Gelendzhik: a vacationer’s review of a vacation in Gelendzhik with children

When planning a vacation in Gelendzhik, reviews from vacationers will help you decide on a hotel, budget, and organization of leisure time at the Black Sea resort. There weren’t many reviews about holidays with children in Gelendzhik. Therefore, I decided to share my experience, which may be useful.

My son and I decided to go to Gelendzhik back in January. We just looked through hotels on a very well-known hotel booking site and settled on the resort of Gelendzhik. Moreover, at first our attention was not at all attracted to the hotel we ended up going to. My son really wanted to go to the Kempinski Grand Hotel, a luxurious five-star supergiant located on the Tolstoy Cape of Gelendzhik Bay. But after calculating how much a vacation in this beautiful Grande would cost, we decided to “moderate our ardor” a little and choose a simpler hotel. And, you know, as life has shown, they made a very right choice.

Gelendzhik: reviews from vacationers, hotels

The booking was carried out in a very convenient form, we paid for one day of our stay at the hotel, and the rest had to be paid at the hotel itself upon check-in. And having chosen and booked a hotel, we began to choose how best to get to Gelendzhik.

Holidays in Gelendzhik, reviews from vacationers: how to get there

There are two ways - plane and train. Of course, a plane is more expensive than a train, by about a third, if you book a ticket for a vacation in Gelendzhik in winter. But there are several advantages in favor of this vehicle - saving time and one important point - there is no train station in Gelendzhik, only an airport. So, having chosen a train as a means of delivery for a holiday in Gelendzhik, you will also have to take care of delivery to Gelendzhik itself, since the train arrives in Novorossiysk, and then you need to get there on your own. Railway tickets

There are also several options - you can go to Gelendzhik by taxi, there are many of them at the station, the cost is approximately 800-1000 rubles (Gelendzhik Airport → Gelendzhik). Or you can go by bus. We have not tried this route, but we got acquainted with it when choosing the route. So, in Novorossiysk you need to go from the railway station to the bus station by trolleybus No. 6 for about 15 minutes, and then find a suitable bus to Gelendzhik, it comes to the bus station. In Gelendzhik, from the bus station you again need to choose the appropriate bus or minibus to your hotel. I’ll tell you, all transport in this resort town passes through Kirova Street, the “Central Market” stop. If you haven’t found a suitable bus, here you can change to another vehicle that will take you to the place.

Gelendzhik with children: flight reviews

To avoid all these transfers, we chose a plane that very conveniently arrived in Gelendzhik at noon, and our hotel kindly provided us with a transfer from the airport to our vacation spot. But if this does not happen to you, you can find the phone numbers of local taxis on the Internet in advance and upon arrival order a taxi to the airport, it will cost you 200 rubles. It took us exactly 15 minutes to get from the airport to the hotel. And here we are. The arrival was specially planned so that upon arrival there would be no wait for check-in, which usually occurs at 12.00 noon. Our room was ready and we were checked in immediately.

Where to relax with a child?

Gelendzhik is a great place to relax with children. The healing air of coniferous forests, pebble-sand beaches and children's entertainment annually attract large families with children to the hospitable resorts of the Gelendzhik region.

Gelendzhik, Embankment, Black Sea/ © Photobank Moscow-Live.ru / flickr

Kabardinka

Children's camps and sanatoriums are what distinguishes Kabardinka from other resorts in Gelendzhik. And all because of the bright sun and minimal humidity . The resort is located 15 km from Gelendzhik.

Large selection of accommodation.
Beautiful embankment.
Architectural and landscape park "Old Park".

Gelendzhik

Despite the fact that Gelendzhik is one of the best resorts in the country, it is never overcrowded with tourists . You can swim from mid-May. There is practically no winter here, but only a long autumn and spring again.

Modern infrastructure: two water parks, cable cars, a safari park and the longest embankment in the world - 16 km!
High-quality service: hundreds of private hotels, large hotels and sanatoriums with treatment.
Reasonable prices for holidays even during the beach season, from May to October.
The famous Hydroaviation Show, which takes place every 2 years. This exhibition is where you can see the latest developments in Russian aviation.

