If you ask local residents or visiting tourists what you can see on Utrish, they will definitely tell you about juniper forests, a waterfall, a dolphinarium, by the way, one of the best on the entire coast, and even show you the way to a nudist beach.
How to become a legend
natural complex Big Utrish is a marine reserve, therefore some of its species of animals and plants are under state protection. The reserve is located in the north-west of the Abrau peninsula.
The road to Utrish from Krasnodar will take about 4.5 hours by minibus, by car - about three hours. Along the way, you can see fields with red sunflowers, young Kuban vineyards, rocky cliffs, bizarre coastal bends and beautiful sea panoramas, including views of Anapa.
Upon arrival, you will find yourself in the fishing village of Bolshoy Utrish, which includes a peninsula, a cape and a small island, near the seashore. Maly Utrish is located 8 km southeast of it. Science explains the formation of these marvelous places by ancient earthquakes, the actions of the sun, wind and sea. Some scholars call Utrish a fragment of the ancient Pontida. The famous zoogeographer and researcher Ivan Puzanov showed a natural connection between the southern coast of Crimea and the northwestern part of the Greater Caucasus and put forward a hypothesis about the ancient land, which he called Pontida.
Legends say that it was on the Bolshoi Utrish Peninsula that Zeus struck a rock with lightning: a sheer ledge formed there, on which the gods chained the guilty Prometheus.
Local "Corsica"
The charming nature of Utrish every year attracts hikers and "savage" vacationers. Utrish is rightfully considered the realm of "wild" recreation: tents, singing around fires in the evenings, trips for fresh water are traditional details of recreation here.
Some foreign tourists compare the beauty of these places with French Corsica. From Anapa to Utrish you can come by taxi, which runs every 15 minutes. And from Big to Small Utrish, tourists can get by sea taxi.
If you walk along the seashore from Bolshoy Utrish towards Novorossiysk, you will meet wild beaches along the way - lagoons hidden from prying eyes. After 2 km you will see the Zhemchuzhny waterfall, which is considered the westernmost of all known waterfalls in the Krasnodar Territory. Its height reaches 5.5 m. This local attraction is located next to the beach of the savages.
Every summer a tent camp is set up here, which is not surprising: clear sea water, an excellent pebble beach and emerald forests with juniper are a real lure for vacationers.
“On Bolshoi Utrish, it is better to put up a tent behind a waterfall. There are many coves here and you can pitch a tent almost on the shore, - advises an avid tourist Artem Shkarupa, who came to Utrish. - Those who love heights can put up a tent higher - on a mountain range. There are a lot of places to stay, but it will be hard with firewood and water. For firewood you will have to go deep into the forest, and fresh water is taken mainly from the waterfall. It needs to be boiled several times.
However, according to him, this does not frighten tourists - some metropolitan aborigines live on Utrish for a month or even more, resembling Robinson Crusoe in appearance.
snake lake
Perhaps the most important entertainment and pride of the Big Utrish is the famous dolphinarium. To get here, you will have to take a queue in advance, preferably earlier, otherwise there will be about two hundred people in front of you. Some tourists manage to watch the performance of marine life without even getting inside. The shows take place right on the open sea, so a crowd of onlookers constantly gathers from the opposite side of the dolphinarium to look around the corner at the miracles that marine life does.
Every day, amazing performances with the participation of dolphins and fur seals take place here, which will leave an unforgettable impression in the soul of any tourist. “Watching dolphins is just great. They are like children with smart and kind eyes, - says Ekaterina Redko, a visitor to the dolphinarium. - After the performance, you are simply overwhelmed with emotions!
On the peninsula in the village of Bolshoy Utrish there is a majestic lighthouse - a monument to the heroes-sailors of the Azov-Black Sea Shipping Company, who gave their lives during the Second World War. You won't regret going upstairs. It offers panoramic views of the open sea, the beach and the coastline. Some tourists sunbathe at the lighthouse when there are a lot of people on the beach.
