Many tourists, going to go on vacation in Crimea, do not hesitate to give preference to its South Coast, famous for such resort towns as Yalta, Alushta, Miskhor, Koreiz, etc., However, not only this part of the peninsula abounds with interesting objects for visitors. Northwestern Crimea — this is also rich in places of interest, where everyone can relax with pleasure. Well, the calling card, the most famous natural treasure of this part of Crimea is the Natural Landscape Reserve «Bakalskaya Spit», which is visited every year by people who have discovered and fallen in love with this place.
Natural Landscape Reserve «Bakalskaya Spit» is located in the Razdolnensky district of Crimea near the village of Steregushchee a few kilometers from the famous resort villages of Razdolnoye and Chernomorskoye. On its territory — unique natural objects, the most prominent of which is Bakalskaya spit, which gave its name to the entire reserve, notable also Bakalskoe Lake with salt marshes and therapeutic mud, Karkinitsky Bay with shallow depths and clear sea waters. The territory of the reserve is a real paradise for those who want to relax by the sea and improve their health, to live away from the cities.
These places received the status of a reserve in 2000, when the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea decided to transform the hydrological natural monument of local importance «Bakalskaya Spit» created in 1972 into a regional landscape park. Today its area is 1520 hectares, it includes Bakalskoe Lake and Bakalskaya Spit, as well as the territory of the coastal aquatic complex of 410 hectares. Recreation is allowed on 87 hectares of land and 100 hectares of aqua complex, that is why in summer there are tent camps here, where all those who want to relax so close to the sea come.
Many travelers come here not only because of the amazing opportunity to live for a low fee (a tent per day is charged 30grn) literally two meters from the sea, but also because of the healing mud Bakalskoe Lake, which is the third on the Tarkhankutsky Peninsula in area — it is 7.1 square kilometers. It is a liman, salt water, brine and mud which have a beneficial effect on health for a variety of ailments. Krym is widely known for such salt lakes — Chokrak near Kerch, Sakskoye near Saki village, and Baka. Saki, and Bakalskoe is one of them — it is one of such invaluable natural objects. Another no less interesting object of the reserve is the Bakalskaya Spit itself.
Bakalskaya Spit is a sandy spit going into the sea for as much as 8 kilometers! It separates Bakalskoe Lake from the Gulf of Karkinit and forms a unique area: from all sides of the spit washed by different currents, so in the same weather on its western shore can be cold and stormy sea, and on the eastern — warm and calm. Everyone who has a vacation here has a unique opportunity to choose which sea he would like to swim in at any given moment, which is simply amazing!
The scenery here is also inspiring: a huge lake on one side, the beautiful Karkinit Gulf on the other and the endless Black Sea — such a picture will impress anyone! At the same time, on one side of the spit you can see a storm at one and the same moment, and on the eastern side — complete calm. If, contemplating this picture, and see how dolphins and guinea pigs splash in the water, then the memories of such a vacation will be unforgettable. On the territory of the reserve, in addition to dolphins, you can see more than 15 species of birds, including such rare ones as the whooper swan and the mute swan.
The nature-landscape reserve «Bakalskaya Spit» is a peculiar, beautiful and impressive place, the most interesting object of which, unfortunately, may disappear in the future: the sandy spit began to erode due to strong storms in 2005 and 2007. Maybe that’s why every year more and more tourists come here: those who spend their holiday in Chernomorskoe and other nearby settlements — with excursions or on their own, others — with tents, and live here for several days, weeks and even months. And, maybe, about this unique reserve just learn more and more people, and therefore it is becoming increasingly popular among those who crave a peaceful vacation in nature.