- Where to go to sunbathe?
- Weather features of a beach holiday in Macedonia
- On the shores of ancient Ohrid
- Galloping through the Macedonian "Europe"
The Balkan Peninsula is a traditional destination for summer beach holidays. Landlocked Macedonia does have beaches, and they are located along the shores of picturesque lakes. Hotels and boarding houses have been built in the resort areas, where you can rent a room and relax in the bosom of nature. After all, it is she who is rightfully considered one of the main attractions of any of the Balkan countries.
Where to go to sunbathe?
Three points on the map of Macedonia, where beach holidays are organized at the highest level, coincide with the location of the most beautiful lakes in the Balkans:
- Lake Ohrid is called the symbol of tourist Macedonia. The beaches here are especially crowded, but clean and sandy, and the gentle entrance to the water makes Ohrid resorts ideal for a beach holiday with children.
- In recent years, many modern hotels have sprung up on the shores of Lake Doiran, among which there are three-star hotels and apartments of the highest class. Camping sites are open for unassuming guests, where prices are completely democratic and even poor students will like it.
- On Lake Bolshaya Prespa, the tourist infrastructure is just beginning to develop, and therefore only fans of solitude and wild beaches will like the rest here.
A lot of tourists come in the summer and to the city of Bitola - the southernmost in the country. In addition to the abundance of historical ruins and monuments in the vicinity of Bitola, there are picturesque corners of nature, where you can really organize a beach holiday. There are many such places in Macedonia, but the mineral springs of Debara, the Radika waterfall and the shores of Lake Matka in this sense are beyond praise!
Weather features of a beach holiday in Macedonia
The Macedonian climate belongs to the category of temperate, turning into subtropical in the south. The beach season on the Macedonian lakes starts in mid-May, when the air warms up to a steady + 26 ° C during the day. The water temperature in the reservoirs reaches + 23 ° C and higher at the height of summer, and the swimming season in Macedonia lasts until the last days of September. Precipitation during the summer months is quite rare.
On the shores of ancient Ohrid
The most famous lake in Macedonia is Ohrid. Together with the city of Ohrid, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is the oldest and deepest lake in the Balkan Peninsula. Its waters are so clean that some rare and endemic species of fish and crustaceans live in the reservoir.
When choosing where to stay, pay attention to the city of Ohrid. This particular resort is famous for 30 kilometers of clean beaches and excellent tourist infrastructure. In the photo from the city of Orchid, there is certainly a blue lake surface and old buildings typical for the Balkans - monasteries and narrow streets.
All reviews of hotels in the resort are usually the most enthusiastic. The owners try to make the rest of their guests comfortable and pleasant, and therefore, even in inexpensive boarding houses, guests are surrounded by constant care and attention. If the budget is even modest, it is not difficult to rent a cheap room or a youth hostel in Ohrid. If you have a tent, it is possible to spend the night at the campsite.
Among the active entertainment of guests of Lake Ohrid there are traditional, beach and authentic, Macedonian:
- Boating on the lake is the first thing the locals offer to guests. The boat can be rented with a rower or you can arrange an independent romantic walk without witnesses.
- The clear waters of the lake attract fans of diving to its shores. The unique ecosystem allows divers to get acquainted with the rarest representatives of the planet's aquatic fauna.
- Excursions to ancient monasteries are an important part of the educational program during a beach holiday. There are hundreds of temples in Macedonia, and a large part of them have survived on the shores of Ohrid. One of the oldest is the monastery of St. Panteleimon of the 9th century, and the favorite place of photographers is the Church of John Kaneo on a rocky cliff, in which frescoes of the 13th century have been preserved.
- Villagers in the Galichitsa National Park, located between the Orchid and Presla lakes, offer tourists to join the local life and buy organic products.
Despite some patriarchy of its own, the city of Orchid offers a completely modern entertainment program. The resort has many nightclubs, and some of them are considered the best in all of Eastern Europe.
Galloping through the Macedonian "Europe"
Taking advantage of the fact that Macedonia is quite compact, you can successfully combine beach holidays with excursions and trips to the main attractions. For example, in the city of Kumanovo in the north-east of the country there have been mineral springs for a long time, next to which excellent hotels have been built. You can sunbathe in between taking healing procedures by the pool, and at night, numerous clubs and discos will not let you get bored in Kumanovo.
There are not too many tourists in Tetovo at the southern foot of the Shar-Planina mountains. But there are more than enough natural beauties. Locals prefer sunbathing on the banks of the river, and tasting local cuisine in small restaurants, where everything is home-like, including prices.
Bitola in the south of Macedonia is a relatively expensive resort, but it has its own zoo and mineral springs in the vicinity. A comfortable beach holiday is guaranteed by the shores of the picturesque Matka Lake.
