It will be useful for tourists to know that Gagra is warmer than in neighboring Sochi and Sukhum, thanks to the Gagra Ridge, which comes close to the Black Sea.
In May, people already swim at the resort, but officially the beach season at the resort begins in early June and lasts until October, but vacationers come to the sea in November. ALEAN is talking about the growth of bookings for the last month of autumn this year.
WHERE TO STAY IN GAGRA
You can comfortably stay in Gagra at the Nart SPA Park Hotel, which was completely renovated in 2022.
Nart Hotel, Gagra. Photo: ATOR
The interiors of the Nart are fresh, modern and tasteful. In five completely different buildings of the hotel there are rooms from the “standard” with a side sea view to the “suite” with bay windows, a balcony and terraces with direct views of the sea and the outdoor pool.
The building of the Nart hotel with suites and junior suites. Photo: ATOR
A second heated freshwater pool is located in the SPA complex, which also houses treatment rooms and a gym. The hotel also has two restaurants (national and European cuisine) and a bar in the lobby of the hotel.
Dinner at the European cuisine restaurant at the Nart Hotel. Photo: ATOR
Prices of accommodation at the Nart hotel from the ALEAN tour operator start from 92.8 thousand rubles for 7 nights for two (from June 1 to June 8, standard room category with mountain view, three meals a day)
Pier at the Nart Hotel. Photo: ATOR
For those who want to combine business with pleasure and improve their health, one of the first good-class hotels in the new history of Abkhazia, Alex Resort & Spa Hotel, is located on the Black Sea coast.
Room at the Alex Resort&SPA Hotel. Photo: ATOR
“Alex” is famous for its heated pools, one of which is with sea water, as well as wellness and treatment programs. The local endoecology center cleanses the body at the cellular level.
Heated pool of the Alex Resort Hotel&SPA”. Photo: ATOR
However, as one of the managers of the complex advises, it is best to detoxify the body in spring and autumn, when high temperatures do not create additional stress, and accommodation prices are lower than in summer.
The advantages of recreation in the off-season are the already mentioned heated pools with sea and fresh water. There is a SPA center with a Finnish sauna (free of charge from 14 to 17), its own bowling alley (1 hour of play per day per room for free). In the morning, breathing exercises are held for everyone.
The prices of accommodation at the Alex Resort & Spa hotel on the ALEAN website start from 72.8 thousand rubles for 7 nights for two (from June 1 to June 8, standard room category with mountain view, three meals a day)
WHERE TO RELAX IN PITSUNDA
Microclimate Pitsunda will be useful for allergy sufferers waiting out the flowering season on the seashore. Natural inhalations in coastal pine forests will not harm residents of large cities either.
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The resort town is famous for the Patriarchal Cathedral in honor of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. The temple museum does not hold services, but its stunning acoustics allow it to serve as a hall for organ concerts.
St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Pitsunda. Photo: ATOR
Pitsunda Temple inside. Photo: ATOR
In Pitsunda there is a one-of-a-kind “tsar sanatorium” with 10 hectares of its own botanical garden.
Garden in the sanatorium “Boxwood grove”. Photo: ATOR
“Boxwood grove” the grove is open all year round and can accommodate up to 1100 guests at a time.
Room in the sanatorium “Boxwood grove”. Photo: ATOR
The renovation of the 10-storey building has lasted for the last two years and is finally over. The sanatorium has its own medical base, a tour desk, two shops and five restaurants.
The price includes visits to a cinema, a rope park (!), sports grounds, a lawn tennis court, skate courts, two saltwater pools, and a 500-meter private beach. For guests, there is a free transfer from Adler (airport or train station) from 7 to 23.
View of the garden and the sea from the room in the sanatorium “Boxwood Grove”. Photo: ATOR
The cost of living in the sanatorium “Boxwood Grove” for two with wellness treatments and three meals a day in a Comfort room until June 18 at ALEAN is 12.3 thousand rubles, from June 18 to June 30 – 16.6 thousand rubles and on peak dates from July 1 to August 28 – 19 thousand rubles.
GUDAUTA DISTRICT: NEW ATHOS, LAKE RITSA, APSNY ETHNOPARK
The highest concentration of attractions per 1 sq. km in Abkhazia is concentrated in the NewAthos.
Even a sophisticated tourist can be impressed by the New Athos Cave, where one of the scenes of Stanislav Govorukhin’s film “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn” was filmed in the 1980s.