Blue Bay

Blue Bay is actually one of the districts of the resort city of Gelendzhik. The area is slightly removed from the center by 10 km and has a separate infrastructure. And with the opening of the airport in 2010, the area became a separate resort village.

Large selection of housing, but only in the private sector. There are no hotels with meals and a swimming pool here.
The cleanest sea and sandy beach with a gentle entrance to the water.
The lowest prices in Gelendzhik and the best budget holiday by the sea.
Close to all entertainment and attractions.
The infrastructure is just being built, but everything you need is there.
An ideal place for lovers of a quiet holiday by the sea away from the city.

Divnomorskoe

Divnomorskoe or simply Divnomorsk is located 12 km from Gelendzhik. One of the most popular villages on the entire coast of the region. This is a unique place almost untouched by civilization, but completely landscaped.

Better ecology with wildlife.
The cleanest sea on the entire Black Sea coast!
The most comfortable resort in the region.
The best party resort for young people, as evidenced by the many nightclubs.
Large selection of housing: private sector, sanatorium and boarding houses.
Children's entertainment: promenade, water park and attractions for all ages

Dzhanhot and Praskoveevka

Dzhanhot and Praskoveevka , 24 km from Gelendzhik, are popular among those who like to travel by car. The infrastructure of Dzhanhot is not very developed. While in Praskoveevka, which is 8 km further, there are all the elements of service and improvement. However, there is practically no entertainment in the villages.

Ecologically clean resorts , untouched by civilization.
Wild beaches in Dzhanhot and a well-maintained pebble beach in Praskoveevka.
Healing Dzhankhotsky pine forest.

Krinitsa and Betta

Krinitsa and Betta are leaders in the most secluded vacation . The resorts are 47 km from Gelendzhik and are optimal for fans of holidays outside the cities. The villages are distinguished by the presence of protected nature and natural beaches with a very clean sea.

Betta is one of the most secluded villages, but well-appointed and with high -quality .
Krinitsa is famous for its wide beach throughout Kuban. Krasnodar come here . The resort has several recreation centers and campsites.

Arkhipo-Osipovka

Arkhipo-Osipovka is the most remote and largest village on the coast. Located 56 km from Gelendzhik. This is the most popular place in the area, as it is located right on the M4 Don highway, at the first turn to the Black Sea. Just 130 km from Krasnodar.

Year-round sanatoriums, many hotels and campsites.
Children's entertainment: dolphinarium , water park, attractions .
An embankment with cafes, souvenir shops, and nightclubs.
Prices are on par with the most popular resorts on the coast.
Small pebble beaches with sun loungers and a gently sloping entrance to the water.

Gelendzhik with children: review of the Black sea hotel

So, we chose the Black sea hotel, it is not very big, four floors. Our room was on the second floor with a balcony. The room is very cozy, clean and tidy. The room has a double bed, which we immediately agreed upon when booking; the room also had a chair-bed, so three of us could travel together. Breakfast is included in the price, and it’s quite good, as it turns out. Every morning, fresh coffee, milk porridge, fresh bread, cheese, butter, fruit, etc. were waiting for us. And if with breakfast everything was so simple and tasty, then with lunch and dinner we began our experiments.

Holidays with children in Gelendzhik: reviews, food

When planning my vacation in Gelendzhik, I spent a long time studying the reviews of vacationers on various forums, where people shared their experiences of living in Gelendzhik. Everyone recommended the inexpensive Canteen No. 1. Having carefully studied the city map, we immediately realized that it was located not far from the hotel where we were supposed to check in. Therefore, immediately upon arrival, we decided to find this establishment, praised in reviews about holidays in Gelendzhik with children, and have lunch. The dining room was indeed very close to us, but my son refused to eat there. My advice is to go and see for yourself, everyone has different tastes, so we gave up the idea of eating there. And we started looking for a suitable cafe.

