The Arabat Spit. If there is a paradise on earth, it is here

Henichesk and the Arabat Spit became a real discovery of 2016 for me.

The very first information about the town, the spit and the resort area I got from the taxi driver who was giving me a lift to Strilkove. Who, if not our taxi drivers, know each and everything, sooner and better than anyone. From him I learned how much that is beautiful one can see and feel in this little corner of paradise. One shore of the spit is washed by the Sea of Azov.


On the other side one could see the Syvash and other salt lakes.


This land has always had strategic importance and is soaked with the blood of our defenders. But now it is peaceful and calm here.

During the Second World War, the 127th Artillery Brigade halted the advance of the fascists towards Crimea. In the village of Henicheska Hirka, a memorial has been erected in honour of the liberators from the Hitlerites.

In this same historic place, the church of St George the Victorious has been built.

The Arabat Spit is a unique place in Ukraine with its own microclimate. Along a sandy strip 100 km long and from 270 m to 8 km wide, hotels and tourist bases are lined up one after another.



I was lucky enough to stay at one of the best guesthouses on the coast. "Sokil" has kept up its reputation for many years. The level of comfort here is very high, and everything is thought out down to the smallest detail. The nearness of the sea, the well-kept grounds, the comfortable rooms, the wonderful park — all this makes for a pleasant holiday.

On the grounds of the "Blakytne Polumia" (Blue Flame) health complex is Ukraine's best skate park, where international tournaments are held. The beach at this guesthouse is clean and equipped with canopies. The residential buildings have been renovated, with modern plumbing and furniture installed. There is a mini-zoo.

On the Arabat Spit you can improve your health. The iodine-bromine water, at a temperature of about 60 degrees, which gushes under a pressure of 7 atmospheres from a depth of 1,600 metres, helps in treating bone-muscle and joint diseases.

The silt from the bottom of the salt lakes is used for mud treatments.

Windsurfing is gaining ever more popularity among holidaymakers. An experienced instructor, a winner of competitions in this sport and one of the five strongest sportsmen in Ukraine, gives a master class where, from the very first lesson, beginners feel themselves conquerors of the elements of water and air.



The Safari Park will leave neither children nor adults indifferent. Here you can not only admire bears, little monkeys, nanny goats with their kids, little donkeys, ostriches and all sorts of feathered creatures, but also treat them to a snack.



The favourites were the four lion cubs that appeared in May.

Even just strolling through the green zone of the Arabat Spit, you delight in the wonderful landscapes. A great many plants are listed in the Red Book. The scent of wildflowers and grasses, the phytoncides of the conifers — it is aromatherapy for people who live in industrial regions.




But the main pleasure, of course, is bathing in the beautiful sea. Each health resort has its own patch on the wide sand-and-shell beach.

Already in mid-May the temperature of the sea water was about 20 degrees. And in summer it warms up to 29. The bottom is clean, without a large amount of algae. To have a swim, you do not need to walk waist-deep in the water all the way to Biryuchyi.

In winter there are no severe frosts here, so the fruit trees and vineyards do not suffer from the weather, and in summer they delight with an abundance of vitamin-rich produce. And what wonderful wine the local winemakers have!
Anglers need only come here. Mullet, pikeperch and goby can be caught.

You can feel that the prospect of developing this beautiful place is gathering pace. The Park of Cossack Glory, covering 5 hectares, has been laid out. Plane trees and roses have been planted, a chapel has been built, and a pit for a pool is ready.
A start has been made; there are projects and people who strive to bring their dreams to life. I would like their plans to be realised sooner. I hope to come again to this beautiful place and to be there for the opening of the park, and I will be sure to share my impressions with you.