Rest in Alushta. Crimea. Review of beaches and reviews of the resort

Alushta is a large resort town on the southern coast of Crimea. Alushta is located 45 km from Simferopol and 30 km from Yalta. Based on our recent experience, we tell you about an independent holiday in Alushta. How to get there, where to stay, which beach, where to go, what to see and where to eat.

How to get to Alushta

The nearest airport is in the city of Simferopol. There is also a railway station, but trains do not run to Crimea until 2021.
You can get from Simferopol by public transport: trolleybuses 51, 52, as well as numerous buses and minibuses. Travel time is about 1.5 hours. Most often, transport leaves from the Kurortnaya bus station.
A taxi from the airport will cost about 1500-2000 rubles. Taxi calling apps do not currently work in Crimea.
You can order a private transfer here.

Palace of Princess Gagarina

Another beautiful creation of the architect Krasnov is located 14 km from Alushta, in the village of Utes.

Kutaisi military governor, Lieutenant General Alexander Gagarin, after the death of his first wife in 1951, married the Georgian noblewoman Taso (Anastasia) Orbeliani. Despite the large age difference of 24 years, the couple were happy, but not for long: Prince Gagarin died in Svaneti. After this, the inconsolable widow did not leave the house for a year, and then moved from Kutaisi to her husband’s modest Crimean estate, which he inherited from his first wife. During his lifetime, Alexander Gagarin planned to build a beautiful palace there to live together with Anastasia.

Having taken control of the estate into her own hands, the Dowager Princess spends most of her income on charity and caring for the sick in the hospital she founded. Having learned about the princess's dream to build a castle in memory of her beloved husband, her rich nephew gives his aunt a gift for her 70th birthday - funds for construction. In 1907, having realized her dream, the princess passed away. The palace, built in the village of Utes, became a monument to her beloved husband who had passed away.

After the death of the princess, the palace passed to her niece, and after the revolution it was nationalized and given over to a sanatorium.

Palace of Princess Gagarina

The palace looks like a fairytale castle with battlements, turrets, thin spiers with weather vanes, and window arches. At the entrance, which is guarded by two stone knights with shields, a sculpture of Anastasia Gagarina was installed to mark the 100th anniversary of her death.

Statue of Anastasia Gagarina

Now Gagarina's palace is occupied by a sanatorium, so it is only accessible for external inspection along with the surrounding park.

Address: pos. Utes, st. Gagarina, 5. Opening hours: 8–23. To enter the park you need to pay 250 rubles. Directions: by trolleybuses 52, 53 and 55 to the Kiparisnoye stop.

Beaches of Alushta

All beaches in Alushta are free and look approximately the same. As a rule, this is a small section of pebble shore, with breakwaters on both sides, and a concrete embankment at the back. The water is clean and clear if there are no waves. We did not notice any garbage or dirt, either in the sea or on the beach.

Small and large pebbles on the shore and in the water. There are no sandy beaches in Alushta. We recommend that you immediately buy swimming shoes so that it doesn’t hurt to walk on rocks and swim normally.

All Alushta beaches have sun loungers (for a fee), sun canopies, changing rooms and lifeguards. Toilets are not common, as elsewhere in Crimea. There are dozens of such short beaches.

There is a beach for the disabled in the center near the semi-rotunda. Other people are not allowed to go down on it; they immediately drive you away.

The Laskiy Bereg beach, which is located to the left of the rotunda, is the only one here without a concrete embankment and with a hint of sand. But closer to the water there are stones again.

Here for the first time we saw two-story beaches! Below people lie on pebbles, and above on the roof on sunbeds. By the way, a sun lounger costs 150 rubles.

Alushta is also remembered as a city of breakwaters. Probably there is more boom here than anything else in Crimea

Eastern embankment, Rybachy Stan

There are 1.5 km of Alushta beaches on the Eastern embankment, and the further from the center, the worse they are. Here are the beaches of the sanatoriums “Krymsky”, “Slavutich”, “Golden”, “Chaika”.

At the beginning there are the cheerful beaches of the city of Alushta, cafes, bars, rental of sun loungers, canopies, lifeguards and doctors. The sea has average rolled pebbles, it is difficult to enter the water because of the stones. But people still swim.

