Even in our time on the planet there are places where civilization has not reached at all. Quiet, secluded oases, where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the world and enjoy simple rest and closeness to nature. Tendrovskaya Spit — one of these wonderful places, to visit here is worth all connoisseurs of quiet and measured rest. This opportunity has all those who came on vacation in Iron Port, located at the southern end of the spit.
Tendrovskaya Spit, which has earned the fame of a real pearl, a beautiful sight of the Black Sea, is a sandy island located in the south-western part of the Black Sea, 30 km south of Kherson. It stretches for 65 kilometers parallel to the «big land» — the south-western part of the Kherson region, which it is administratively part of. In width the spit reaches almost 2 km, the area of this amazing piece of land, surrounded by the sea on all sides — 38 square kilometers, on which life goes its leisurely pace. On the northern side of the spit is separated from the land by the same name — Tendrovsky Bay, which is associated with a lot of interesting facts. However, the history of the spit itself is no less interesting.
It is believed that it was on the Tendrovskaya Spit, the second ancient name of which is «Achilles’ Run», that in ancient times sports games dedicated to Achilles were held. Historians assume that later Sarmatians and Scythians lived here. For sailors Tendrovskaya Spit has always been a serious threat and mortal danger: invisible from the sea, it became the cause of many shipwrecks, and today divers continue to find the remains of ancient ships — Greek, Turkish, Genoese and more. Because of this, Tendra, as this place is abbreviated, is planned to give the status of the first archaeological reserve in Ukraine — so the administration wants to put an obstacle to the systematic theft of ancient relics lying on the bottom of the sea since time immemorial. Well, the above-water part of Tendra today is already part of the protected areas — the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve.
Thanks to the protection of water areas and the reserve regime on the territory of the Tendra Spit were created excellent conditions for fish reproduction (here are well caught goby, Black Sea mackerel, mullet, shrimp, in the deep-water part of the bay — Russian sturgeon, kalkan, beluga, sevruga), nesting of rare species of birds, and the steppe part of the island has become a place of free habitat for animals: wolves, wild horses, foxes, badgers and many others. In total, there are more than 100 species of animals listed in the Red Book of Ukraine on the territory of the island. Outwardly poor flora — the island is mostly covered with shrubs and sparse herbaceous vegetation, however, is also valuable — there are 25 species of plants listed in the Red Book. People living on the island observe and study the local flora and fauna, study the behavior and life of animals, as well as dolphins that have taken a fancy to the coastal waters, which can be easily seen from the shore by every tourist who comes here. There is continuous work on protection from poachers and treasure hunters.
What to do on Tendrovskaya Spit tourist? First of all, to get acquainted with the local natural beauties: the island offers beautiful sea and steppe panoramas. These picturesque pictures are complemented by views of lakes, of which there are as many as six on the territory of the spit! Wonderful sandy beaches are a real paradise for tourists, and the coast on the side of the Tendrovsky Bay is as beautiful as the famous Caribbean: there is the same azure water with white sand. For an informative vacation you can visit a local attraction — one of the largest lighthouses on the Black Sea, towering at 30 meters. For the first time the lighthouse was erected on Tendra in 1827, since then this construction was destroyed and erected again several times because of such a dangerous island for sailors.
Wishing to get acquainted with the Tendra Spit and other attractions of the Black Sea coast, tourists can stay both on the island itself and in the nearest settlements — Zhelezny Port, Lazurnoe, Skadovsk and other villages nearby. The locals are friendly and are always happy to introduce this beautiful corner of Ukraine to everyone who has come to see it.