- The best routes in the Sochi National Park
- The best routes in the Kuban
- The best routes of the Taman Peninsula
- On a note
The Blagodatny Krasnodar Territory includes the main Russian seaside resort - Sochi, the coasts of two seas - the Black and Azov, the Taman Peninsula, with its amazing and healing mud volcanoes, mineral springs, wooded mountains and relict forests. This is the main tourist destination in Russia - beach lovers, trekking fans, and those who love historical sights, and eco-tourism lovers flock here.
The best routes in the Sochi National Park
The pearl of the Krasnodar Territory is the Sochi National Park, which includes several separate reserves and sanctuaries of the North Caucasus. This is a unique rich nature with many beauties, people come here not only to swim on the beaches of Sochi and Lazarevskoye. There are several mountain resorts that specialize in skiing in winter and trekking in summer, and offer many interesting routes, short and multi-day, around these places.
- Yew and boxwood grove near Sochi. The nature of the subtropics is the oldest on the planet, and only here are the remnants of relict forests preserved, which many millions of years ago grew on the earth almost everywhere. Now only a few groves are left of them. Trees grow here, the wood of which is considered "precious", because they were actively cut down: berry yew and Colchis boxwood. In addition, now the grove is under threat: a few years ago a pest was brought to Sochi - a boxwood firewood, which destroyed some of the unique trees. There are two eco-paths of different lengths laid along the grove - 1, 5 km and 5 km. The first is a concrete-covered path accessible to all, and the second is a well-groomed path with descents and ascents.
- Stone pillar next to Krasnaya Polyana. The top with a viewing platform from which beautiful views of the surroundings open, and even the sea can be seen in good weather. The height of the Stone Pillar is 2509 meters, this is the highest point of the Aigba mountain range. A well-groomed, marked road goes up from the cable car station of the Rosa Khutor resort. You can walk, or you can climb the carousel road, however, only in one direction. The length of the route if walking is 5 km.
- Crab gorge near Lazarevsky. A narrow limestone canyon about a kilometer long is one of the most picturesque gorges in this area. There are waterfalls, a mountain stream among gray stones, and many freshwater crabs, which gave this place its name. The walls of the gorge are bizarre, flowing - these rocks are called "crying". Those who get to the very end of the gorge will find a waterfall named "The Last Hero" with a stone bowl in which you can swim in good weather. The length of the route is 2.5 km.
The best routes in the Kuban
Just 60 km. from Krasnodar there is a very interesting attraction. This is a group of rocks near the village of Shibanovskoye, a three-hundred-meter complex of high sandstones of golden color and the most bizarre shape. Traditionally, such rocks cut by the winds in these places are called "monasteries". From here you can already see real mountains: not the highest, but beautiful peaks of Khrebtovaya, Shchetka and Chubatoy. The route to the "Yellow Monasteries" can be divided into two days and then spend the night in Datskalova Shchel. Attention - this road is well-known and popular, but it is in no way marked by anyone. The length of the route is 14 km.
Goryachy Klyuch is one of the oldest resorts in the Krasnodar Territory, and there are many natural attractions around it. There are waterfalls, rocks, mineral springs - and one of the most famous caves, which can only be reached on foot or by SUV. The road to Phanagoria cave goes up quite strongly, the part of it, along which jeeps pass, is always rather slippery and muddy. But on the way, you can see the Ayuk waterfalls. Not far from the cave there is an inhabited tent camp, where it is convenient to spend the night. The passage to the cave itself is rather narrow, but then it expands further and you can simply inspect the stalactites and stalagmites - no special equipment is required here. The length of the route is 20 km. back and forth from Hot Key.
Dante Gorge and Petushok Rock - this route around the Goryachiy Klyuch is much simpler than the previous one. It goes through the narrow Dantovo Gorge, which begins at the Foothills of the Caucasus sanatorium. The sanatorium is considered the oldest in this resort. Then the path leads through the gorge to the rock called the Cockerel. The gorge is artificial, it was specially cut here in order to combat malaria - to drain the swamp. A little further, there are the ruins of the old Adyghe fortress Psyfabe, it dates back to the XII century. There is a ferruginous spring in the gorge, and next to it is the chapel of St. Panteleimon the Healer. The length of the route is 6 km.
The best routes of the Taman Peninsula
The salt lake was once part of the Bugaz estuary. It is quite long - one and a half kilometers long, only one hundred meters wide and very, very shallow, knee-deep. The lake is considered the local "dead sea": its mud treats many different diseases, and people come here for spa treatments right in nature. In summer, the lake almost dries up, and its mud hides under a crust of solidified salt. You can get here on foot from the village of Veselovka or along the beach - depending on where exactly you are resting. The length of the route is 1-5 km.
Mud volcano at Cape Pekla. There are several dozen unique mud volcanoes on the Taman Peninsula, which are used for recreation and treatment. One not far from Taman itself, one near Temryuk, and one - the most "wild", but also the most interesting not far from the village of Kuguchary. It is called Gobber. It is small, only 10 meters in diameter. And its natural temperature is 15 degrees, it doesn't get warm. The length of the route is 6 km. from the village and back.
The ecological trail near the village of Krasny Oktyabr near Anapa is already a full-fledged eco-trail that leads from the village to another mud volcano. He is one of the youngest - he woke up about 20 years ago and remains active. Having reached it, it is quite possible to witness a small eruption, which looks like a boiling mud with large bursting griffin bubbles. Further, the route leads along Andreeva Gora through thickets of wild irises, to the monument to the Unknown Soldier - and goes to Anapa. The length of the route is 2 km.
On a note
If you go on a route to the mud volcanoes of Taman, be sure to take sunscreen with you. Plunging into the healing mud, and then into the sea, it is quite easy to get burned. This dirt is washed very poorly, so it is better to take things here that are not too sorry to lose - a snow-white swimsuit will not work.
When traveling in the mountains around Sochi or Gorny Klyuch take care of the right footwear. The routes are far from always equipped with stairs and footbridges; it can be slippery here, there can be steep crumbling ascents.
The entrance to the Sochi National Park is paid; you will need to pay a small environmental fee. And if you go on a multi-day route through the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, then you will need to issue a permit from its management. In addition, in the south, the Krasnodar Territory borders Abkhazia; to visit some border attractions, you need a passport and permission from border guards.
