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The Crimean coast lies on the far side of the Black Sea from Turkey. Stunning mountain scenery, warm sea and a long season of summer sunshine have made the Crimean coastline the riviera for Ukrainians and Russians since the time of the tsars.

Steeped in history, Crimea is a fascinating region to explore, as well as a great place to relax. Across the centuries it has attracted settlers such as the Greeks, the Venetians and the Genoese - all of whom founded cities along the coast and inter-married with the local people. The western terminus of the Great Silk Road was on the Crimean coast. After a long period as part of the Byzantine empire, it was overrun by Chingiz Khan's Golden Horde and remained a Tatar Khanate until annexed by Imperial Russia in the eighteenth century. This rich history is still alive today in its fabulous palaces and historic sites, and in the culture and way of life of today's Crimean people.

The Black Sea

As you look out across the Black Sea from the top of Ai-Petri mountain, you may wonder why such an iridescent blue sea is called the Black Sea. Nobody really knows - it can be pretty stormy in winter, and it's thought that the name was given to it by sailors and pirates who were struck by its dark appearance when the sky turned leaden with storm clouds.

It has had other names in the past. The ancient Greeks knew it as the Scythian Sea, after the tribes who held its shores at the time. Shipwrecked sailors could generally expect no mercy from the Scythians, who plundered the wrecks and made wine goblets out of sailors' skulls. The Greeks also called it Pontos Axenos - the inhospitable sea - until they settled in Crimea, after which they changed their minds and called it Pontos Euxenos: the hospitable sea

Beaches

Crimea has 517 km of clean beaches - mostly small pebbles although there is black volcanic sand at Morskoye and Sudak in the east and silver sand at Yevpatoria in the west. Many beaches are public, and the private ones owned by hotels and sanatoria are usually open to non-patrons at a price of around 3 hryvnias (£0.40p or $0.56 cents) per day. There are naturist beaches near Koktebel in the east.

The main tourist beaches have opportunities for pedalo, jet-skiing, yachting and speed-boating, sea fishing, para-gliding, flights in microlite aircraft and a range of other pursuits, in addition to sea cruises along the coast. Wind-surfing is still developing and good quality boards and sails may not be easily available, but there is a windsurfing club in Feodosia at the eastern end of the peninsula.

The road which runs along the coast from Feodosia to Sevastopol in the west is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. For much of the journey you're looking out over the sea from the mountains which slope down to the shoreline and the views are spectacular.

The rocky Black Sea bays are ideal for scuba diving, and there are many centres along the coast. Balaklava is a favourite, where there is a large underwater reef. From there you can also dive to the underwater ruins of Khersoness, where part of the Byzantine city was swamped by rising sea levels.

Apartment Rental Crimea

Hotels in Crimea