, if we move along the highway from Feodosia towards Sudak, Alushta and Yalta, therefore, the general direction is south-west.

If you think that such a small village must be a corner of silence and comfort, you were very mistaken - not for nothing the tiny Koktebel is included in the expanded top of the Crimean resorts. It can not be called a typical youth resort, because couples often come here, just because of the tourists this is already far from the provincial town, as someone could imagine. As a result, in terms of infrastructure, there is even something that is not available in most regional centers, but more on that later.

It is known that Koktebel is an ancient settlement, but history does not know the answer to the question of when it was founded.Somewhere back in ancient times, the settlement of Atheneon was located, but it is known only from books, but there are no real archaeological finds. Until about 900, a rather large city was settled here, inhabited by Christians, later destroyed by the Pechenegs.

Good three hundred years after that, there were only ruins, and then at the end of the XII century the Venetians came here - they founded a new village, on the maps of those times signed as Posidima. After a century and a half, the village was transferred to the Genoese, and in 1475 the young Ottoman Empire subjugated this territory to itself.

For many centuries, the area around today's Koktebel was populated only periodically, and the towns and villages that stood here did not last longer than several centuries. The modern village appeared only two hundred years ago and was alternately inhabited either by the Crimean Tatars, then by the Bulgarians, or by the Russians, however, until the end of the century before last, when, little by little, it began to become a popular resort, the population almost never reached even 100 people.

Part of the popularity of this place is due to the two people who are here. The first surname was Junge, he had an estate here, where he invited many cultural and scientific figures - writers, scientists, artists.

The tradition was developed and increased when Maximilian Voloshin, famous for his poems and landscape drawings, also settled here. Thanks to him, a huge number of prominent figures of literature of that time visited it and it is generally accepted that at the beginning of the twentieth century there was one of the centers of Russian pre-revolutionary nudism, which then was known to be exclusively bohemian.

In Soviet times, nudism was in a deep decline, but due to the abundance of bohemia, the place was considered elitist, and the local nature made it possible to turn the surroundings of Koktebel into the center of gliding. In 1944, due to deportation, the village lost not only the Tatar, but also the Bulgarian population, and a year later the Tatar name fell under the “knife” - until 1992, this place was shown on the map as Glider.

To this day, Koktebel remains so popular in many respects because the bohemian tradition to gather here has not gone away - there are a huge number of festivals and creative gatherings that are attended by only the participants themselves, but also by numerous spectators.

The popularity of Koktebel, naturally, would not have been possible if there were not a pleasant and mild climate. The main thing for which the local nature is valued is a special healing air, since there is sea on one side and mountains covered with forests on the other. For this reason, Koktebel is considered by many as a climatic health resort.

Despite the fact that the village is located closer to the eastern Crimea with its temperate climate, the declining Crimean mountains are still enough here to protect against cold northern winds.

Even in January-February, the average temperature here is comfortable 1-3 degrees of heat, in July-August, the indicators correspond to 23-24 degrees. Water in the middle and late summer is warming up to 24-25 degrees. The main influx of tourists who are also interested in beach vacations is observed from May to October.

Most of the tourists who come to rest in small villages of the Crimea expect that excursions and the rest of the entertainment program can be ordered at an additional cost, having chosen one of the neighboring towns. With Koktebel, everything is not so - although it is small, it even offers a lot of options on how to relax in an interesting and unforgettable way. You can find curious entertainment for both adults and children.

Despite the fact that Koktebel itself is small, the sights here are not only natural, but also man-made. The following program is included in the compulsory program for those who are here for the first time, and regardless of hobbies.

• Karadag natural reserve. Perhaps the main natural attraction of Koktebel surroundings is the extinct volcano Karadag and the adjacent piece of pristine nature. The age of the cone is, according to scientists, more than 140 million years, placers of jasper and amethyst are located nearby. The species diversity here is very impressive - 15 local representatives of the animal world and 100 species of fish are considered rare and protected by law. All this also looks very picturesque, and the highlight of Karadag is the Golden Gate rock, close to which you can swim by boat.

