Alpine Meadows of the Caucasus: Heading to Lago-Naki Plateau
In the Republic of Adygea, a place of incredible beauty and atmosphere is hidden – the Lago-Naki plateau. It is considered part of the Caucasus, which means you don't necessarily have to fly to Mineralnye Vody to understand what Lermontov wrote about and Vysotsky sang about. We'll tell you in detail how to get there and what to pay attention to.
Romantic Story
First, let's tell the story of the plateau's name – it's quite sweet, though tragic. Once, a shepherd named Lago was walking along the river and saw a beautiful girl. Her name, as you might have guessed, was Naki, and she was from a princely family. The young man fell so deeply in love that he almost lost his mind, and the princess even reciprocated his feelings. But they were not destined to unite their lives, as they belonged to different social classes.
As was customary in those days, they met in secret, but one day the prince found a wealthy suitor for his daughter, and she had to flee her home. Of course, they were searched for and soon their trail was found. When the young people were discovered, they had no choice but to hold hands and jump off the cliff of the Caucasian plateau. This place was named in honor of such sacrificial love.
How to Get There
There are two options: on your own or with a one-day excursion. We recommend taking excursions, as this not only solves the travel issue but also provides stories. Tour guides in the Caucasus always have many interesting stories, just trust us. The excursion itself costs 1,000 rubles or a little more. Plus lunches, lifts, and souvenirs – it will come out to around 3,000 rubles. A small price for comfort, wouldn't you agree?
But if you're an independent traveler, start your journey to the plateau from Krasnodar or Rostov. First, you need to get to Maykop – the capital of the Republic of Adygea (approximately 2 hours), and from there by bus to the village of Kamennomostsky. From there to the plateau is 30 km, but public transport no longer runs, so you'll have to take a taxi or hitchhike. Alternatively, you can go directly from Krasnodar to Apsheronsk by bus, electric train, or regular train. And from there, transfer to a regular bus to any village in the area. As you can see, the excursion wins significantly in this round.
Why is an excursion better?
Besides the stories and the transport issue, an excursion is good because it will show you places you might not find on your own. As part of a group, you will definitely visit the Big and Small Azish Caves, Rufabgo Waterfalls, Khadzhokh Gorge, Guam Gorge, Cascade Waterfall or “Malysh” (Kid), “Shum” (Noise), and “Chasha Lyubvi” (Cup of Love), and also go rafting on the Belaya River. There will be plenty of entertainment for the whole day! This is not one of those boring excursions where you have to stare at the pattern on someone else's bag. And the guides are native Adyghe people; no one knows the region better than them.
Only those who wish to participate in river rafting do so; no one is forced. But we recommend visiting the caves, just don't forget warm clothing – it's only about 4 degrees inside.
The plateau itself is just a part of the large Caucasian reserve, and Adygea begins right from it. Alpine meadows are currently inaccessible to us, but the mountains in Adygea are no different from the Alps! An incredible array of earthy hues, the freshest air, and amazing adventures – all nearby. You can combine a trip to the sea and the mountains.