Further east there is less infrastructure, and so do people. The last beaches of Rybachy Stan look sad. In my opinion, this is not the best beach in Alushta. Photos were taken from a nearby mountain.

Pros: there is budget accommodation
Cons: difficult to get to, difficult to get out

And now the beaches are to the right of the central one. I admit, the western beaches of Alushta are my favorite. Here you can immediately notice that the area is better, the people are more decent, the girls are more beautiful, the drinks are tastier, the cypress trees are greener.

Alushta embankment

The embankment stretches for several kilometers along all the beaches. In the central part of the city, the embankment is wide, short and uncomfortable. When approaching the beach from Gorky Street, on the way there will be some kind of ridiculous amusement park, a souvenir market, restaurants and a jumble of different buildings.

There is a small park here.

For some reason, in the central part of Alushta, cars can drive along the embankment. Not all of them, only official ones, but they travel often, which creates inconvenience.

If you move towards the Professor's Corner area, the embankment becomes more pleasant for walking. Cars can also pass there, but along the road there is a separate pedestrian zone for people. There are cafes, restaurants, drinks on tap.

House of merchant Stakheev

One of the most beautiful buildings in Alushta, an architectural monument of the 19th century, is the house of the merchant Stakheev. Nikolai Dmitrievich Stakheev was not only one of the richest people in the city, but also a famous philanthropist. Thanks to his charitable activities, Alushta was transformed. An embankment, a pier, a city park and much more appeared here.

To build his dacha, which Stakheev later called “Otrada,” Nikolai Dmitrievich invited his friend, the talented architect Nikolai Petrovich Krasnov. Within 3 years (1879 - 1882), a two-story mansion was erected in the classicist style with modern elements. A magnificent park was laid out around the snow-white building with massive columns and semicircular arches, in which trees several tens and even hundreds of years old have been preserved to this day.

Professor's Corner Alushta

This is the western part of Alushta. More comfortable, more beautiful views. The beaches are the same, though. The area is more calm and quiet. It got its name due to the fact that in the 19th century, famous scientists and professors began to build dachas here.

For relaxation, we would probably choose accommodation in this part of Alushta. I liked it visually more than in the center. Here are some good hotels right on the first line:

VK Hotel Royal
Hotel Aquapark 4*
Hotel Terrasa

Routes around Alushta in stories and tips from tourists

When planning a trip to Alushta and Crimea, it will be very useful to look at the materials of our authors - experienced travelers who are happy to share their travel impressions. In stories, reviews, photo albums you will find a lot of interesting and important information. An undoubted advantage of such reviews is that they have all been personally verified by the authors.

Routes around Alushta are waiting for you in the general guide to the resort.
Read what to see in Alushta and its surroundings from our tourist Lyubov Zolotova in the story “An alternative to the Cote d'Azur”;
You will get impressions about the village of Utes in Natalia Semchina’s photo album “Utes - three in one”;
What else to do in the vicinity of Alushta is in Magdalena’s story “There, on unknown paths.”

All reviews about holidays in Alushta on Turister.Ru

Photo: © Magdalena happiness

What to see in Alushta

There are some attractions in the city that you can visit on your own. For example, the house in which some episodes from Prisoner of the Caucasus were filmed (we didn’t recognize it). Address: st. Lenina, 3 — on the map

On the embankment you should definitely find a semi-rotunda and take a photo in front of it. A point on the map

But you shouldn’t waste your time on the tower of the Aluston fortress. Nothing interesting, just a brick tower surrounded by bushes and village houses.

park of Crimean miniatures (~500 rubles)
2 dolphinariums
aquarium
local history museum
old mansions
Church of All Crimean Saints and Fyodor Stratelates
Lazurnoye nudist beach and abandoned boarding house
You can visit Aivazovskoye Park in the neighboring town of Partenit on your own
It’s not difficult to get on your own to Gurzuf and Yalta, where you can go on a boat trip to the Swallow’s Nest
Take an excursion to waterfalls, palaces, the top of Ai-Petri and throughout Crimea.

Sights of Alushta worth visiting

Alushta embankment

As in any southern coastal city, Alushta Embankment is the center of resort life, where vacationers and locals flock in the evening (especially in summer) to have a good time. Music sounds here from early morning until late at night.

