Is it worth going to Genichesk by the sea? Is vacation in Genichesk suitable for families with children? A real review of the nuances and surprises that lie in wait for you upon arrival in Genichesk
Genichesk is a small resort town located on the coast of the Azov Sea at the very beginning of the Arabat Spit or, as it is also called, the Arabat Spit. This city is often chosen by young families for a quiet and relaxing summer vacation with young children. The unique climate of Arabatka, the shallow sea and the gentle entry into the water attract many parents. However, Genichesk, like any other resort, has its own nuances and disadvantages. Read about what problems you will have to face during your vacation and what to look for when choosing a home, read our material.
Climate of the Arabat Spit
The resorts of the Azov Sea are considered an ideal place for families with young children. Due to the fact that this sea is very shallow (it is considered the shallowest in the world, the maximum depth does not exceed 14 meters), it warms up very quickly. So the swimming season there, unlike the Black Sea, can be opened already in the first half of June. There is also an opinion that there are few jellyfish in the Sea of Azov. A few years ago, this was indeed true, and jellyfish on the coast were quite rare. Experts explained this phenomenon by the desalination of the Sea of Azov: due to the low concentration of salt in the water, jellyfish were uncomfortable there. However, in the year before last and last year, the "salinity" of the Sea of Azov increased due to natural reasons, and jellyfish returned with pleasure to its warm and shallow waters. Basically, their "invasion" took place in July and August. In June, the Azov waters were free of jellyfish hordes.
Despite the fact that the Sea of Azov is relatively small, each of its resorts has climate features that are suitable for the treatment and prevention of certain diseases. I first heard about the Arabat arrow from our pediatrician. Due to problems with adenoids, the child was often sick, all ARVIs were protracted, long and often spilled over into bronchitis. The pediatrician advised with such a problem to go to Arabatka in the summer for at least two weeks. The dry steppe air of this region is saturated with iodine and bromine ions, as well as phytoncides of medicinal herbs. A mild, even climate without winds and sudden temperature changes allows children to very quickly adapt to the climate and receive a health-improving effect from the very first day at sea.
How to get to Genichesk
Genichesk is very convenient for vacationers by the presence of a railway station (photo from open sources)
There are several resorts on the Arabat Spit. This is the city of Genichesk, located at the very beginning, and three villages (Genicheskaya Gorka, Schastlivtsevo, Strelkovoye), which successively run along the spit. The easiest way to get to Genichesk: two direct trains go there through Kiev. The train "Khmelnitsky-Genichesk" (282K) runs on even numbers. On odd "Zhmerynka-Genichesk" (280K). Of course, in the summer there is a real excitement for these trains, and it is not easy to get tickets. In this case, there is an alternative - the Kiev-Novoalekssevka train (012K), which runs daily. Arriving at Novoalekseevka, you can wait for the regular bus to Genichesk (runs every hour, ticket price is 20 UAH) or take a taxi. Private traders will take you to the city in 15-20 minutes and for 150-200 UAH.
To get to the resort villages on the spit, the route is the same. Get by train to Genichesk or Novoalekseevka, and then look for a bus or taxi. For example, to Schastlivtsevo (a village in the very center of the Arabat Spit) from Genichesk it will take about 30-40 minutes. The road to Strelkovy (the farthest village on the spit) will take at least an hour. Naturally, I don't want to go far with kids and a bunch of suitcases. I would like to get off the train, check into an apartment, throw off my things and go to the sea. Therefore, Genichesk in this regard (as well as Berdyansk on the Berdyansk Spit) attracts vacationers precisely due to the fact that it is convenient to get there.
Sea in Genichesk
Once you have comfortably reached your destination and finally hit the beach, the first and foremost disappointment awaits you. Although you can read about the shallow and clear sea at this resort on the Internet, consider the following. From a geographical point of view, there is no sea in Genichesk. This town stands on the coast of the Utlyuk estuary, which on the one hand is separated from the Sea of Azov by the Fedotov Spit, and on the other - directly by the Arabat Spit. Therefore, the stories about the open sea in Genichesk are far from the truth.
The coast of the Utlyuk estuary bears little resemblance to the sea coast (photo by Alina Polishchuk)
On the one hand, this has its own plus: there is almost never a strong storm on the estuaries. So you can swim here even when the sea is raging and it is simply dangerous to swim in it. On the other hand, you will not find a clean sandy bottom on the estuaries. Every now and then underfoot patches of silty and clayey soil come across. The Utlyuk estuary is no exception in this regard. When entering the water with a child, you constantly need to look for sandy "paths" or carry the baby in your arms through the silt.
Keep in mind that the Utlyuk estuary is incredibly shallow. And this is a very dubious advantage even for a vacation with small children. To get into the water up to your waist, you need to move a considerable distance from the shore (remember the muddy bottom). If you want to splash around and fool around in clear water, you will have to look for an area with a sandy bottom. Also note that there are a lot of stones and steppe vegetation on the coast of the Utluksky estuary. Snakes often hide in the grass and among the boulders (locals say that these are snakes, but many vacationers complain about skirmishes with vipers). Snakes swim great: during two weeks of rest in Genichesk, my child and I saw an unidentified reptile in the water five or six times.