New Athos Cave. Photo: ATOR
The scale of the underground world is especially acutely felt here, if you hold on a little longer and see how small the people walking on the bridge over the abyss are.
Next year, the New Athos Monastery will turn 150 years old. Surrounded by palm trees, the temple looks like a gingerbread house from the outside, but inside you want to think about the eternal.
Novo-Athos Monastery. Photo: ATOR
Before entering the monastery territory, prepare cash in advance to buy candles. After that, you can look at the counters installed in front of the entrance to the monastery.
Inside the cathedral. Photo: ATOR
Swan Lake, Simon’s Temple The cananita of the tenth century and the saint’s cell, a man-made waterfall that once served the needs of a small hydroelectric power station, now the Psyrtskha station, located between two railway tunnels, is being restored – and this is only part of the places that are worth seeing here.
You can eat in New Athos in the wonderful restaurant “Guada“. A special delight is pizza with pear and gorgonzola.
Another point of attraction for day tourists from Sochi is the famous Lake Ritsa. The road winds through the gorge, almost hanging over the abyss. A turquoise river runs below, and the blue sky shines overhead.
Gorge on the road to Lake Ritsa. Photo: ATOR
An amazing phenomenon: if you go to the lake in cloudy weather, the clouds descend so low, and the fog hides the space so much that it seems that waterfalls fall into the gorge directly from the sky.
Evening at Lake Ritsa. Colorful boats and catamarans relax after a busy day.
Lake Ritsa. Photo: ATOR
The place that should definitely be visited on the way to Sukhum is the Apsny Ethnopark. First, guests are greeted and embraced by the amazing nature of this region
Apsny Ethnopark. Photo: ATOR
Be careful, when it rains, the local lawn turns into an ice rink thanks to slippery plants that look like seaweed. When the sun comes out, the “algae” dries up and does not show their behavior half an hour ago.
Secondly, real professionals work here who love their homeland and are ready to talk for hours about its crafts (video in our telegram channel).
In the ethnopark “Apsny” the table is decorated with pottery of its own production. Photo: ATOR
Thirdly, the exhibits of the museum are authentic. They were handed over by local residents, so the staff of the ethnopark, if possible, attach photos of the former owners and tell their stories.
It is interesting to know that the amplitude of the movements of the Abkhazian cradle is so high that the baby does not need fencing – he is already pressed enough to his bed under the force of his own weight.
We posted a video about how our correspondent was greeted with national dances on the ATOR telegram channel.
By the way, in order to fully immerse yourself in Caucasian hospitality, you should choose the excursion “Abkhazian feast” to the village of Duripsh. Guests there are treated to national dishes, introduced to hundreds of Abkhazian toasts, and performances by musicians and dancers are included in the program.
I must say that such entertainment is especially popular with local residents, and this is already a guarantee of quality.
SUKHUM: INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
A bright point in the recreation program in the republic may be a visit to its capital. You should definitely take a guide who will tell you the most interesting things about the city.
It’s worth going up to the observation deck.
View from the observation deck to Sukhum. Photo: ATOR
Sukhumi mansion. Photo: ATOR
In the evening, the embankment is crowded, musicians are playing – the atmosphere is light and relaxed.
Abkhazia. Photo: ATOR
Buildings on the Sukhum embankment. Photo: ATOR
If you take care of the ticket in advance, you can get to the Abkhazian State Drama Theater named after S. Chanba. They say that performances in the Abkhaz language leave a vivid impression, and an audio guide in Russian will help to understand the plot.
You can have dinner at the Leon restaurant.
Dinner at the Leon restaurant in Sukhum, Abkhazia. Photo: ATOR
Among the recommended restaurants in the Abkhazian capital are “Nartu”, “Chegem”, apatshu “Anasyp”, “Abaza” and “Mukhus”.
You can comfortably stay in the main city of Abkhazia at the Sukhum Grand Hotel.
Room at the Grand Hotel Sukhum. Photo: ATOR
You can go up to the room in a transparent elevator, and for breakfast, do not forget to bring sunglasses – you can go blind from such beauty.
Guests of the hotel have breakfast on the 6th floor on the outdoor veranda overlooking the city and the sea. Could the day start any better?
6th floor of the Grand Hotel Sukhum, breakfast area. Photo: ATOR
The cost of staying at the grand hotel Sukhum starts from 16.8 thousand rubles per night in a standard room for two.
Anna Popova
