The length of the Crimean coastline exceeds two and a half thousand kilometers. This coastal area is home to a huge number of very diverse beaches: large and small, wild and well-equipped, pebbly and sandy, crowded and difficult to access. This article contains a brief overview of one of the most amazingly beautiful and clean beaches of the peninsula. Vasili, which is located near Sevastopol in the fabulous Balaklava Bay.
Such a different Crimea
The area of Crimea is relatively small - about thirty thousand square kilometers. But this small area contains territories so different in landscape, flora and fauna that, traveling through them, you can visit very different worlds in a short time. is strikingly different from the mountainous regions of the peninsula. And the southern coast is a separate, original and bright pearl of Crimea. There are a great many amazing corners on the peninsula that resemble fairy-tale scenery or magical lands. Such is the small suburb of Sevastopol Balaklava, which has a centuries-old history.
Ancient city of Balaclava
The history of the town of Balaklava goes back so far that it’s hard to believe. It is believed that this is the place on the Black Sea coast that Homer describes in his poem “The Odyssey”. The ruins of old fortresses remember the Tauri, the Genoese, the Romans, and all the later conquerors of Crimea. At all times, sea travelers took refuge here from storms and enemies.
During Soviet times, the city of Balaklava was completely inaccessible to visitors, because there was a military submarine base here. The town was not even marked on the map. Currently, a museum is opened on the site of a former military base inside the rock.
Little Balaklava has many architectural monuments of antiquity, modern luxury dachas and expensive yachts at the pier. There is a beautiful promenade, wonderful small restaurants and picturesque natural views. The Zolotaya Balka factory is located in Balaklava, which produces delicious champagne from grapes from the local slopes.
The main feature of Balaklava is its location. The town is located in a deep bay, the entrance to which from the sea is very difficult to find without a guide. Surrounded by high rocks, a special world has arisen, where there are no high waves and strong winds, where the sea is always gentle and welcoming. Balaklava today is especially popular among tourists, including because of the beaches. There are several beaches, one of the cleanest and most beautiful is located in Vasilyeva Balka and bears the appropriate name - Vasili.
Beach in Vasilyeva Balka
Vasili Beach in Balaklava is located some distance from the city (about one and a half kilometers), in a secluded place among high and inaccessible rocks. The beach area is small: about three hundred meters long and forty meters wide. The beach is pebble. The entrance to the water is large-pebble and shallow, which is quite convenient for swimming. The shore is covered with medium and small stones.
To lie comfortably on Vasili Beach, it is better to use sun loungers and sun loungers. Vasili is still a sparsely populated beach due to its remoteness. It takes some effort to get here, but it's worth it. Vasili is one of the cleanest beaches in the vicinity of Sevastopol, since the rocky surface of the shore does not retain garbage, and Balaklava’s wastewater does not flow into the coastal waters of Vasilyeva Balka. Swimming here will be a special pleasure.
Pristine beauty
They say that Vasili Beach used to be surrounded by a coniferous forest, but due to the rapid activity of the Balaklava mining operation, the rocky shore collapsed, covering almost all the vegetation.
Today the beach is surrounded by rugged cliffs. By the way, local residents and experienced tourists do not recommend putting up tents and camping directly under rocks; landslides happen quite often. Several rocky fragments are located in the water near the shore and act as natural diving towers for local daredevils. This part of the coast is generally very picturesque. This is another reason for the popularity of the beach. From here there are breathtaking views of the sea and cliffs. You can appreciate the beauty of Vasili beach in the photo.
Infrastructure
For a long time, these places remained wild, sparsely populated and untouched by modern services. On the one hand, this made it possible to preserve the pristine beauty of the beach, on the other hand, it created problems for a comfortable stay.
And today it cannot be said that Vasili Beach has a very developed infrastructure. But you can rent a sunbed or umbrella. The beach also has sun canopies, changing rooms and toilets, lifeguards, and a separate berth for boats and boats. You can have a snack and drink something cold in a small cafe. Regular cleaning of the area is also organized.
Location Features
How to get to Vasili Beach in Balaklava, if it is located in such an inaccessible place and quite far from the city? The easiest and most pleasant way to go to this paradise is by water. In Balaklava, you can take a sea taxi and take a walk to the beach, admiring the beauty of the coast from the sea.
How to get to Vasili beach by other means? You can go by private car, use a minibus or take a walk. It will take about 20 minutes to get there by transport, but you will have to spend at least an hour on foot. In any case, having reached the Balaklava mine, you will need to walk further. Another small obstacle awaits the vacationer directly on the beach. To get to the water, you need to overcome a steep, long and seemingly not very reliable metal staircase. There used to be stone steps here, but they were destroyed by another rockfall. But, having overcome all the difficulties, a person finds himself in a charming corner of nature, which has a beneficial effect on both body and soul. The healing sea air, clean calm water, picturesque views will improve your physical and mental health, and Vasili Beach will remain in your memories for a long time.