There is also the so-called Snake Lake on Bolshoy Utrish. It was formed as a result of a strong collapse. The lake was named so because once upon a time a large number of snakes lived in its fresh waters. Later, Serpent Lake was connected to the sea, an artificial channel. Previously, it served as a haven for fishing boats, and today it is a parking lot for sailing and motor yachts, on which vacationers can take a walk on the open sea.
Of the entertainment in the village, diving, boat trips, parachuting are common, there is a rental of catamarans, scooters, jet skis, bananas, and a terrarium. For memory, you can take pictures with exotic animals: crocodiles, parrots, lizards, monkeys. There is also a market where tourists can buy souvenirs.
There are places
The beaches on Utrish are very comfortable for swimming, and the sea water is unusually clean. Central Beach of small pebbles is located in the village itself. It is comfortable and well equipped. It has everything you need for tourists: changing cabins, toilets, showers. In addition, there is a volleyball field. Another beach is located on the peninsula next to the dolphinarium. Many vacationers from Anapa come here to swim.
Behind the village, if you walk along the coast, "wild" uncrowded beaches begin. The first one will be behind the waterfall. Then you can get to two more lagoons, which, due to their remoteness, are less visited by tourists. Thanks to this, here you can relax, be in silence, admiring the blue of the sea. From the village to the lagoons can be reached by boat or motor boat.
Size doesn't matter
From Big Utrish to Small can be reached on foot. This walk will take approximately 1.5 hours. From Anapa, you can get to Maly Utrish by car if you drive along a dirt road that goes around the mountain.
Access roads to Maliy Utrish are perfect for those who travel by bike.
“We rode a bike along the route Tonnelnaya station - Rassvet - Gai-Kodzor - Sukko - Maly Utrish - Abrau - Novorossiysk. The trip was mega-positive, only the heat was pestering, it is better to ride a bike closer to autumn, - says tourist Artem Shkarupa. - The descent to Maly Utrish was amazing, we accelerated to 50-55 km/h. Even cars were overtaken on the descents.”
If you go from Maly Utrish to the village of Durso, along the way you will meet many recreation centers, boarding houses and tent campings.
Small Utrish is an ideal place for those who want to get away from the routine of everyday life and merge with the pristine nature. Thanks to the unique microclimate, the holiday season starts from mid-May and lasts until the end of October. There is even less civilization than on Bolshoi Utrish, and nature is more virgin. The forest is located almost by the sea. Small Utrish is a relic mountain forests, in which healing springs spring from mineral waters, mushroom fields and beautiful lakes, where we have not yet reached greedy crowds tourists.
There are only two recreation centers with the same names, without suites and air conditioners. But on the other hand, you will be provided with peace among healing trees - juniper, thuja, oak, fir, Pitsunda pine. About 60 species of trees and various plants that grow here are listed in the Red Book. The age of some Utrish trees is up to 1.5 thousand years. Thanks to the vegetation that fills the air with cleanliness and freshness, a unique microclimate has been created here. After all, only one hectare of juniper emits up to 30 kg of volatile substances that kill all microbes. A rare, one of the most beautiful butterflies in the European part of Russia, the "peacock eye", lives here. In another way, it is also called "Pontic evergreen haze" or "Kermeka". It is used in bouquets of fresh flowers.
Fans of diving and spearfishing come to Small Utrish. The marine flora and fauna here is extraordinary: shallows and reefs, rapans, mussels, oysters, crabs and other marine life live in abundance. More than 227 species of algae alone have been found.
Scientists put forward versions that there were many caves in the rocks off the coast between Bolshoi and Maly Utrish. However, the Black Sea flooded most of them and today it is impossible to get to them.
On Small Utrish, history buffs can visit the remains of a Byzantine fortress from the 9th century BC. After a short existence, the ancient fortress was hastily abandoned. Its excavations were carried out in 1984 and 1989, including by Kuban scientists.
The only minus of the "savage" rest is the lack of fresh water. However, the column in the middle of the central clearing on the Small Utrish helps to solve this problem. Here, a queue of vacationers is periodically formed. The taste of water is reminiscent of hot Klyuchevsky. In addition, water can be purchased at any campsite. There is also a stall selling various goodies, and in the evenings tourists watch movies on a projector. After the movie, they have a disco.