• Cape Chameleon. Another very interesting place created by nature itself. The name of the cape is given very accurately, because with a change in the position of the sun and differences in cloudiness, this geological structure is able to visually change its color. 5 minutes is hardly enough to catch the beauty of this place, but during the day its color can change up to two dozen times.

• The house-museum of Maximilian Voloshin. This person was extraordinary, for a long time he lived here and is the most famous permanent resident of Koktebel in his entire history - it is not surprising that the locals created a museum in the building where the poet lived. First of all, the institution will be interesting to fans of Voloshin's talent, because many of his paintings, as well as manuscripts, documents and photographs of those times are collected here. The organizers also tried to recreate the original atmosphere of a hundred years ago.

• The eponymous factory of vintage wines and cognacs. Contrary to its name, it is still located not in the village that gave it its name, but in neighboring Shchebetovka, where, however, the tour is constantly organized. If a person is not a principled teetotaler, it is likely that he tried the products of this plant at least once in his life, especially since for decades it has been awarded many international awards.

The so-called Green trail - along it the author of the famous "Scarlet Sails" went from the neighboring Old Crimea to visit his friend Maximilian Voloshin. Not everyone can overcome this route, since its total duration is at least 15 kilometers, and even in mountainous terrain. However, this is what attracts lovers of hiking, because on the road you can meet a huge number of picturesque places.

If you want to entertain the kids, pay attention to the places below.

• Aquapark. For most potential vacationers who have not yet been to Koktebel, there are two surprises. The first is that in the three thousandth village there is its own water park, so you don’t have to go anywhere - you can entertain the kids by skating from the water slides, you can visit the spa or jacuzzi right here. The second surprise can be considered a bonus to the first - in a small seaside village there is not just a seedy water park, but the largest in the whole Crimea, and this is a big plus in favor of choosing this resort.

• Aquarium. A popular resort village located on the sea coast, it would be a shame to not have our own land-based collection of living marine inhabitants. Here it is quite impressive, and the entrance ticket will cost about 300 rubles.

• Dolphinarium. And here is an object that is not found in many large cities, although getting to the dolphinarium is the dream of most children and a significant number of adults.Dolphins will show visitors a real show, and for a fee they will be given the opportunity to also swim and take pictures with these friendly representatives of the deep sea.

• Bird Park, or dynotherium. This exhibition is in some ways unique - there are still few expositions of live birds dedicated mainly to parrots. There are several dozen of these bright birds, and they are happy to communicate with visitors, agreeing to sit on their hands. Some other birds are also represented in the collection. For those parents who brought the youngest visitors here, a bonus is provided, because for children under five years old, admission is free.

If Koktebel itself is still not enough for you, problems should not arise with the organization of excursion tours to other cities, such as the same Feodosia and Sudak. The entire southern coast of Crimea is of interest both from the point of view of ancient architecture, preserved from ancient and medieval times, and thanks to the amazing natural wealth of these places.

As befits a seaside resort, Koktebel and its environs abound with beaches. They are presented here absolutely for every taste - for example, many of them do not imply payment for entry and are available to everyone. There are rather unusual children's beaches - there the kids will be especially interested, but they will already have to pay for them.

Of the top beaches with well-developed paid infrastructure, they usually distinguish “Surf”, “Blue Bay”, “Sunrise”, “Old Fortress” and Central.

Separately, it should be said about the nudist beach of Koktebel - it was founded, as is commonly believed, by Voloshin himself. Considering how long it has existed, today a whole subculture has taken shape around it, so lovers of sunbathing and swimming naked will not be forced to constantly look around, looking for condemning views. The local nudist beach is widely known in the post-Soviet space and can boast of considerable popularity.

As we already understood, Koktebel is a too atypical settlement for its size, therefore it is easy to get to it. Even if there is no airport nearby, and there is no railway in the village itself, it will not hurt you to get here comfortably.

Most tourists from outside the peninsula inevitably first arrive in Simferopol - there is a busy airport serving 70 destinations in Russia, and intercity buses usually go there. From here you can even get to the former Planerskoye by direct buses - they depart both from the Kurortnaya bus station and directly from the airport. Depending on the carrier and its exact route, the travel time can be 2-2.5 hours; at prices, you should focus on 400-450 rubles per person.