Geser to Vasili Beach: what it is and how to get thereOne of my favorite beaches in the vicinity of Sevastopol is Vasili Beach. The name comes from Vasilyeva Balka, which, as they write in tyrnets, was ruined by the activities of the Balaklava Mining Administration. The beach was formed over the last 4 decades and is very popular with vacationers.
Until now, this is one of the few beaches that have not yet been polluted - both in terms of the coast and in terms of water. The beach is located one and a half kilometers west of Balaklava Bay (or immediately behind the quarry of the Balaklava Mining Administration). It’s also quite an interesting place, a report about which I still want to write.
Vasili Beach - how to get there
But getting there is not so easy:
1. By skiff, boat and other water transport from Balaklava. Not the cheapest way.
2. By car.
You can drive without any problems, the road is relatively good, only at the end there is a small section of unpleasant dirt road.
For directions, see the link:
3. Along the second route, only on foot :)
4. In the summer they go by electric car from the entrance to the Balaklava adit according to a schedule.
Vasili Beach in Balaclava: about pebbles and water
The beach itself is pebbly, with quite large stones, that is, coming to lay out a towel and lying down to sunbathe is personally uncomfortable for me, you need to take something thicker and softer with you.
The water is actually clean and much more pleasant to swim in than in most paddling pools.
There are several reasons for this:
1. The shore is not sandy, i.e. in moments of excitement the sea remains relatively clean. 2. Open sea (due to which the water is slightly colder than in the bays, but changes regularly near the coast).
3. Balaklava’s wastewater does not flow here, as it drains from the other side of the bay.
The beach is very picturesque, overlooking the sea and surrounding mountains.
The downside is that the descent is not very convenient (and not very safe). Or rather, the descent is nonsense, but the ascent will make you sweat and think about introducing regular aerobic exercise into your life :) However, in the summer here I often see people of a very respectable age who quite cheerfully climb the steep stairs.
A few years ago the beach was much wider, but now a significant part (on the right in the photo above) is littered. These steps are precisely laid on the crumbling soil. I wouldn’t recommend camping under rocks or pitching tents under rocks either: our rocks are too loose, and another blockage can happen at any time. But at the water's edge it will be quite safe.
In the future, I plan to talk about my favorite vacation spots on the Crimean coast. Stay in touch!
Vasili Beach. Great holiday by the sea.
In the west of Balaklava Bay, not far from Cape Fiolent, there is a magnificent, wide (length - 300 meters, width - 40 meters) pebble beach Vasili. It got its name from Vasilyeva Balka, where, in fact, it is located. Once upon a time there was a chapel of St. Basil, which has since been destroyed.
Beach infrastructure
There are actually two beaches here. The first (eastern) is wider and more crowded. The second (western), located under steep cliffs, is smaller and much more “wild”. It is difficult to go from beach to beach on foot, since you have to make your way through the “stone chaos”.
Despite the fact that the beach is located right behind the quarry of the Balaklava Mining Administration, it is very clean, the water is clear (no dirt from Balaklava Bay gets here), but quite cold, since it is already the open sea.
Not long ago there was a landslide on the beach. Now there are a huge number of boulders in the water, which attract those who like to dive and sunbathe alone.
East Beach
Entering the water on the beach is very comfortable, the pebbles are not large and not slippery. Very convenient for small children.
The beach is fully equipped: sun loungers, sun canopies, showers, toilets, changing rooms. Garbage is removed regularly. Rescuers are working. There is a small cafe and food and drink outlets. There is parking for cars near the beach.
Entrance to the beach is free, but the territory, order and security are carefully monitored.
By the way, you can stay overnight on the beach. A lantern is installed at a height that illuminates the beach. Campfires are allowed here and there is plenty of space to pitch a tent.
West Beach
The beach is wild, there are not many vacationers here. You must take with you an umbrella, a comfortable mattress (as a bedding on the stones), and water.
How to get there
- On foot.
This will take approximately an hour. You will have to walk past the Submarine Museum and Marble Beach. The terrain is rough - descent - ascent. To get to the beach you need to go down a steep and fairly high staircase.
- On an electric car.
The electric car runs regularly to the Balaklava adits. From there, walk another 20 minutes to the beach.
- By own transport.
Drive along the Tavricheskaya embankment to the end, then follow the signs to the mountains. The entire journey will take 10-15 minutes.
- By public transport.
You can go to the beach by minibus, which stops at the entrance to the underground factories. But the minibuses run very irregularly, you will have to wait a long time.
- By boat (from the Nazukina embankment).
The first option is to rent a boat and in 10 minutes relax with friends on the beach (it’s not cheap, so it’s better to go with a large group)
The second option (cheaper, pensioners and children under 7 years old are free) is public water transport. It runs less frequently, to the eastern part of Vasily and only on a scheduled basis. Every two hours, from eight in the morning until six in the evening.