The length of the coastline is 7 km, there are 3 embankments on it:

Central;
Eastern;
Professor's Corner.

Construction of the Embankment began in 1898. The author of the project was N. Stakheev. During the NEP, a large number of entertainment establishments and shops appeared here.

Much was destroyed by a strong storm and during the war. It was possible to restore, or rather, rebuild everything only in 1952, when the famous Rotunda appeared.

The last reconstruction was carried out in 2012. Today it is a wonderful place to relax.

Trolleybuses No. 51 and No. 52 and many minibuses go to the Embankment from the Bus Station. For car enthusiasts, GPS coordinates: N(44.658453), E(34.406735).

Crimea in miniature Alushta

This park is one of the most visited places in the city. It was opened on June 1, 2012. It was created in just 2 years, about 100 people worked on the project. People come here to see all the sights of the peninsula at once, including those that have not survived to this day. They are made on a scale of 1/25 of life size.

To explore about 60 replicas of buildings (and their number is constantly increasing) with a guide, it will take more than an hour and a half. But you can also admire the miniature palaces, temples, fortresses and lighthouses on your own, since next to each there is a sign with a description and history.

Everything looks especially beautiful in the evening, thanks to skillfully made lighting.

The park is open seven days a week from 9:00 to 23:00. His address is st. Gorky, 7. Information on ticket prices can be obtained on the website https://www.park-miniatur.ru. This is the center of Alushta, where you can get there by buses No. 5, 6, 8, 9, 26.

For motorists, GPS coordinates are N (44.670215), E (34.411318).

Alushta Aquarium

A group of ichthyologists organized a small exhibition in the early 2000s, where those interested could see only the inhabitants of the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. Like-minded people joined the initiative, thanks to whom the Aquarium grew from a single room to 4 large halls by 2007.

There are more than 250 species of fish living in the Red and Mediterranean Seas, the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. In addition, the Aquarium is home to different species of crabs, turtles and even crocodiles.

The exhibition is decorated with a collection of shells and corals from all seas. And some local inhabitants are listed in the Red Book.

Useful information: Large magnifying glasses are located near the most interesting exhibits to examine small details, such as the structure of corals.

And in 2015, representatives of the jungle fauna settled here: - monkeys; - raccoons; - lizards; - parrots.

Opening hours: from November to April 9:00 – 19:00, during the season 9:00 – 21:00.

Aquarium address – st. Gorky, 4. This is the final stop of the troll. No. 2, 31, 32, 53. Can be reached by minibus 5, 6, 8, 9, 26. For motorists, GPS coordinates N 44.671031 E 34.411170.

Professor's Corner

This resort suburb began its history in the 1850s. In the 1880s, professors from Novorossiysk University A.E. began to vacation there. Golubev and N.A. Golovinsky. Later their example was followed by I.M. Sechenov (physiologist); - BEFORE. Kovalevsky (biologist); - BEFORE. Tikhomirov (historian); — N.N. Beketov (chemist) and other famous scientists, as well as writers, artists, engineers.

This is where the name came from, which changed twice: at first the village was called Ternak, in Soviet times - Worker's Corner, because it became a resting place for workers. Since 2001, the name Professor's has been established.

Today there are many rest houses and sanatoriums, and there are also its own attractions:

embankment stretching for 2 km;
Beketov family museum,
Museum of the writer I. Shmelev;
S. Sergeev-Tsensky.

Mount Kastel rises above the village. The Almond Grove Water Park also operates here. You can get here by minibus No. 12 from Sovetskaya Square.

Read more about the Professor's Corner >>

Waterpark "Almond Grove"

It is deservedly considered a miracle of landscape design. There are man-made rocks, beautiful trees, and exotic herbs. You can walk along the paved paths and admire the surrounding views, but people come here to enjoy the numerous water attractions.

Visitors are welcome:

6 swimming pools;
12 water slides;
4 platforms for going down slides;
waterfalls;
baths and saunas;
restaurant;
entertainment center for children and other wonderful things.

In summer the water park is open from 10:00 to 17:00, in September until 16:00. Ticket prices and all useful information on the website https://aquaparkhotel.ru.

Address: Professor's Corner, st. Embankment, 4a. Coordinates: N (44.661208), E (34.408529).

