Should you go to Anapa in summer 2025

Summer is ahead, the beginning of the holiday season and trips to the sea. Unfortunately, this year one of the country's main resort cities faced the consequences of an ecological disaster. Therefore, tourists are asking the question: “Should I even go to Anapa in the summer of 2025?” 

Important about Anapa now

What happened?

We think everyone has already heard: in December, a large seafood spill occurred in the Black Sea, caused by the sinking of the tankers “Volgoneft-212” and “Volgoneft-239”. After this, a federal-level emergency regime was introduced in the Krasnodar Krai. Thousands of volunteers from all over the country came to the coast to help clean the beaches and save animals.

What is happening at the moment?

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation A.A. Kozlov reported back in January that project documentation for the restoration of the coast is already under development. Rospotrebnadzor continues to monitor the situation: fish studies are being conducted, and seawater samples are being taken. The Ministry of Emergency Situations is carrying out cleaning of the seabed from fuel oil, and owners of resort facilities are also engaged in eliminating the consequences, sifting sand on the beaches. At the same time, the Operational Headquarters of the Krasnodar Krai still records small oil product emissions.

Will it be possible to swim in Anapa in the summer of 2025?

Here, everything depends on the decision of Rospotrebnadzor. For now, the agency states that beaches in Anapa and Temryuksky district affected by the oil spill can be used “only after confirmation of their compliance with current sanitary regulations.”

If you still go to Anapa…

If you still want to go to Anapa in the summer of 2025, you should choose hotels with pools and an “all-inclusive” system. Families with children often come here, and the All Inclusive holiday format is more convenient for them than others.

But a holiday is not just about beaches and the sea, and other options can always be found. For example, go to the lakes: Cypress Lake is located just 12 km from Anapa, and you can reach Abrau in an hour and a half. Vineyards and wineries are the second item on the possible to-do list. Trekking, jeep tours in the mountains, a walk through a relict forest – all excursions and activities that are usually pushed aside in favor of lying on the beach will become the main part of the summer program this year.

Where to go instead of Anapa?

If beach holidays are important, we suggest considering other resorts. We have grouped them into corresponding “sea” categories.

Black Sea

Tuapse: since Anapa and the Taman Peninsula were most affected by the oil spill, everything located further east will be suitable. Tuapse has a central city beach 1.2 km long, a well-maintained embankment, a plane tree alley, and natural attractions – waterfalls, gorges, mountains, lakes. Kiselev Rock is a landmark place, where the film “The Diamond Arm” was shot. Tuapse beaches are mostly pebble or sand-pebble; among the sandy ones, “Orlyonok” stands out, which we even included in our selection of the best sandy beaches in Russia. Entrance here is paid, the shore is gentle, and there are canopies and sun loungers.

Sochi: the city itself needs no introduction. Hotels, restaurants, and amusement parks are abundant here. In our blog, we detailed where to go in Sochi and beyond, what to see, and where to stay. The best beaches in Sochi, according to tourist reviews, are “Riviera,” “Mayak,” “Cuba,” “Albatross,” and the paid “Dagomys.”

Adler: formally, this is just one of Sochi's districts, but the atmosphere here is still a bit different. This is where the Olympic Park, Fisht Stadium, and the “Sochi Park” amusement park are located. There are many beaches here, but almost all are pebble, with sandy areas being rare. Among the best are the beach at the Radisson hotel (paid, of course), “Mandarin” with a lounge area, pool, and bar, and Imeretinsky. Adler is also convenient because it has an airport, and flying to Sochi will quickly bring you to the sea.

Crimea: the fuel oil spill also affected the Crimean coast, but fortunately, not all of it. The southwestern part is out of the risk zone, including Yalta, Alushta, Gaspra, Evpatoria, Sudak, Feodosia. In January, oil product emissions were noted here, but they were promptly removed. What to see is a separate and extensive story, and you can read about it in the article “How to have an interesting time in Crimea.” There's the Swallow's Nest, Cape Fiolent, and Koyashskoye Lake. There are over 570 official beaches in Crimea alone! Among the best, the central beach of Olenevka, the Golden Sands of Feodosia, and the village of Novy Svet are invariably mentioned.

Azov Sea

Quite shallow and much less popular compared to the Black Sea, but calmer and warmer. The beaches here are predominantly sandy (hooray!) and shell (oh no). So we advise taking coral slippers for swimming on your vacation. The main drawback of the Azov Sea is jellyfish, which have become more numerous in recent years. Among the resort towns, we highlight Yeysk, Golubitskaya stanitsa, and Kuchugury. You can read a brief overview of all three in our blog.

Caspian Sea

Beach holidays in Dagestan on the Caspian Sea always remain relevant. In recent years, this region has gained an additional wave of popularity, though mainly due to its mountain beauties. But a seaside vacation is also possible here – in Kaspiysk, Derbent, Makhachkala, Zelenomorsk. An important plus is that there are many more sandy beaches here, unlike Sochi.

Baltic Sea

The sea isn't necessarily just the south, right? We have excellent places for recreation on the Baltic Sea too. In the Leningrad Region, there's an entire Resort District with Sestroretsk, Zelenogorsk, and the famous Komarovo, where you can go “for a week until the second.” And also the Kaliningrad Region with Svetlogorsk and Zelenogradsk (be careful not to confuse them!), as well as the famous Curonian Spit.