The next on the list of establishments that were praised by forum users in reviews about holidays in Gelendzhik with children was the Santa Fe cafe. It was located a little further from our hotel, practically on the territory of the Krasnaya Talka sanatorium, about which, by the way, we also read reviews from vacationers in Gelendzhik on the Internet. But on the way to it we had a great walk along the Gelendzhik embankment and passed through a plane tree alley.

The cafe really turned out to be a great place; they made very tasty pizza, and my favorite was champignon cream soup. The average bill for two in this cafe was about 1,200 rubles. It was the right price for us. But there was one drawback - the cafe menu did not have chicken soup, which my son cannot live without. So we started looking for a cafe or restaurant where he could eat his soup.

We also visited an Uzbek teahouse, my child was not delighted with the food, although the food there was very tasty. It’s just that my child is picky when it comes to food. Twice, at his great request, we visited McDonald’s, but this was not a solution to the situation. And then the son remembered the “Revizorro” program, which was filmed at the “Tortuga” restaurant in Gelendzhik. We found this restaurant and were absolutely delighted! The food is very tasty and varied, everything is clean and tidy, the staff is wonderful. Now we went to Tortuga for breakfast. The average bill at this restaurant is about 1,500 rubles.

What to do in Gelendzhik?

Gelendzhik is developing from year to year, attracting more and more tourists. The region's attractions and entertainment are accessible to all ages : beach, therapeutic and excursion recreation for children and adults.

Gelendzhik, White Bride monument / © Kroni Toropov / flickr

Beach holiday

The beaches of Gelendzhik and the region are presented for every taste. There are those happy with everything you need: a cafe and rental of beach equipment. There are also wild pebble and rocky beaches with pristine nature and clear sea.

The beaches of Kabardinka are distinguished by a high level of service and amenities.
The beaches of Gelendzhik are varied: well-maintained and wild, sandy and pebble.
Blue Bay Beach is quiet with a clear sea, but without infrastructure.
Divnomorskoe beach is well-maintained and has the cleanest sea in the entire south of Russia.
Dzhankhota beach is secluded, large-pebble with a deep bottom and clear sea.
Praskoveevka beach is pebbly and well-maintained, but is 6 km away from the village.
Betta beach with developed infrastructure, there are also wild ones surrounded by coniferous forests.
Krinitsa beach is the pride of the entire Kuban coast. And the sea is one of the cleanest.
The beaches of Arkhipo-Osipovka are small-pebble, wide and equipped with the latest technology.

Excursion holidays

Gelendzhik boasts not only an ecologically clean sea and excellent beaches, but also natural relict attractions . You can get to the most interesting tourist places either by car or with an organized excursion.

Kabardinka - fishing at a trout farm, boat trips on yachts, walks on ATVs and jeeps, as well as diving and parachute flights.
Divnomorskoe and Praskoveevka - Dolmens, Pshad waterfalls, Zhane waterfall.
Dzhankhot is the last relic Dzhankhot pine forest preserved on the entire coast.
Gelendzhik - Emerald waterfall about 10 km from the resort center.
Arkhipo-Osipovka - Gebiussky waterfall 8 km from the village. The waterfall is also called Teshebsky or Bigiussky in another way.

Children's entertainment

Children's entertainment is concentrated at the most popular resorts: Divnomorskoye, Arkhipo-Osipovka and Gelendzhik itself. At other resorts there is minimal entertainment, but holidays with children are no less successful.

Modern infrastructure in Divnomorskoye : two water parks, cable cars and the longest embankment in the world - 16 km!
Children's entertainment in the center of Gelendzhik : embankment, water park and amusement park for all ages.
Children's entertainment in Arkhipo-Osipovka : dolphinarium, water park, amusement park, as well as museums.

Leisure

Active recreation in Gelendzhik is not as well developed as fans of more edgy recreation would like. But if you look, you can find excellent types of extreme leisure.