The high coast of Anapa from the south smoothly flows into the pebble coast of the village. An amazing structure also descends here - a staircase of 800 steps, along which you can overcome a steep descent to the sea. Read about the sights of the village and the rest in it.
There is no beach in Supsekh due to the presence of a sheer rocky crumbling coast and sharp stones covering it, the same stones at the entrance to the water. This is what the coast looks like with these stones:
However, there are always fans of extreme swimming here. And just those who just want to see the cliff, unique in its beauty, breathe in the sea air, watch the local sailors fish from boats and practice going down and up the stairs running down. We read about the sights of Su-Psekh and look at the photos at the link:. Then the beaches of Sukko begin.
The beaches of Sukko and Big Utrish with sea pebbles of medium size, with a good sandy bottom of normal depth and clear water are a favorite vacation spot for many Anapa residents and resort guests.
However, it is far and tedious to get to these beaches from the city, therefore, if you like the nature of the places of Sukko and Utrish, settle in these villages, the choice of housing is huge: rooms, boarding houses, mini-hotels are always waiting for you at quite reasonable prices. At the height of the season (as of July 2016) from 500 rubles / day per person - less than in Anapa itself.
get there to both beaches from the city by public transport is not difficult: bus number 109 will take you there in 30 minutes. Stop at the Varvarovskaya Shchel beach on demand, it is worth considering those who will go to 109 and warn the bus driver.
Sukko village and beach photo
The beach of the village of Sukko is located 10-12 km from Anapa and has two slopes: the central one, well known to everyone, it is on the top photo and the second in the area of the picturesque Varvarina (Varvarovskaya) gap, at the monument to military sailors. From the stop at the monument, you will have to go down to the sea along a dirt road for 300 meters past abandoned vineyards.
The climate of Sukko is mild and slightly less windy, due to the closeness of the mountains, more humid. The air of these places is amazing, saturated with the aroma of the sea, iodine, juniper, dry herbs.
It is believed that it is here in the Black Sea that two currents, warm and cold, meet. Alternately replacing each other, they then cool the water, then warm the water, depending on the manifestation of these currents. That is why the water temperature in Sukko is so unpredictable.
The beach at Varvarina Gap is rocky, covered with spools, gray pebbles of small and medium fractions. The water in the sea is clean, transparent enough, which is used by divers - diving under water, here at the Shingari boarding house there is their base, equipment and an experienced instructor are issued for all lovers of this type of swimming. Children's wetsuits are available.
I must add that it is in this place, because of the indented bottom and large stones, it is very beautiful. Colored algae create the illusion of an aquarium with its many fish. You can look at the bottom for hours, it fascinates and changes its color every minute, due to the angle of incidence of sunlight. So, if you have a mask, be sure to watch the seabed in sunny weather. It will give you extraordinary pleasure! The minus of this beach is its plus: rocky, uneven, poorly cleared bottom, not quite safe. A solution was found: on the Shingari beach, a small pontoon bridge to the servants of those who like to dive, from which you immediately get to a shallow depth of human height and calmly float on the sea surface.
Entrance to the beach, of course, is free, but entry by car is paid. The dirt road leading from the highway is blocked by a barrier, the ability to drive to the sea will cost 250-300 rubles, depending on the time of year.
Another piquant minus: the beach is not equipped with a toilet. It's weird, but it's true! A question to the administrations of the boarding house "Shingari" and the diving base, because today it is practically not worth the trouble to install a dry closet, it only requires funds. From this it is clear that the state of the sanitary zone around the beach can be easily speculated. Therefore, if you are for a few hours, you can handle it, but if it is more than a day, it will be difficult 😛
Central entrance to Sukko beach
Further, south along the coast, the well-equipped, always filled with people, central comfortable beach of Sukko begins. Pebble, with clean cool water, with a full range of all entertainment: pleasure yachts, water activities, trampolines, and as an attribute of all beaches - boiled corn and churchkhella). Here in the season "there is nowhere for an apple to fall." It offers booths, toilets, many cafes, tables under a canopy, barbecue, ice cream, sweets, berries, fruits. You can’t bypass shopping arcades with beach goods: the road from the highway of 200 meters to the central beach passes through them.