Accommodation in Genichesk: prices, options
There is a lot of private sector in Genichesk. Not even that. This town consists almost entirely of the private sector, with the exception of a few high-rise buildings in the center. Since the holiday season for residents of coastal cities is the only opportunity to earn money (since there is no industry there), there will be no problems at all with a place of residence in Genichesk. You can book accommodation in advance on the Internet, or you can not bother and choose from what will be offered to you right at the railway or bus station. Detached houses, apartments, part of the house with the owner and even beds in temporary buildings are rented here.
You can choose housing for every taste and budget. The run-up in prices in Genichesk is simply amazing, starting from 200 UAH per bed and ending with 2000 UAH for a separate three-room apartment with all appliances and sea views. One-room apartments and rooms with amenities in a private courtyard in the high season cost an average of 600-700 UAH for a family of three or four people. It is a little cheaper than on the spit itself. For example, decent rooms in Schastlivtsevo already from mid-June cost from 800 UAH per day.
When choosing housing, be sure to start from the location of the apartment or house. Better to settle closer to the sea. Despite the fact that the town is small, the streets there are small and confusing, so it is not very comfortable to walk to the beach through the whole city in the heat. At the same time, when they tell you that the accommodation is located next to the sea, specify how far to go to the central beach. This is the only more or less comfortable place in the city for swimming with children.
Such a "Potemkin staircase" leads to the Central Beach (photo from open sources)
However, be prepared for the fact that it will not work there to delve into the loose sand. The central beach in Genichesk is a large area of shallow and densely packed shell rock, separated from the sea by a concrete parapet with steps for descending into the water.
The central beach in Genichesk is not very comfortable for children (photo from open sources)
Further along the coast (towards the Fedotova Spit) there are many spontaneous "wild" beaches. But there are no beaches as such. These are small areas of the same shell rock as on the central beach, interspersed with large boulders, grassy shore and rocky entry into the water.
These are the boulders that "adorn" the embankment on wild beaches (photo by Alina Polishchuk)
Things to do in Genichesk
Alley of Fairy Tales - the main place for walking in Genichesk (photo from open sources)
Among the entertainment and attractions in Genichesk, the Alley of Fairy Tales can be distinguished. This is a stationary recreation park, which is located on the central city Mira Avenue. There are many sculptures of various fairy-tale characters (with which you can make bright and colorful photo), playgrounds and labyrinths, children's transport rental, children's shooting range and other attractions. In addition, all the popular restaurants and bars of the town are concentrated on and around the Fairy Tales Alley. Here you can eat pizza and sushi, burgers or other fast food. It should be noted that during the season there is a real full house of vacationers, guests of the city and local residents. Therefore, in a pizzeria or sushi bar, you can wait more than an hour for an opportunity to order.
On the Fairy Tales Alley, you can take many bright photos (photo by Alina Polishchuk)
Another “gathering point” for holidaymakers is the ATB supermarket, which is located at the very beginning of the Fairy Tales Alley. In the evenings, huge queues gather here, with which all the cash desks of the store can hardly cope. So you can go to the supermarket for ice cream or beer for 40 minutes. If you are planning to purchase products for self-catering, it is better to shop on a weekday early in the morning. The range and prices here are Kiev, so on cereals, drinks and essential goods you can save money (there are no such supermarkets on the spit, and all goods are sold in stores with a traditional "resort" extra charge). Not far from ATB and Fairy Tales Alley (in the direction of the local bus station) there is a small market. Local vegetables and fruits are always sold here, you can choose salted, smoked and fresh sea fish.
Where is the good sea on the Arabat Sea
In general, the rest in Genichesk can be called calm, budgetary and quite comfortable. If not for the absence of the sea. For the real sea, you will have to go to the spit. There is really clean, clear water, a good bottom and spacious sandy beaches. The shallow sea, convenient for swimming with children, can be found in Genicheskaya Gorka. The further along the spit, the deeper the sea - in Schastlivtsevo, the depth to the waist and higher begins already 7-10 meters from the coast.
The beaches on the spit are gentle, sandy and spacious (photo by Alina Polishchuk)
Buses on the Arabat Spit run every day at intervals of 30 minutes. Strelkovy (the farthest point of the spit) can be reached for 45 UAH per person. If closer (Gengorka or Schastlivtsevo) - travel is cheaper. The only thing is that during the season, morning and evening flights are usually packed. And not only by vacationers, but also by local residents. By the way, the residents of Genichesk themselves practically do not bathe in the Utlyuk estuary, preferring to go to the spit into the open sea.
With a small child, a trip with a regular bus to the scythe will not be a pleasure. We went there a couple of times by taxi. Such pleasure is not cheap - both taxi drivers and private traders charge UAH 200 one way or UAH 300 in both directions (if they agree that they will pick you up at a certain time). In the evening, you can get from the spit to Genichesk by hitchhiking (for the price of a regular bus), but there is no guarantee that you will be able to leave quickly.
You can also get to the spit along with the excursion. Every day excursion buses leave from Genichesk, which take tourists to the main attractions of the Arabat Spit. These are Salt Lake, Pink Lake, curative mud and thermal springs. After the excursion program, tourists are always left 2-3 hours to swim in the open sea (another attraction for holidaymakers from Genichesk). Such an excursion costs from 350 UAH per person, depending on the number of objects to visit. It will certainly be interesting once. But this is not an everyday travel option.
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