If it’s more convenient for you, a transplant can be made in Feodosia - it is located very nearby. The bus travels 20 kilometers separating the starting and ending points, a maximum of half an hour.

With the opening of the Crimean bridge, more and more citizens of Russia began to come to rest on the peninsula in their own cars, and for residents of the adjacent Krasnodar Territory this practice is quite typical. If this is your case, then Koktebel for you is also good because this resort is one of the closest to the Crimean bridge.

At first, the route is actually one, it leads to Simferopol and all other regions of the peninsula, but at the right time you should turn left, to Feodosiya, and after it - go along the highway to Sudak, Alushta and Yalta.

Considering that Koktebel has been focused on receiving guests for more than a century, one should not be surprised that there are likely to be no problems with the settlement here. There is housing for every taste - from campsites and guest houses in the private sector to boarding houses and hotels of a decent standard.

Most vacationers arriving here note that the best option in terms of combining price and quality is a private sector settlement. Local residents live at the expense of the arrivals, because they themselves are interested in renting out living space, and they had plenty of time to develop their business.

At the same time, all fundamental modern amenities are organized here, and such a stay will cost less than a hotel of a similar level of comfort.

Considering that the air here is not just healthy, but even healthy, it is not surprising that a large number of health-improving institutions are present - sanatoriums and boarding houses. A vivid example of how comfortable living here can be, the Azure Koktebel boarding house, which offers recreation of the highest level of organization. First of all, this is a closed territory where outsiders cannot get, and it itself is a self-sufficient town with entertainment for every taste.

A sports ground with exercise equipment and tennis tables will help to maintain their own health. In the meantime, adults will relax in any way they like, professional animators will be engaged with the children.

Many hotels in Koktebel prefer to modestly call themselves guest houses, although in fact they are good hotels with a high level of service.

Consider some of the most popular and famous hotel establishments of the village.

• "Oriole". This guest house is located a 6-minute walk from the seafront and looks like a classic wooden manor, which in a town with ancient spa traditions looks very colorful. Despite the fact that this place is not located on the first line, it is often praised for its convenient location - to the bus station of the village is only 3 minutes on foot, you can reach the center with all its infrastructure in 10 minutes. If the kitchen is shared, then all the other amenities are in the rooms, which is very convenient.

• "Yellow Hills." This guest house is somewhat reminiscent of the idea of ​​the above, but the implementation here is completely different - this is just a stone estate, one of the important advantages of which is a beautiful view of Karadag. A useful bonus of this place is that it offers rooms of completely different categories - you can live both in the main building and in individual houses.

• "White Griffin". But this is a full-fledged hotel, which presents all the amenities that a tourist can only expect from such an institution. We will not argue that this is by far the best hotel in Koktebel, but its advantage is that it is largely oriented towards convenient organization of excursions for its guests - in a word, a good option for those vacationers who do not consider a safe vacation to sit out on the beach as a successful vacation.

Despite the fact that Koktebel receives guests year-round, the majority of them arrive in the summer, while in the cold months most of the infrastructure simply does not work. If you came here in the winter for recreational or educational purposes, pay attention to the hotels Meganom and Tepsen - They work 12 months a year.

Many Crimean resorts are mercilessly criticized by modern tourists for the fact that the infrastructure is outdated, the population is not so welcoming, the prices are foreign, and the service is not even domestic, but Soviet. Koktebel in this regard still stands out well for the better - apparently, the long-term presence of Bohemia affects.

Numerous festivals further increase the percentage of intellectuals and creative people, which is why it is always interesting here.

However, Koktebel is such a village, once in which you forget about all the additional details, because on the scale of the Crimean peninsula it is one of the most beautiful places, and even with healing air. After hard work, any rest has a restoring effect, but a vacation spent in Koktebel can give the most valuable thing - to make a person feel alive.

An overview of the beaches and hotels of Koktebel see below.