Numerous sights of Ukraine have more than once become an object of envy and lust of belligerent neighbors. But what can you do if God was generous when dividing the territory, and Nature was loving to this land. Going on vacation to the Azov region, the Carpathians, the Polesie or the slopes of the Dnieper, you can personally make sure of the truth of the words written here.
It is curious that the most modest and at the same time — the most exploited region of Ukraine, has long been the Azov region. Today, this term can refer to the coast of the Azov Sea, which runs along the territory of three regions — Kherson, Zaporozhskaja and Donetsk. They are united by similar natural conditions and unlimited access to an amazing body of water, which is one of the smallest and youngest seas on Earth.
Let’s try to walk along the shore of the Sea of Azov to assess the recreational resource of the region. This virtual journey should start from the Kherson region, the place where the Krym Peninsula begins. This is where the legendary Sivash Bay is located, filled with rapa of industrial and balneological importance. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to stay on the territory of the Azov-Sivash National Park. And if not, then on the broken shore of the lake-bay Sivash there is enough space for everyone who wants to breathe in the air saturated with iodine and take a course of divine thalassotherapy.
At the end of Sivash, just opposite the spit Arabatskaya Strelka, is the town of Genichesk, founded by Genoese merchants. It has preserved the remarkable architecture of the end of the century before last and built countless sanatoriums and children’s camps.
The largest shore of the Azov Sea went to Zaporizhzhya region. It is known for its sandy spits stretching along the mainland of Ukraine. Here are some of them — Obitichnaya, Berdyanskaya and Biryuchy Ostrov spits. If you visit each of them, a thoughtful traveler can find a lot of interesting things.
On one there are the remains of a fortress destroyed during the Russo-Turkish war, on the other — numerous colonies of waterfowl, which turned the spit into an analog of the western coast of Chile and Peru, covered with deposits of guano. On the third — the President’s dacha and the protected area.
Those who have already rested in the Azov region, in the last characteristic surely recognized the spit Biryuchy Island. By the way, at its base is the very Kirillovka. Once it was the most democratic resort of southern Ukraine, famous for its prices for watermelons, tomatoes and smoked fish. Today — it is a fashionable, not yet fashionable, but not common, place of rest, which has its own Water Park, supermarket and other benefits of civilization.
Well, let’s move on. Next on the course we have Berdyansk. The shallow sea, golden-sandy spits and small lakes with healing mud made this city a «favorite» of mothers with young children.
A short stretch of the coast of Donetsk region is more suitable for those who do not like a long road to the place of rest, or people who love to admire the industrial grandeur of Donbass. Although, the spectacle of ships loading in the port of Mariupol is not inferior in grandeur to the contemplation of working processes at the shipyards of Hanover, Gdansk and Le Havre.
Total, vacation in the Azov region is real. Its best resorts are Genichesk and Kirillovka, Belosarajskaya Kos and Sedovo. They are united by open access to the warm and shallow Azov Sea, sandy beaches, sapropelic mud and extremely low prices for local products — fish, melons, peppers and tomatoes. Every day this region is increasing its rating place in the list of recreational attractions of Ukraine.