Big Utrish beaches
Sukko Beach merges with the beaches of Bolshoi Utrish, which closes the chain of beaches in the Anapa resort.
We read about the sights of Bolshoi Utrish in the article at the link
Bolshoy Utrish is a nature reserve and is valued for its relic vegetation - pines, junipers, listed in the Red Book. The air in Bolshoy Utrish is unique, and the beach and the sea match it.
The village itself is small, its center is compressed, therefore, both motorists and vacationers experience crowding on the embankment. Absolutely all parking lots in Bolshoi Utrish are paid. In the zone, the problem is where to get up, sometimes even paid parking lots are all occupied, you have to move into the very depths of the village, away from the sea.
The beach is pebbly, it starts right at the embankment, with clear water, a pleasant sandy bottom, with good depth.
From the central square a little down and down the stairs to the sea:
Bolshoi Utrish hosts the well-known and popular dolphinarium in the resort on the high seas; its dolphins often swim out of it into the open sea. So there is a chance of meeting these cute smart animals.
On the left side of the cape and the dolphinarium there is another narrow strip, not exceeding 3-5 meters, a pebble beach. This is just its minus. But, accordingly, there are fewer people here. However, a certain disorder, insufficient comfort of the place and nearby eatery buildings - snack bars reduce the level of this beach. For me, it’s better to go a little further over the rocks to get to a wild natural beach.
Walking along the shore for 700 meters, you find yourself on a nudist beach that spontaneously arose in this quiet corner of Bolshoi Utrish. Well, he has a right to be.
Further along the coast, along rather impressive stones, we reach several lagoons - very quiet, almost uninhabited places with golden sand and clear water. The water in them warms up earlier than in the sea. But getting there, of course, is not so easy, you have to walk the path from Big Utrish 2-3 and 5 km and further almost to Small Utrish. You can resort to the services of boatmen and boats that will take you to any place on the coast for your money and even take you back at the appointed time.
The sparseness of these places is explained very simply: this sea coast is the only road towards Small Utrish. Of course, there are winding paths overland, on top of the rocky slopes inside the reserve, we tried to go there, but, not knowing the route, we did not succeed. Great indentation of the landscape, almost steep slopes, crumbling slopes, impenetrable thickets ....
That is why most often those who want to get to Small Utrish resort to the services of boatmen.
This concludes the selection of articles about the beaches of the resort of Anapa. You can talk a lot about the advantages and disadvantages of both and its beaches. But one thing is certain: the Sea is an exceptional natural gift, use it and be grateful to nature for its amazing creation!
P.S. An amazing phenomenon was observed today 6 July 2017 in Sukko. The night was cool, atypical for Anapa of this time, it began to warm up in the morning and we went to the beach. We were there around 10 am and it seemed strange that NOBODY was swimming at all, only one daredevil was floundering near the shore, while the beach was full, everyone was sunbathing.
At the same time, the water was clean, a small wave gently rolled the pebbles.
I decided to dip myself and immediately jumped out: the water was as cold as ever. After about 40 minutes, I once again ventured to plunge, but I could not stand it for more than 15 - 20 seconds, as if thousands of needles stuck into me. Jumped out of the cold back. The water temperature did not exceed 14 degrees, even in May the sea was warmer. What kind of phenomenon??? That same mixture of cold and warm currents did not occur and only cold manifested itself? Black Sea, you amaze me!!! Where is the beach holiday? Where is the hourly floundering in the water? When will the sea be warm in the summer of 2017?
Each of the travelers has heard more than once about the beauties of Bolshoy Utrish, which is located 20 kilometers from the resort of Anapa. Here, among the beauty of relic pines, junipers and other plants listed in the Red Book, you can find small and cozy beaches with clear water and natural natural pebbles. The beaches of Utrish can be divided into wild and equipped. wild beaches located far from the village, the most curious and assertive tourists get there by boats and boats, which constantly ply in crowded places. For a small amount, a friendly boatman will take you to any lagoon and will be able to pick you up on a call, unless of course your phone will catch the connection. To travel to distant beaches, you must remember that you should definitely take all the provisions with you, including water, food and other necessary things. On the wild beach of Utrish you will not find the usual tents with ice cream and soda. For some, this is an undeniable plus.