Note to vacationers
On the way to Vasily there are many more interesting beaches where you can relax and swim: Jasper, Marble, Golden, Silver.
The Cape Aya landscape reserve is rich in excellent pebble beaches. One of these vacation spots is the cozy Vasili Beach, located next to Vasilieva Balka. This place is surrounded by a rock wall 150 meters high. Therefore, an additional protective barrier is created from the wind and unwanted views.
Now there is almost no vegetation on the beach, but previously there was a forest with various southern species: pistachio, pear, juniper and others. But due to the work carried out by the mining department, landslides began, and the entire forest ended up under stones. Nowadays there is also a periodic threat of landslides, so it is not recommended to stay close to the rocks.
The beach is pebble, with beautiful golden sand. The entrance to the sea is gentle, but after the first smooth descent the depth increases sharply. Therefore, vacationers with children are advised not to go far. The beach consists of two parts: the eastern part is wider, where most of the vacationers stop; the western one is located behind the rocks, you can walk to it along the sea; this area is often chosen by athletes on boats.
Reviews about Vasili beach
According to reviews from tourists, many people lie on their towels rather than use paid sun loungers with a canopy. Travelers often note the cleanliness of the beach; there are several trash cans on the territory. Those who have visited the beach speak with delight about its picturesque surroundings.
Many vacationers write about the inaccessibility of the beach, the long road and the tedious descent down the stairs. Therefore, for families with children and those who are not ready for a long journey, they recommend choosing water transport to Vasili Beach. On the other hand, perhaps because of this location, the beach is never full. And those who decide to get there on their own will enjoy the breathtaking views as they descend the stairs to the sea.
Infrastructure
Entrance to Vasili is free. This beach is often called the cleanest and best in the Sevastopol area: clean, clear water, natural landscape and beautiful views of the mountains and sea. Due to such popularity among vacationers, in 2011 it was decided to equip this corner with sun loungers and canopies, and in 2018 comfortable family bungalows appeared here. The beach has paid toilets, changing cabins, and a lifeguard service. Behind the sun loungers there is a beach equipment rental point, where you can also rent a barbecue.
The length of Vasili beach is 290 meters, the width is approximately 40 meters.
Water activities include catamarans, an inflatable slide, and sometimes jumping off stones or from a cliff. There is a small tent bar on site with ice cream, drinks and light snacks. Another cafe with a wider selection is located on the top of the cliff - you need to climb a metal staircase equipped with railings (about 280 steps). In 2018, beach tenants reported plans to create an evening cinema and stage on Wasili Beach.
Information about water and air temperatures and wind strength is regularly updated at the beach information stand. Tourists also stop overnight with tents on Vasili Beach in Crimea.
Vacationers should note that in August the water is quite cold in the morning due to the current, but by lunchtime it warms up; if the sun sets behind the mountain, a shadow forms from the rock and it can even get cool.
How to get to Vasili Beach in Balaclava
In 2017, the road through the Tavricheskaya embankment to the Vasili beaches was closed due to the poor condition of the surface, heavy congestion, a risk to the safety of pedestrians and a number of other reasons. After this, the journey overland to the beach began to take much longer.
The fastest way to get to Vasili Beach is by boat (10-15 minutes). They run from the Nazukin embankment in Balaklava once an hour, from 09:30 to 19:30, but there are also private carriers that regularly drive up to the beach. Travel costs approximately 100-150 rubles per person.
You can walk if you have time and energy. From Balaklava, move to the side: walk past the underground museum complex of Balaklava and the Marble Beach to the boarding house of the Balaklava Mining Administration, go down the iron stairs. The road goes uphill all the time, the journey takes about 1 hour.
To get to Balaklava from Sevastopol, you need to take bus No. 12 or minibus No. 12 to the stop “5th kilometer of Balaklava Highway”, change to bus No. 33, 34, 35, 94 to the stop “Obolon”, from there the minibus “ Obolon - Beach" to Balaklava Bay, then you need to walk for about 30 minutes along the Tavricheskaya embankment. According to some reviews, a minibus runs to the beach in the summer season, but there is no exact information about its schedule.
You can get to the stairs to the beach by taxi: Taxi Vezet and Yandex services operate in Sevastopol. Taxi, Maxim.
How to get to Vasili Beach in Balaclava by car
The road by car after the closure of Tavricheskaya Embankment takes a detour: you need to go along the street. Vasily Zhukov, go to the street. Kizilovaya, go to the base of the boarding house of the mine management and leave the car in the parking lot. Then go down the stairs to the beach. The journey from the center of Balaclava to the stairs will take about 30 minutes by car.
Directions by car from Balaklava to Vasili Beach:
Panoramic view from the stairs leading to Vasili Beach:
Video about Vasili beach in Crimea:
