- Important points
- Border formalities
- Hotel or apartment?
- Transport subtleties
- Nightingales are not fed with fables
- Routes and trails
- Useful details
- Great trip to Abkhazia
Lake Ritsa, shimmering with Persian turquoise and the tart smell of pines and cypresses, the spiritual stronghold of the Caucasus, the New Athos Monastery and the Patriarchal Cathedral in Pitsunda, the Gagra Colonnade and the iconic restaurant "Gagripsh" - this is Abkhazia, familiar from childhood to many modern travelers and has since remained a desirable destination for summer vacations. To travel to Abkhazia, a simple desire and a couple of weeks of vacation are enough, and the sea, sun and hospitable locals will willingly do the rest for you.
Important points
- To visit Abkhazia, it is enough to have a passport with you, and even an all-Russian one will be enough.
- The currency of Abkhazia is the Russian ruble, and the main language of communication is Russian.
- When traveling by car, do not forget to take the vehicle registration certificate. If the trip lasts more than three days, you will have to pay a fee upon entry, depending on the type of vehicle. A passenger car will be admitted for 150 rubles.
- Each tourist arriving in the republic is obliged to pay an insurance premium - 15 rubles for each day of the planned stay and a one-time resort fee - 30 rubles.
- If you then plan to travel to Georgia, enter Abkhazia with a general civil passport. The republic remains an unrecognized territory by Georgia and the mark of its visit in the passport will almost certainly deprive you of the opportunity to try khinkali and "/> Cards as a means of payment are not accepted everywhere in Abkhazia, and therefore it is always better to have a supply of cash, which can be replenished at local offices banks.
Border formalities
You can get to Abkhazia by train or by car:
- The train Adler - Sukhum runs on its route every day and its passengers conveniently go through customs and passport border control right in the carriage.
- The village of Vesely, where the Russian border point with Abkhazia is located, can be reached by either a private car or a minibus from Sochi. In the second case, you will have to walk from there to the Psou point, where the Abkhaz customs officers will allow entry into the territory of Abkhazia. Abkhaz taxis and minibuses run from Psou to Gagra, Pitsunda and other resorts.
Planes of several airlines fly to Adler airport from both capitals and other Russian cities. A direct flight from Moscow will take about 2.5 hours, and the ticket price in the high season will be from 10,000 rubles.
Hotel or apartment?
When traveling to Abkhazia, tourists traditionally rent housing in the private sector. Almost every family rents out an apartment or a room here during the season, and therefore the market is saturated with a variety of offers.
In Pitsunda and Gagra you can rent "/>
Hotels in Abkhazia also exist, although they do not adhere to the international star classification. The complex of hotel services includes hot and cold water supply, often air conditioning, sometimes wireless Internet and usually breakfast.
Three meals a day will be offered to guests of boarding houses and sanatoriums, accommodation in which in the season is available from 1500 rubles per day per person.
The quality of rest often depends on the successful choice of the hotel. It is better to take care of this in advance and choose the best accommodation option in terms of comfort, proximity to the beaches and price.
Transport subtleties
There are no car rental offices in Abkhazia yet, and few decide to rent a car in Sochi and drive it to Gagra or Pitsunda. The bulk of tourists travel by local minibuses, buses or private taxis. The cost of travel around the city by public transport is from 10 rubles, and for a seat in a shuttle intercity taxi you will have to pay up to two hundred.
Nightingales are not fed with fables
You can eat literally everywhere in Abkhazia: in simple beach cafes, and in canteens that have remained in their original form since Soviet times, and in numerous open-air barbecues with verandas, and in restaurants with live music.
A budget meal will cost 300-400 rubles, and for a serious dinner with wine and meat you will have to pay up to 1000 rubles.
Top 10 dishes of Abkhaz cuisine
Routes and trails
Abkhazia has preserved many unique ancient monuments, each of which deserves its own place on the pages of world history. The powerful fortresses of Akhistu and Tsibilium, the Dranda temple and the Patriarchal Cathedral, the cave monastery in Otkhara and the Kelasur wall - excursions to the sights of the country will make the trip to Abkhazia varied, interesting and informative.
Useful details
- Experienced travelers recommend looking for private accommodation. In this case, water is guaranteed to you at any time of the day, and in high-rise buildings it is often turned on only at certain hours.
- A flashlight will not be superfluous for walking along the evening streets - the city lighting leaves much to be desired.
- Choose catering establishments further from the beach and favorite tourist routes. Usually the prices are lower there, and the quality of the prepared dishes leaves only pleasant impressions.
- During your excursion to Lake Ritsa, be sure to try the freshly caught trout prepared in local cafes.
- Buy delicacies of Abkhazia for gifts to friends in local markets. The quality of the products will be incomparably higher than in supermarkets, and bargaining with the owner will significantly reduce the price.
- A taxi ride at any resort in Abkhazia will cost 100 rubles. Agree on the price "on the shore" and do not offer any more.
Top 15 interesting places in Abkhazia
Great trip to Abkhazia
The humid Abkhaz subtropics are hot summers and mild warm winters. It can be much colder in the mountains, which is important to take into account during excursions to the Abkhaz sights.
The swimming season on the Black Sea coast of the republic begins at the end of May and the best time to travel to Abkhazia is late spring and early summer. In July and August, the thermometer exceeds the 30-degree mark, which does not look very comfortable against the background of high humidity.
The heat subsides in mid-September and the velvet season in Abkhazia attracts fans of the cool sun and lovers of excursions to local attractions.
