General's beaches or 'Coast of a Thousand Bays'. General's beaches or 'Coast of a thousand bays' Coast of 1000 bays

Good afternoon friends! And again we visited Crimea this summer. And again in different places and towns. BUT the review will be about the wild beaches of the Crimea, the so-called "general's beaches or the coast of 1000 bays." It was this stunning place that left an indelible impression on the memory and in the soul, and the beauty of nature mesmerized. The beaches are still little visited, which pleases, because they are quite clean and deserted. Located north of the city of Kerch on the Sea of ​​Azov. First, we move through the Karalar steppe along a broken asphalt road, then a more difficult path begins along the seashore. Between the villages of Kurortnoye and Zolotoye there are heavenly beaches- choose whatever your heart desires, only you need to drive carefully - there are stones and bumps everywhere. There are beaches that cannot be reached by car, only on foot. They resemble cozy coves. In such places it is good to sit alone, think about the eternal :-)
An interesting place that I would like to note - there is pink lake Chokrak. It is separated from the sea by a thin strip of land. If you climb the hills, then a wonderful view of the blue expanse opens up from above. Sea of ​​Azov and a pink lake.
The beaches themselves are beautiful at any time of the day and at sunset and during the day. These are pristine natural pearls of the Crimea. I really want it to stay that way. The coast is covered with snow-white shells and fine, like flour, sand. The places are magical. We stopped so that behind our camp there was a small rock that protected us from the wind and the steppe itself. Ahead was the sea. We were lucky - all the days were calm, the bottom was visible through and through, although Azov is not a very transparent sea. As a result, the photos are very colorful.
Seagulls constantly watched us, and we followed them. On the rolling pins and stones of the beach, crabs were constantly crawling. All day long we just swam, cooked, sunbathed, dreamed. Of course, there is no firewood, so we had a gas stove. A hinged awning saved from the sun. There is an incredible variety of animals in these places. Once a green grasshopper came to visit and chewed drying without hesitation so loudly that a grinding sound was heard))) And then he climbed into a mug with the remains of tea and refreshed himself with it. And on the top, when we walked along the steppe, everything around, as well as many huge spiders in the rocks, chirped. We also saw a viper peacefully curled up in the stones. But everyone went about their business, nothing terrible happened. We were careful. Conclusion: if you do not bother anyone, and you will not be touched. In such places, you feel complete harmony with nature, being a part of it. Everything happens by itself. That is why I want to come back here again - for the stars at night, for a light breeze in the morning, for the chirping of birds, for the chirping of insects ... Over the sea and incredible sunsets. For a sense of freedom. You just need to treat such beauty with gratitude, take care of it and appreciate it.
Thank you for your attention.

Hello, friends. If among you there are lovers of quiet rest away from the city noise and the bustle of the resort, then I invite you to visit the General's beaches. Leaving the village after an excursion around, we asked the local residents where to find a quiet place on the seashore for rest "outside of civilization". We were told that if we are not afraid of off-road, then in the north of the Kerch Peninsula, a strip of deserted beaches of the Karalar regional landscape park... So, friends, let's hit the road. On the map General's beaches are found 20-25 km from Kerch along the coast of the Azov Sea between the villages of Zolotoe and Kurortnoe. But the roads outside the city, alas, leave much to be desired.

General's beaches are thirty kilometers of the coast of the Azov Sea. Scenic cozy bays with very poetic names (Bay of Radosti, Soldiersky Beach, Ivanova Bay, Lilac Bay, Korovya Bay, Shelkovitsa Bay, Badger Bay, Wanderer Bay, etc.) with arched vaults, a sandy shore, clear sea water, stone heaps and grottoes will not leave you indifferent.

The reserve was established in 1988 with the aim of protecting the Karalar steppes, on the territory of which plants grow that have no analogues in Europe. Karalar steppe - hills and hills, and closer to the seashore - rocky heaps.

The Scythians lived on the coast of the Kerch Peninsula, and therefore archaeologists annually carry out excavations on the lands of the reserve, restoring ancient settlements and burial grounds.

Why are these beaches called Generals? Firstly, no one created them on purpose, they are a real creation of nature. And secondly, in Soviet times, a military airfield and a weapons testing range were located on the territory of the Karalar reserve. The beaches were a closed area, but nature itself screamed about the possibility of a luxurious vacation in the season, therefore, only high ranks of the Soviet troops had the right to rest here.

By the way, there is another very attractive name for this strip of land with a huge cluster of lagoons and grottoes - “Coast of a Thousand Bays”.

And we gradually go uphill along the dirt serpentine, then abruptly go down. Lead clouds came several times, but they also quickly disappeared somewhere to the side. Fearing that heavy rain would start and we would get stuck somewhere, we decided not to go down by car to the very shore, but found a convenient descent to the sea between the rocks. How not to plunge into the gentle Sea of ​​Azov!

It should be noted that despite the sometimes "treacherous" road, there are quite enough people who want to rest among the pristine nature. Personally, it seems to me that the enterprising Russian people will come here with the "blessings" of civilization ...

And while I was admiring the surroundings, our young companion was already splashing in the sea with might and main. And I continued to examine the boulders. What kind of "characters" have not fancy to me in the works of the great architect - nature. The sun, wind and water have created whole stone pictures!

There, for example, an old woman and a frog with bulging eyes are sitting on the cape. Did you see? And closer?

But a man exposed his face to the sun, does he sunbathe or look at the stars at night?

And here is a fish asking the old man to let her go into the sea ...

We had lunch, had a rest, bought a bath. Hurray, we made it before the rain. Huge drops poured from it is not even clear where. It seems like the clouds are far away. Many got ready for the return journey. A wet dirt road, and even sharply uphill - this is somehow not very encouraging))) We lingered a little, believing that the rain would stop soon. And so it happened.