Praskoveevka organizes the best horseback riding in the whole of Gelendzhik and the region .
Betta is a must for all lovers of spearfishing and diving.
In Divnomorskoye , Dzhankhot and Praskoveevka - jeeping and ATVs.

Wellness holiday

In Gelendzhik you can combine a beach holiday with a wellness holiday . Not only because it has the cleanest sea, but also because there is a huge selection of boarding houses with medical facilities and high service.

You will find a particularly large selection of boarding houses in Kabardinka, Divnomorskoye and Gelendzhik .
And in Arkhipo-Osipovka you can go for treatment all year round. There, sanatoriums and boarding houses do not close at the end of the summer season, but continue to operate throughout the winter.
In Dzhankhot and Praskoveevka there is not only an ecologically clean sea, but also the healing coniferous air of pine forests.

Night life

Nightlife in Gelendzhik and resort villages flourishes only in the summer season from May to October, when the sea is warm and the air is at least +25°C.

The most party resorts in Greater Gelendzhik:

Divnomorskoye is the best youth resort with many nightclubs.
In Arkhipo-Osipovka, the center of all nightlife is on the embankment. There are open-air discos in cafes and full-fledged nightclubs.
And, of course, the best nightlife in the center of Gelendzhik : beach club-restaurant “SEA HOUSE”, restaurant-bar “Shater” with a swimming pool, night club “Formula” with a water playground.

Shopping tours

If you are hunting for souvenirs, I recommend the embankments of Gelendzhik, Kabardinka and Divnomorskoye. And if you need more serious things, he will visit the resort’s large shopping centers.

The Estakada shopping center is essentially a clothing market, but they sell everything: swimsuits, children's goods, souvenirs, household goods and a sewing workshop with watch repair.
Gelendzhik shopping center with an ATM, a pharmacy, souvenirs, wallets and bags, there are even wedding dresses and clothes in a nautical style. There is also a store with gold and silver.
BB PASSAGE shopping center with ATMs and famous jewelry stores, there is also a perfumery, cosmetics and XXL clothing store.

Don't miss the local wine from the Gelendzhik Winery in one of the company's stores, as well as at the plant itself on Thin Cape or in the Lyuban store on Grinchenko Street. The most popular wine varieties:

Black eyes;
Muscat Amber;
Sauvignon Gelendzhik;
Alexandrite of Gelendzhik;
Aligote Gelendzhik.

Holidays of Gelendzhik

Gelendzhik is a cheerful and lively resort on the Black Sea coast. Gelendzhik holidays are scheduled for every month of the year. They celebrate both all-Russian dates: Victory Day, Flag Day, Family Day, Black Sea Day, and local ones.

June 6-7 - Gelendzhik Carnival on the occasion of the opening of the summer season at the resort.
June 27 - Youth Day with dance battles.
July 8 — Carnival on the water for Navy Day.
August 9-11 - Sportsman's Day with a mass swim.
August 29, or rather on the 4th Saturday of the month is City Day in Gelendzhik.
September 15 - Fireworks Festival - 70,000 volleys and 25 tons of pyrotechnics
September 23-29 — HydroAviaShow
September 21 - October 1 - Ascension Festival with master classes, performances by musical groups.
October 26 - November 4 - Sailing regatta .

Gelendzhik with children: reviews, what to see

The location of our hotel was very successful and advantageous - on the first coastline, but in a very quiet place in a side street. The city beach is just a stone's throw away; from the balcony we felt the taste of the sea. Not far from our hotel there was Sberbank and the city government. Across the road from the hotel is a temple. And often in the morning we were woken up by the ringing of bells, a pleasant neighborhood. But if you walk through the church yard, you can go straight to the Central Market, where in the morning you can always buy the freshest berries and fruits. Here, on the Central Market, there is a tour desk, where we immediately bought excursions to the Old Park in Kabardinka, to the Safari Park and tickets to the largest water park on the coast, “Golden Bay”.