More about Almond Grove Waterpark >>

Mount Castel

The name of the mountain has been preserved from the times when the Greeks lived here, and the Aluston fortress was a small guard post. In Greek, kastel means “fortress.” The mountain is a failed volcano, its height is 439 meters. There is a legend associated with it.

Interesting: Legend says that the state of Sugdeya once existed here. His last queen was the beautiful and wise Theodora. She rejected all suitors for her hand, because she wanted to first drive the Genoese out of the country. And then one of the suitors decided to betray. He promised to hand over the fortress to the Genoese, and in return he planned to get the proud Theodora. Despite everything, it was possible to take the fortress only a week later; both Theodora and the traitor died in the battle, the fortress was destroyed, and the Genoese did not restore it, considering it cursed.

The remains of the fortress are scattered throughout the mountain, but large-scale archaeological excavations have not yet been carried out here. The most convenient way to get to the mountain is from the village. Grape.

GPS coordinates N 44.637794 E 34.384258.

More about Mount Castel >>

Palace of Princess Gagarina

A romantic story preceded his appearance. Prince A.I. Gagarin - adjutant M.S. Vorontsova. His wife, Anastasia Orbeliani, is 24 years younger. M.S. himself acted as a matchmaker. Vorontsov. The marriage was happy, but short-lived. Four years later, the prince died at the hands of an assassin.

The widow mourned her husband for a long time, and then moved to Crimea, where there was one of the estates of Prince Kuchuk - Lambat. The estate previously belonged to the Governor of Crimea A.M. Borozdin, and then his daughter, the first wife of A.I. Gagarin. After her death, the prince became her heir. Visited the estate - A.S. Pushkin; — Adam Mickiewicz; — A.S. Griboyedov.

The new owner dreamed of building a castle symbolizing her love. This dream came true almost 50 years later with money donated by a relative. The author of the project is A.P. Krasnov. The building in the style of medieval European castles was built in 1907. The interior decoration was also exquisite. Some of the interiors have been preserved. There is a park around the palace where rare plants are found. The princess lived here for only a few months. Her heir, Elena Tarkhan-Mouravi, remained in the premises provided to her until the end of her days, although a sanatorium for the military was already operating in the building. The castle was badly damaged in 1927 by an earthquake, but was successfully restored.

Now here is the administration of the Utes sanatorium. In the park for the 100th anniversary of the death of A.D. A monument was erected to Gagarina.

Attention: Visiting the park is allowed from 8:00 to 23:00, excursions are available. They are not allowed inside.

Address: pos. Utes, Gagarinskaya, 5. From Alushta and Yalta take trolleybuses No. 52,53,55 to the stop. Cypress, then walk. Coordinates: N (44.593379), E (34.368565).

Aluston Fortress

The fortress that gave the city its name is located in its center on a hilltop. In the 6th century it was built by the Byzantines to control trade in the Northern Black Sea region. It was a powerful fortification structure. The height of its walls reached 10 m, thickness 3 m, and there were also 3 towers that rose 16 m.

At first, its garrison consisted of Ostrogoths in the service of the Byzantines, and at the end of the 7th century. the fortress along with its inhabitants passed to the Khazars.

In the 10th century was abandoned, and from the 12th century. began to revive and strengthen as a Genoese city with the name Lusta, and gradually became a rich city. In 1475, the Ottoman Turks destroyed the citadel, which did not want to surrender, and since then it has not been restored. Today you can see part of the fortress wall and one of the towers (Ashaga-Kule). Once upon a time, right next to this tower there were shacks, from which in the 17th century. modern Alushta began. The fortress is located on the corner of Engels and 15 April streets.

From the Bus Station you can get here by trolleybuses No. 1,2,53,5 and minibuses No. 5,6,26,34. GPS coordinates N 44.672224 E 34.411933.

More about the Aluston fortress >>

Funa Fortress

The ruins of the citadel, built in 1423, are located near Mount Demerdzhi. This archaeological monument is a federal cultural heritage site.

Although little remains of the fortress, it deserves the attention of tourists. Its name means “smoky”, because once upon a time, by lighting fires, a signal was sent to Aluston about approaching danger. A little below Funa there was an important trade route, and in the event of a threat of attack by nomads, caravanners could take refuge behind its walls. Then Funa belonged to Genoa, then to the Turks.