So for some time we were discovering more and more new places for photo sessions.

Once again we take a look around the neighborhood. Beauty, space! And why don't people fly like birds?

And we are gradually going down, here we have a panorama of Cape Zyuk, the Bay of the Marine Corps and Chokrak Lake

What is famous for this white, sometimes pink, and sometimes very black Chokrak Lake, which is separated from the sea by a narrow isthmus? The lake is fed by quite unusual hydrogen sulfide water from underground sources (“Chokrak” in Tatar means “spring”), it smells unpleasant, but the healing properties of water and silt have been known for a long time.

The color of the lake is white and pink from a huge accumulation of salts on the surface, but where there is mud - the color is black. And here hundreds of vacationers are in a hurry to improve their health, having plunged into the "resin", they quickly run across to wash off the healing mud into the sea. I was ashamed of photographing people, and I myself did not dare to climb into this swamp, so the photo was taken from the Internet.

Photos from the Internet

General's beaches can be called the pearl of the Sea of ​​Azov. They are located in the immediate vicinity of Kerch and are popular not only among local residents, but also among tourists who come to rest on the Crimean peninsula in search of reserved places. Having once visited these places, they are no longer looking for the best. You can often hear like this resort area called Russian Thailand or the coast of 1000 bays.

Photos from users

Learn more about the area

The coastline of the beaches is part of the Karalar reserve. It has miraculously preserved samples of fescue-feather grass steppes. They have no analogues in Europe. These places attract tourists with their pristine beauty. They are great for recreation, which is popularly called "wild" by the people.

Clean sea air, saturated with the aroma of the forbs of the steppe, silence and the absence of signs of civilization - that's all that attracts people here every year with the onset of summer from different parts of the planet. In some of the local bays, you can find sources of clean water. As a rule, they dry up by July, so you need to go on vacation to these beaches with a large supply of drink and firewood to make a fire, on which you will have to cook your own food.

For tens of kilometers around the General's beaches there is a steppe, which is commonly called the Pontic steppe. At first glance, it seems deserted, but this is not at all the case. You can meet in it not only with harmless butterflies, dragonflies or lizards, but also with snakes dangerous to humans - four-striped snakes. The steppe viper is also found in it.

An unpleasant meeting can also take place with poisonous spiders - karakuts, tarantulas, solpugs and even scolopendra. Their favorite hiding places are rock crevices and large rocks.

Interesting Facts:
The depth of the sea in the area of ​​the coastal line of the bays is shallow, the entrance to it is shallow. The shallow waters ensure that the water warms up well in the sun, so the beach season starts here in May and ends in October.

Features of flora and fauna

Some parts of the beach have freshwater springs. Unfortunately, they dry up at the end of summer, but in spring they are filled with exceptionally clean and healthy water. The sea water washing the shores warms up rather quickly, so you can swim in it already in April.

Do not forget about the local fauna. Snakes are found in the Sea of ​​Azov, and although they are not dangerous and even less deadly poisonous, meeting with them will not bring much joy. But snakes on land can already cause health problems, as well as scolopendra and tarantula. Therefore, you should exercise minimal caution and look under your feet, so as not to inadvertently meet with representatives of the Crimean exotic.

History of the General's beaches

Until 1972, the coastline between the legendary Cape Kazantip and the hero city of Kerch was under the control of the military. The beach area was part of the territory on which a special garrison was located in this area. At the garrison training ground there was equipment that ensured the safety of air tests of nuclear weapons. It was impossible to get to the beaches without a special pass and the appropriate level of admission.

The picturesque shores of sandy bays were accessible only to the local high-ranking officers and generals. Hence the name - "General's" appeared. Today they are considered the best wild beaches Crimean peninsula. Their territory was included in the Kalaralsky Reserve in 1988.

It might be interesting:
While walking in the vicinity of the bays, you can stumble upon the ruins of an unfinished nuclear power plant. Its construction was frozen back in the days of the USSR.

What are the general's beaches today?

Convenient bays for recreation are located at a distance of 12 km from Kerch. Their length, according to various estimates, ranges from 26 to 30 km. Such a distance coastline led to the fact that various parts of the beach became part of 3 rural settlements. They were Bagerovo, Belinskoe and Chistopolye.

Each bay that is part of the coastline of the beaches has its own name. These places are loved not only by tourists, but also by fishermen. A fishing artel is located in the Shirokaya Bay. Their nets in these places catch not only tulka and Azov goby, but also pilengas. You can also catch the latter with a spinning rod. The role of bait on its hook is performed by a sea worm, which the locals dig up in the area of ​​Rotten Creek.

The advantage of resting in the area of ​​the bays is the sandy coast and the flat seabed. The temperature of the Azov Sea is always 2-3 degrees higher than in the Black Sea.

Video review of Generalskiy beaches

How to get to the general's beaches on the map?

The bays can only be reached by a dirt road. There are very badly broken sections and steep slopes on it, so the only correct choice of transport is a car with four-wheel drive and high ground clearance.

Can't get to beaches on public transport! Since there are no communications and infrastructure in the north of the peninsula, the only way to get to the cherished beaches is by car, personal or passing.

You can also test yourself and walk to the coast on foot. This can be done in three ways: from the side Kurortny village, from the opposite side of the coast through the Golden Settlement, as well as through Bagerovo. In this case, you need to bypass what is left of the airfield and the runway, behind which there is a road leading to the destination.

General's beaches on the map of Crimea

GPS Coordinates: N 45 28.283 E 36 12.767 Latitude / Longitude