Wondering where to take your children on vacation? Thinking that the Resorts of the Krasnodar Territory will be suitable? In fact, not all of them. We have chosen destinations for you in Russia, where it will be truly comfortable with children.
Sea of Azov: Yeysk and the village of Golubitskaya
How to get there
The most convenient way to get to Yeisk is by train – the cost of a one-way ticket from Moscow starts from 2100 rubles*, you will spend a little over 24 hours on the road.
There are no direct routes to the village of Golubitskaya – in any case, you will have to get there through Anapa, and it’s faster and cheaper to fly there by plane (a ticket from Moscow and back in the summer costs from 6,000 rubles*). Then it is more convenient to take a taxi (about 1000 rubles*) or go by public transport with transfers: first by bus to Temryuk, and then to Golubitskaya by minibus.
Where to live
We have selected several options for you in each destination.
Golubitskaya:
Guest house Dolphin – from 2400 rubles per night per person*;
Guest house Raduga – from 2400 rubles per night per person*.
Yeysk:
Hotel Komfort — from 1600 rubles per night per person*;
Hotel Babylon – from 3200 rubles per night per person*;
Things to do
The Sea of Azov is an excellent option for relaxing with children: it is shallow, with a smooth, gentle entry into the water and beaches with sand or small shell rock. Let’s add to this a lot of entertainment – from a dolphinarium to a water park – and a good selection of housing (especially in the private sector). It turns out to be a good alternative to going abroad.
There are many resorts in Azov, but not all are suitable for traveling with children. For example, in Kuchugury there is a fairly strong current, but in Dolzhanka the sea is a little deeper, and the infrastructure there is worse. With children it is best to go to Yeysk or the village of Golubitskaya.
Yeysk is a port city 180 kilometers from Rostov-on-Don. There is a cafe and a lot of entertainment (an oceanarium, a dolphinarium, a water park, a children’s center, an amusement park). The beaches are different – pebble, shell, and sand, many of them are equipped. You can stay either in the private sector or in a hotel.
Photo: Diego Fiore/shutterstock.com
Stanitsa Golubitskaya is a small and very green village 55 kilometers from Anapa. For children, there is the largest water park on the Azov Sea, “Sea Reef,” and a dolphinarium. Adults can visit Golubitskoye Lake with its healing mud – they say children can too, but with caution. It’s also definitely worth getting to the Akhtanizovsky Estuary, where lotuses bloom from mid-July to the end of August.
Photo: N-sky/shutterstock.com
Black Sea: Anapa and Gelendzhik
How to get there
The most convenient way is by plane – a ticket from Moscow to Anapa and back in the summer costs from 6,000 rubles*. In Gelendzhik it’s a little more expensive – from 7,600 rubles*. The flights are direct, you will spend about two hours on the way.
Where to live
We have selected several options for you in each destination.
Anapa:
Anapsky Breeze Hotel – from 2510 rubles per night per person*;
Sport Resort – from 3500 rubles per night per person*;
Gelendzhik:
Hotel Favorit – from 2800 rubles per night per person*;
Hotel Central – from 2800 rubles per night per person*.
Things to do
When thinking about the Black Sea, Sochi and Adler immediately come to mind – however, it may not be too comfortable here with children. In the vicinity of Sochi, the beaches are mostly pebble, many consider this a disadvantage, especially if the children are very small. In addition, a holiday here can hardly be called budget. We recommend choosing less expensive resorts with well-maintained sandy beaches. Anapa and Gelendzhik have recently been considered the best.
Children are traditionally brought to Anapa to strengthen their immunity and receive treatment at sea: it is believed that the climate here is healing, and due to the low humidity, the heat is easily tolerated. Most beaches are well equipped: there are sun loungers with umbrellas, changing rooms, and traditional water activities. For children, the city has two water parks, a circus, an aquarium, a zoo and amusement parks. True, in the high season – that is, in July and August – there are a lot of people in Anapa, but you can stay in the surrounding area, for example, in the villages of Vityazevo, Sukko or Dzhemet. There is public transport from there to the city.