Military actions, a collapse in 1894 and an earthquake in 1927 almost wiped the fortress off the face of the Earth, leaving only the Church of Theodore Stratelates.

It’s worth visiting here, seeing a 1/32 life-size model of the fortress and listening to the guides who will tell you a lot of interesting things.

You need to get to the village of Luchistoye, then on foot. But it’s best to take a tour to the site itself. Opening hours are from 8:00 to 17:00. The visit is paid, adults 75 rubles, children 45 rubles.

Valley of Ghosts

This is an amazing collection of thousands of stone sculptures created by nature itself. Geologists easily explain the appearance of the landmark in the Demerdzhi Mountains by a sequence of processes such as weathering, penetration of moisture into the rock and the creation of an acidic environment that corrodes the stone, which last for centuries.

And we see amazing animals and birds, the sphinx, the Strongman, the Dwarf. And it seems like a miracle. If you spend several hours here, you can observe how, when the lighting changes, the figures “come to life”, changing their outlines.

It is best to arrive by bus with a guide. If you do it on your own, you will have to walk from the village of Luchistoye. Coordinates: 44.747921, 34.406734

Mount Demerdzhi

The name is translated from Crimean Tatar as “blacksmith”. According to legend, hardworking people lived here, and when the conquerors came, the local blacksmith began making weapons for them. The forge was located on the top of a mountain (it was called Funa). People asked the blacksmith not to help the enemies, but he did not listen to them. Then the mountain collapsed, burying him and his enemies under the rubble.

The massif is divided into Northern and Southern parts, their heights are 1359 and 1239 m, respectively.

People come here to see the Funa fortress, the Valley of Ghosts and admire the stunning views and landscapes of the mountainous Crimea. The film “Prisoner of the Caucasus” was filmed here; the guide will show you memorable places.

Important! Hiking in the mountains requires comfortable shoes and clothing. You can use the services of a jeep or order a horseback ride from the foot along the entire route.

More about Mount Demerdzhi >>

Waterfalls

There are many waterfalls in the Crimean mountains. The deepest of them is Dzhur-Dzhur (“murmuring”). It is located near the village of Generalskoye on a 15-meter rapids of the Ulu-Uzen River. This is in the Khapkal gorge at 468 m above sea level.

It is difficult to get here on foot, although it is only 1 km from the village in a straight line. Local residents organize delivery in UAZ vehicles. Expensive, nerve-wracking, but very impressive.

If you go upstream of the river, you will see a series of cascades, and then you will find yourself at the “bath of youth” - a small lake where you can take a dip, although the water there is no warmer than +11°.

Golovkinsky waterfall is located near the village. Pink. This is a noisy cascade, consisting of 8 rapids, on the Uzen-Bash River (a tributary of the Ulu-Uzen).

The height of the rapids is quite high, and there is a real fairy-tale forest around. True, in the summer the river practically dries up, and the waterfall turns into a modest stream. But in the spring, especially in May, and even in the early morning, when the fog creeps from the gorge, you can get an unforgettable experience.

The waterfall is named after N.A. Golovkinsky, who discovered this miracle of nature in 1893. From Alushta to Rozovy village there is minibus No. 11.

Transport

You can travel along the embankment from the Professor's Corner to the central beach on these electric minibuses. We nicknamed them tuk-tuk. The fare is not cheap - 100 rubles per person (there may be discounts for children). You can’t go for a ride every day, but you can definitely afford it once if you’ve gone far so you don’t have to walk back.

In Alushta itself there are trolleybuses, buses and minibuses. A trolleybus ride costs about 15 rubles around the city. About 200 rubles to Simferopol. Minibus No. 109 to neighboring Partenit costs 35 rubles. Minibus to Yalta 100 rubles (trolleybus 52 is cheaper). Almost all routes are marked on the Yandex map.

Geography and climate

Alushta is located in the south of Crimea, 36 km from Yalta. The resort is located on the Black Sea coast in a natural basin surrounded by the Crimean Mountains. The mountain rivers Demerdzhi and Ulu-Uzen flow through the city.

Alushta has a Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by wet winters and hot, dry summers. The city's climate is slightly colder and windier than in Yalta. The resort is famous for its abundance of sun and warm sea. The sea warms up to 27 °C in summer. In winter, the water temperature rarely drops below 7-8 °C.