Features of the beach on Utrish
We advise you to start your first acquaintance with a unique place from the central well-maintained Utrish beach, which is very easy to find when you get to a small village by the sea. Hearing the play of pebbles with sea foam, go down to the sea. Here you will see a small bay surrounded by mountains on one side and the endless expanse of the sea on the other side. The length of Utrish beach in this place is three hundred meters, during the holiday season the number of convenient places is limited, so get up early to be the first by the sea. The landscaping of the beach allows you to comfortably sit by the sea, here you can rent umbrellas and sun loungers. There are several canteens on the shore, there are shops with soft drinks. Arriving at Utrish beach light, you can be sure that hunger will not take you by surprise. Interesting feature beach holiday on Utrish is that you can rent a gazebo in the relic forest. Such a cozy place among the mountains, juniper and healing air will allow you to gather on Utrish with a cheerful company or with your family. It is not surprising that many people prefer to celebrate by the sea family celebration or birthday.
Water on Utrish beach
Many people ask why go so far from Anapa to swim in the same sea as on? The answer is simple, in the Utrish area there is the cleanest sea on the entire coast. During the summer months, due to its location and many bays, the water on Utrish is crystal clear. Not only lovers of sunbathing and relaxation come here, but also underwater hunters and fishermen. Fishing in the clear waters of Utrish allows you to diversify your own.
How to get to Utrish beach
The easiest way to get to Utrish is by your own car, but keep in mind that there are usually not enough parking spaces. Many autotourists park on the highway far from the beach. Also, the cherished beaches can be reached by the Anapa shuttle bus at number 109, the stop of which can be found on the main Krymskaya street.
Video
The landscape and floristic reserve, located on the Abrau Peninsula, is called Big Utrish. Formed in 1994, it occupied an area of 5112 hectares and stretched along the sea for 12 kilometers, up to the Navagir ridge in the north. And oddly enough, this wild place refers to the resort city of Anapa. Not strange because all coastal municipalities stretched for miles along the coast.
Legendary places
Many legends are associated with these beautiful places. The peninsula is named after Lake Abrau, which, in turn, was named after the beauty who once lived here and, thanks to a date with her loved one, who escaped the flood and the reservoir formed on the site of her village. The flood was sent by the gods as a punishment for the cynical rich, teasing the hungry poor with cakes.
Big Utrish, or rather, the second part of its name, translated from the Adyghe language means "split mountain". There are many legends associated with it. Bolshoi Utrish is located in the west of the Krasnodar Territory, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. According to one version, it was here that Zeus, angry with the theft of fire from Olympus, cut a rock with lightning, and chained Prometheus to one of the sheer walls of the resulting gorge. According to the same legend, the waters of the Black Sea, which washed the place of suffering of the Greek titan, were so healing that after the release of the wounds of Prometheus, they instantly disappeared as soon as he plunged into the coastal waves. They are famous for their medicinal properties and until now, and one of the mountains is called Prometheus rock. Local legends say that Jason also came here for the Golden Fleece and Medea.
protected area
Big Utrish, its entire territory and water area are unique in terms of the quantity, properties and age of vegetation and algae (there are 227 species of them here). Some trees are thousands of years old. pistachio and skumpia, pack and high junipers - these are representatives of the relict flora, which is so rich in the Bolshoi Utrish reserve, and which makes it unique even against the backdrop of the extraordinary flora and fauna of all Black Sea coast. There are 107 species of shrubs and trees and 75 different herbaceous plants.
60 representatives of the local flora are included in the Red Book. The fauna is also unique. Of all its representatives living on land and in the sea, it is worth highlighting the striped empusa (a kind of praying mantis), which was considered extinct. (the largest grasshopper in Russia), the Aesculapian snake, (a rather rare representative of already-shaped snakes) also live on the territory of the reserve. There are a lot of birds here, including rare ones, such as the mute swan, wintering on estuary lakes. Special words deserve rare species of Mediterranean butterflies that live in the reserve.