Photo: eWilding/shutterstock.com
Gelendzhik is located in a picturesque bay, protected from the wind. It is very convenient here with children: there is all the infrastructure and a lot of entertainment – a water park, a safari park, museums. The beaches are sandy, but it’s better to swim not within the city, but in small surrounding villages (Betta, Krinitsa, Dzhanhot) – it’s not so crowded and the water is cleaner.
Kaliningrad region: Curonian Spit and Yantarny village
How to get there
It’s convenient and inexpensive to travel by plane—a ticket from Moscow costs about 4,700 rubles*. From Kaliningrad you can get to the sea by public transport or rent a car.
Where to live
The most convenient way is to live in Kaliningrad and go to different beaches in the surrounding villages. We have selected several options for you.
Hotel Navigator – from 4200 rubles per night per person*;
Hotel “Academic” – from 2700 rubles per night per person*.
If thoughts about the Black or Azov Sea do not inspire, you can look towards the Baltic. Kaliningrad and its surroundings are difficult to compare with Turkey; it is rather a corner of Western Europe in Russia. But here there is the only beach in the country that has received the Blue Flag – an international award given for meeting high standards of quality and safety. Simply put, the water is clean and the infrastructure is great.
This beach is located in the village of Yantarny. This is a small green coastal settlement with the cleanest air. People swim here only in good weather – when it’s cloudy and there are big waves on the sea, but then you can look for real amber on the shore. Most of the entertainment is also related to the sun stone – a museum, a castle, a quarry not far from the city (there you can even feel like a prospector and dig up a few stones as a gift in a special sandbox). The village also has several cafes, good hotels and a tourist square. Overall, it’s worth going here if you’re interested in a calm, quiet holiday without crowds of tourists. It’s fine with kids, but older children may find it a little boring.
Another iconic place in the Kaliningrad region is the Curonian Spit. There are three equipped beaches here – in the villages of Lesnoye and Rybachy and near the Dune tourist center. There are umbrellas, sun loungers, changing cabins, and a cafe. The rest of the beaches are wild – not very convenient with children, but very beautiful: white sand, dunes and intricately curved “dancing” trees. From mid-July you can swim in both the Baltic Sea and the fresh water bay.
Karelia, Lake Ladoga
How to get there
The best option would be to travel by car – this way you can visit all the interesting sights and not depend on public transport or excursions. From Moscow to Sortavala it takes about 10 hours to travel, to Petrozavodsk – 12 hours. Renting a car on OneTwoTrip will cost approximately 3,600 rubles per day*.
The second quite convenient option is to fly to St. Petersburg (round-trip plane ticket – from 2800 rubles*), and from there by train to the desired point. For example, you can get to Sortavala for 600 rubles*, the journey takes about four hours.
Where to stay
We have selected accommodation options for you in Sortavala:
Riekkalansaari mini hotel – from 3000 rubles per night per person*;
All Seasons – from 4000 rubles per night per person*.
Things to do
Karelia is not quite a classic resort, more of an outdoor recreation. But what nature! A land of lakes and forests, a huge nature reserve with an excellent climate. It is better to come here with older children, who will be interested in fishing, going to the forest to pick berries and mushrooms, and going on excursions to monuments of wooden architecture. There is also ZooGreenPark with a children’s zoo and the Snake Mountain rock park. River rafting is organized for children over 10 years old. And teenagers will certainly be delighted with a visit to the Ruskeala marble canyon.
With children, it is best to stay at one of the camp sites or park hotels on the shores of Lake Ladoga. There are equipped beaches here, and in July the water is already warm enough for swimming.
It is important to remember a few nuances: take comfortable shoes and protection from insects, and also take into account that in the summer in Karelia it is light almost all day long (it may be worth bringing sleep masks or checking with the hotel if they have blackout curtains so that children get a good night’s sleep).