Alushta

Where to eat in Alushta, proven restaurant

We only recommend food where we ourselves have eaten. Cafe Capri is located in the very center on the embankment at the entrance to the sea. We walked past looking for somewhere to eat. There were almost no visitors, but they still came in to look just because of the modern design. Cafe on the map

As a result, we ate there all day. The portions are large, the food is prepared tasty and quickly, and the dishes look beautiful. The downside is that the prices are a little more expensive than in other places. Literally 20-50 rubles. Apparently, that’s why many people come in, look at the menu and leave. And in the evening they add +50 rubles to the check for “live music”.

You can also order an omelet here for breakfast. And they will bring you not a square casserole from the canteen, but a normal real omelette. We took it with cheese. Tasty, but, of course, a little expensive for such food.

Jur-Jur waterfall

The deepest Crimean waterfall near the village of Generalskoye is formed by the Ulu-Uzen River. Jur-Jur falls from a height of 15 m with a water stream five meters wide. The name, associated with rushing water, has Armenian roots and literally means “water-water.” The waterfall actually gurgles, not rumbles.

Jur-Jur waterfall

At the top of the waterfall along the course, the river forms several cascading reservoirs with icy water, in which some daredevils dare to swim. 300 m above the waterfall there is a cave of the same name, 750 m long, with stalactites and stalagmites.

The most convenient option for visiting is an organized excursion from Alushta, which in a group will cost 1000 rubles. And an independent journey to the waterfall begins on bus No. 106 from Alushta to the village of Generalskoye. From the bus station you can get to the Khapkhal Nature Reserve, on whose territory the waterfall is located, by renting a private car or on foot. In the latter case, you will have to ask local residents.

The latter have put contacts with tourists on a professional basis. A boy he “accidentally” met will tell you about the almost impassable road to the waterfall. In the meantime, his adult relative will advise not to ruin his own car and rent his all-terrain vehicle for the trip. The price of a round trip is 1500 rubles. A single person will be charged 500 and asked to wait for fellow travelers. The official price for entering the reserve is 100 rubles. A receipt will be issued as confirmation of payment, which must be kept. The fact is that at the height of the season, local Ostaps Bendery operate directly next to the waterfall, trying to get the same 100 rubles from tourists.

Alushta reviews

Alushta is conveniently located. Getting from the airport is not difficult and all the main attractions of Crimea are nearby.
The beaches of Alushta are mediocre, the views from the beach are also ordinary. Mountains in the background in the distance. It’s better in Sudak or the New World.
All beaches are pebble, there are no sandy ones. But they are free.
The embankment is not the most beautiful in Crimea, and besides, cars drive along it. In the Professor's Corner the embankment is nicer.

Personally, we didn’t particularly like anything here; the resort didn’t evoke any strong emotions. There are several advantages, and there are also disadvantages. But this is our opinion. You will have yours. After all, we had already traveled to Alushta through a number of resorts, starting with Feodosia.

Write in the comments how do you like this resort? Would you like to relax in Alushta? And if you have already been, then write your reviews.

Beach at Riviera Resort & Spa

If you go from the central embankment to the right, you need to go around the Riviera Resort & Spa hotel. Its beach is hidden from prying eyes, but it is there. A good hotel with a luxurious spa area has a small beach on its territory. It’s very beautiful here, and not cheap, of course. Very nice beach of Alushta. The photos were taken during my stay at the hotel in May. That's why there are so few people, in the summer there are many more.

Pros: closed area, heated pool
Cons: not cheap, hotel room from 8,500 rubles.

Alushta Museum of History and Local Lore

In the area of Primorsky Park, in a beautiful building built at the beginning of the 20th century, the Alushta Museum of History and Local Lore is located. Its history dates back to 1923, but the exhibitions have been closed and reopened several times. The museum opened its doors as a local history museum in 1971. Its exhibitions are based on objects reflecting the history of the development of Alushta and the Crimean Peninsula. The funds contain more than 10,000 exhibits belonging to the categories “Archaeology”, “Weapons and Equipment”, “Numismatics”, “Painting”, “Nature”, etc. Here you can see household items used by residents at different times, personal belongings of famous people, various documents and many photographs “telling” about the city.