Problems of the reserve
The Red Book may be replenished with endangered species, since in 2011 it was decided to significantly reduce the area of the reserve and form the Utrish reserve on its territory. The lands between the second and third lagoons, where a unique juniper-pistachio forest has been growing for a long time, turned out to be torn away. All this is planned to be given for the construction of the next health complex and its infrastructure with access roads. Therefore, an action called "Let's save Big Utrish" is being held on the Internet.
Undoubted advantages
In clear sunny weather, from Anapa located 20 kilometers away, a picturesque strip of land is clearly visible, crashing into the sea. Big Utrish, named so in contrast to the village, is located in this uniquely beautiful place.
Rocks and lakes, mountains and estuaries, beautiful lagoons with clean, clear sea water attract many tourists.
Partially satisfies the need for accommodation private sector. Bolshoy Utrish is a relatively small village, but it has the most efficient service maintenance tourists.
It offers apartments for rent, mini-hotels, houses and cottages for rent. Apartments here are cheaper than in Anapa, and getting here thanks to a large number minibuses, not difficult: 15, 20 minutes at the most - and here it is, the village. And in the month of September they run on the specified route until 9 pm. We can say that civilization is near. In summer, tent camps and campsites are scattered along the coast. For lovers of silence and wildlife, this is a paradise. Rooms in the private sector can be ordered by phone and booked.
Wilderness means no urban amenities
However, you need to have a clear idea of what kind of service you are counting on, and what is wild nature, which does not imply the presence of paved paths, gas and clean drinking water. The village of Bolshoy Utrish, as already noted, is quite small, only three streets. But, as on any coast, there is housing for every taste. 
Comfortable rooms are rented in guest houses "Arina", "On Chernomorskaya", "On Lesnaya, 1". In addition to the extraordinary beauty of nature, the undoubted advantages of this place of rest include its healing properties. The mountain air, saturated with the aromas of relic forests, is clean and, which is especially appreciated now, in the age of the heyday of the popularity of stone therapy (treatment with stones and minerals), wild beautiful hot pebbles. Big Utrish possesses all this in excess. Reviews, however, are very different - from unconditionally enthusiastic panegyrics to grumbling. There are very few places or objects on earth that cause only positive feelings and reviews. Before traveling here, you need to decide what kind of vacation you need - this will help you choose the right place to stay.
beach abundance
Everything attracts on the area of the reserve - air, mountains, lakes, the sea and, of course, the beach. Big Utrish has 6 large places for swimming and sunbathing. The largest - Central Beach - meets all modern requirements. It is fully equipped and can provide any service for cultural recreation, it is one of the best pebble beaches on the coast.
The four lagoons of the reserve have their own beaches, each of which has its own zest and attraction. Near the first bay there is a beautiful waterfall "Pearl", the coast of the second bay is not included in the reserve, and this attracts lovers of wild recreation. The beach of the third lagoon has a very convenient access to the sea, and part of the coast of the fourth bay is covered with very small pebbles. Since the times of the USSR, it has been known throughout the country of Big Utrish. It is not equipped, but popular. The passage to it is indicated by the inscriptions on the barrels, which also refers to the sights of this place. And although the beach is often subject to police checks, the folk trail to it is not overgrown.
One of the oldest dolphinariums in the country
In addition to interesting beaches, Bolshoi is incredibly popular, which is also a research base. If there is a dolphinarium in your city, then the local one will not really surprise you, because the programs of training and performances of marine animals are similar, because specialists exchange experience. The local institution is famous precisely as a scientific base, but also as entertainment in a wild corner, it also brings joy to vacationers, especially children. Located on the Salt Lake and opened in 1984 (it is 10 years older than the reserve), the Utrish dolphinarium is good because the animals in it are almost in natural conditions, because in the immediate vicinity is the Black Sea coast, where their wild counterparts frolic. 
The central office of the base is located in Moscow, and it has many branches in different cities of Russia. In addition to serious scientific and technical activities, the dolphinarium is engaged in popularization of knowledge about marine mammals - seals, fur seals, dolphins.