Thus, we immediately planned our vacation in the beautiful resort town of Gelendzhik. Every morning early we rushed to the bike parking lot to rent a bike and ride along the embankment, which, by the way, has a special lane for cyclists. Once we even took a ride to the very same Kempinski Grand Hotel; we were, of course, delighted with its size and scope. But we were heading towards Tolstoy Cape not at all because of this super hotel, but to admire the lighthouse up close. As expected, it is delightful, and if you stand at the edge of Tolstoy Cape, you will have access to the Black Sea from Gelendzhik Bay. Well, if you take a walk along the city embankment, you can look into the House of Chocolate, a cat exhibition, and you can ride a Segway in the square near the city government.

Or you can go to the cinema, it’s also nearby. In the evenings, we especially loved to walk along the embankment and be sure to watch the light show of the musical fountain at 21.00; it always attracted a lot of vacationers. If you are not afraid of rocks and are looking for adventure, then a trip on the yacht “Empire” is at your service.

My son and I chose fishing on the open sea during our vacation in Gelendzhik. It was an exciting five-hour swim in the sea, as a result of which we caught one fish, but we remembered this fishing for the rest of our lives.

Summing up my review of a vacationer in Gelendzhik, I would like to note that two weeks later we returned home tanned, rested and with memories for the whole year. We will definitely spend our next vacation in Gelendzhik here, and, most likely, in the same hotel. I hope that my review about holidays in Gelendzhik with children will be useful to you.

Playgrounds in Gelendzhik

Most playgrounds for children are located along the city embankment, in parks and squares. They are equipped with colorful slides, houses and swings, some themed. In Lukomorye park, children will be delighted by the figures of fairy-tale characters placed throughout the territory and decorating the benches. Play areas with climbing frames are covered with a soft surface.

In Yuzhny Park, children will be able to play to their heart's content on a large playground. Houses with spiral and straight slides are painted in bright colors. There are swings and exercise machines nearby. Toddlers and older children will have fun here. In hot weather, wear a hat for your child, as there are no trees in the park.

If you are vacationing in the Tolstoy Cape area, you can bring your children to a modern playground on the territory of the Chernomorsky residential complex . This is a new residential complex with a beautiful landscaped alley and a singing fountain. Cross the street. Chernomorskaya to the seashore, where there is an observation deck.

The “Emerald City” is located between Kempinski and Niva beaches. The site is based on the plot of a famous fairy tale. Children will love climbing through the palace of the wizard Goodwin and running along the paths among the Pitsunda pines.

You will find a children's playground designed in the shape of the Moscow Kremlin near the central market. The Red Square play complex is suitable for children aged 3 years and older. It is decorated with Kremlin towers and looks very nice. There are also several locations for kids here.

Limpopo Playground

The children's towns "Korablik" and "Golden Fish" near the central beach are rarely empty. Children will enjoy climbing houses with slides, playing catch, and swinging on swings. Kids really like such designs as a ship and a steam locomotive. Very close by is the “City of Fairy Tales ,” where everyone’s favorite fairy-tale characters live.

“Jolly Dwarf” area is designed based on the fairy tale “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. If you are relaxing on the Krasnaya Talka beach, then this site will be the most convenient. Good Doctor Aibolit meets children at the Limpopo .

Time will fly by on the large playground "LOK Solnechnaya" . In addition to houses with slides and climbing frames, swings and a carousel, there is a rope course and a trampoline. The crowns of the trees protect from the scorching sun, so it is always comfortable to walk here.

The fountain near the Burevestnik cinema is not a children's playground, but children are drawn here. And all because cool water jets line the base of the fountain high up and splash everyone with splashes as they fall. Both children and adults have a lot of fun running around inside the fountain. In the evening, colorful lighting turns on.

There are also play towns in Andreevsky Park and the 70th Anniversary of Victory Park. Walking around Gelendzhik you will find many modern and safe areas for children, and while they are frolicking, you can relax a little on the benches.