Arabatskaya Strelka is one of the best natural wonders of Crimea. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that this almost hundred-kilometer long spit was created by the waves of the Azov Sea washing it from the east. In the depths of the Arabatskaya arrow unknown to geological science way formed its own reserves of underground water, which in idea should not be. Besides, these waters are not simple, but mineral. And not just mineral, but also thermal, which are ideal for the treatment of dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, dermatosis-psoriasis and non-acute disorders of the nervous system. Let me also mention the endless sandy beach, which stretches along the entire Arabatska arrow and the continuous bombardment of tourists who come here with iodine ions that evaporate from the surface of Lake Sivash, which washes the western shore of the magical spit.
And now the last blow to the minds of tourists thinking about a place for summer vacation. In the north, in the headwaters of the spit of Arabatskaya arrow, there is a magical Genicheskoe Lake. Or rather, it would be declared magical, if it was in another country. A body of water with exactly the same properties, located between Israel and Jordan, has long been in the Bible and got, and the hero of a hundred legends has become and still grew as the cone of an underwater volcano coral, a hundred prestigious cosmetology and rejuvenation clinics. For those who do not understand, we are talking about the Dead Sea.
And now let’s return to our sheep, more precisely to the Genichesky lake. Its size is not great — only 9.2 km². It is shallow — a maximum of 60 centimeters. Therefore, at the end of August, much of the water evaporates, and the lake itself is covered with a thin crust of salt. It’s almost like Salt Lake City, only without the auto racing. If this salty ice is broken, pale pink water starts to ooze to the surface. Its color is due to the presence of many valuable minerals — iron, potassium-magnesium, iodine-bromine, which are sometimes so lacking in the human body. By the way, the taste of this water is not terribly salty, but useful and bitter. Therefore, it is suitable for oral consumption and inhalations.
By the way, the Dead Sea was not in vain mentioned above. The salt, which evaporates, freezes (in winter) or collects on the lake Genichesky salt plant 90% is exported to Israel, where it is sold under the guise of Dead Sea to gullible tourists.
One more treasure of the Genichesky lake is recognized as reserves of dark gray sapropelic silt, which is an ideal base for balneological mud treatment.
From another storehouse of useful minerals — Lake Sivash, Genicheskoye Lake is separated by two peninsulas — Genicheskiy Kut and Semenovskiy Kut. The first is in the north and the second is in the west of the reservoir. In the Genichesky Kut area, the salt concentration drops slightly, so red and green algae can exist in the water. Combined with the steep banks, the crust of salt ice (or ice salt) and the scorching sun, this place gives the impression of a 100% Martian landscape, as it was portrayed by Len Wiseman in the movie «Remember Everything».
Those who regularly choose to vacation on the Arabatskaya Strelka, have already become accustomed to the fantastic landscapes and powerful recreational base of this region. Those who are only planning to visit Genichesk, Genicheskaja Gorka, Strelkovoe and Schastlivcevo, can only be envied. A spectacular recovery program offered by Nature itself awaits them. They will be delighted, surprised and admired by the forces that created Arabatskaya Strelka and filled every square meter of its surface with miracles and energy of recovery.