Holidays in Izberbash - how to get there, what to see, where to stay

Izberbash is a city in the south of Dagestan on the coast of the Caspian Sea, located 65 kilometers from the capital – Makhachkala and 72 kilometers from Derbent (Izberbash on the map of Russia). This is one of the cities often mentioned in their reviews and visited by tourists on the way from Makhachkala to Derbent or back. The city is more like a village, there are many private houses and very few apartment buildings.

This is, perhaps, the main beach resort of Dagestan. It is worth going here for a beach and wellness holiday, it is perfect for a family holiday. The beaches of Izberbash are sandy, located at a distance from the city center and are conditionally divided into 3 zones, the beach lines are wide and sparsely populated. Each of the zones is equipped with changing cabins, sun beds, umbrellas, gazebos, canopies. In the season there is a minimum of entertainment – catamarans, boats, and surf boats. A big plus for those traveling by car will be large free parking areas near the beaches. There are a lot of guest houses on the first line and it continues to be built up with new facilities.

There are no famous and noteworthy sights here. Only thermal springs and a hill resembling the profile of A.S. Pushkin. Therefore, it makes no sense to stop for the sake of attractions for more than 1-2 days here, there are other places more suitable for this, for example, Derbent or Gunib. However, if you come purposefully to improve your health or to immerse yourself in the peace and quiet of a village resort with beaches and the sea: "Welcome!". You can diversify your vacation in Izberbash with various excursion programs to popular tourist places of Dagestan and trips to Makhachkala, Derbent.

In Izberbash, all the beaches are sandy, the sand is yellow, fine. The depth is small, perfect for children. Moreover, there are a lot of "pools" in the sea, i.e. beaches, where the bathing area is separated by chains of rocks from the "big" sea. It is a pleasure for children to swim in such places. Almost the entire coast here is suitable for swimming, and the coast stretches for many kilometers beyond Izberbash, and there are also equipped beaches near recreation centers, hotels and campsites.

The beaches here are equipped, but, of course, they are very far from Sochi or Gelendzhik. There are deck chairs and umbrellas, there are changing booths, nothing else. On some beaches there is a rental of catamarans and boards for Sup-surf, and the usual banana rides, jet skis, etc. we have not met. But perhaps with the influx of tourists, the situation will change soon.

There are no special prohibitions about swimsuits, everyone swims and sunbathes in what they want. But, of course, sunbathing topless here is absolutely not worth it.

In Izberbash there are no inexpensive chain restaurants for everyday meals such as "Tasty and point", KFC or Burgerking, but there are quite a lot of cafes and restaurants where traditional local, Russian, European and cuisine of different peoples of the world are prepared. Members of our chat in Dagestan these establishments advise:

• Gallery (Lenin Avenue, 1/4) is a restaurant in the city center not in the resort area, one of the most popular. To get into it, you need to book in advance.
• Gurmania (U.D. Buinaksky str., 5) – delicious national and European cuisine.
• Plate (115A Mayakovsky Street) is an inexpensive tasty place with prices and menus like in a dining room, but a decent atmosphere like in a themed cafe.
• Khinkalnaya (Azizova str., 1) is another inexpensive place where you can just have a delicious and satisfying meal.
• Rosemary (Hamidova str., 22A) – a cafe with a very diverse menu, desserts, coffee.
• Rio (31A U.D. Buinaksky str.) is a restaurant with a territory, a common room and separate houses. The food is tasty and varied, there is fresh beer.

There are many grocery stores in the city, including Magnit, cafes, bars, coffee shops, fast food restaurants. For those who stay by the sea, away from the main infrastructure, guest houses offer meals like breakfast, lunch, dinner for an additional fee. At the same time, canteens and cafes work near the coast in high season.

Dagestan as a whole, and Izberbash in particular as the main beach resort of the region, have gained a lot of popularity in recent years, which has led to an increase in prices for hotel accommodation and rental housing. The simplest rooms for two in high season here cost from 3000 rubles, it is cheaper to find only apartments for rent in the city center away from the beach. The demand for accommodation is high, and therefore we advise you to plan your vacation and book accommodation in advance.

To search and book, we recommend using these reliable Russian systems:

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Izberbash on Ostrovok.ru
• 🛌 Search for affordable housing in Izberbash on Sutochno.ru (we recommend it, the bonus system works)
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Izberbash on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Izberbash on Otello from 2Gis

Izberbash is located in the south of the Russian Federation on the shore of the Caspian Sea, 2000 kilometers from Moscow (Izberbash on the map of Dagestan). You can get here from other regions and cities of the Russian Federation in the following ways:

• By plane to Makhachkala airport, and from there to the city center by taxi or with transfers by public transport.
• By train from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tyumen and other cities along the route to the railway station on the outskirts of the city, and from there to the hotel by taxi or public transport.
• By train from Makhachkala to the railway station or stop "2341 kilometers".
• By bus from the regions of the European part of the Russian Federation to the bus station in the city center, and from there to the rest area by taxi or public transport.
• By car one at a time from automobile routes through Volgograd, Elista, Rostov-on-Don, etc.

Details about each of the ways how to get to Izberbash with prices and schedule here.

Izberbash is not a very big city, but it stretches along the coast for 5 kilometers. Moreover, there is one peculiarity in its geography: the beaches and the tourist zone lie on the coast, and the residential areas of the city, all shops, markets and transport are approximately one and a half kilometers from the coast. This creates some difficulties during rest.

If you do not have your own transport, then the best option for getting around is a taxi. Yandex taxi and local Anzhi work here, it is most profitable to book short trips through them, rather than using the services of private cabs, which are also plentiful here. But if you need to go to the airport or go to Derbent or Makhachkala, sometimes it turns out to be cheaper to negotiate with private traders.

As for Anzhi and Yandex, their cars can be ordered through the app, on the websites or by phone: Anzhi +79674070101, Yandex +7 (800) 770-70-74. Both promise trips from 50 rubles, but in reality a trip within the city will cost from 100 rubles.

There is also urban transport in Izberbash. These are buses, minibuses, there are only a few flights, travel from 25 rubles. But the problem is that they go only in the residential area, and not in the resort area near the coast, so they will be of little use to you on vacation. Routes No. 3 and 4, on which you can get from the railway station to the bus station and back, will be useful, perhaps.

Izberbash, unlike ancient Izberbash, is not rich in sights. Everything that is here, we will describe below. And if you are staying here, then you can replenish your horizons with new interesting places only by going on an excursion or by yourself by car, for example, to the Sulak Canyon, to the abandoned villages of Goor, Gamsutl and other attractions of Dagestan.

However, while the tourist infrastructure in terms of excursions is still poorly developed here, and it is not so easy to buy inexpensive group tours. At least you will not see counters and distributors offering to book excursions at every turn, you will have to look for private guides and drivers, or arrange a trip yourself. Alternatively, you can try to find sightseeing tours online on aggregator sites with reviews:

• 📷 Search for excursions in Izberbash on Sputnik8.com
• 📷 Search for excursions in Izberbash on Tripster.ru

If you are ready to go on your own, then it is best to do it on your own or rented transport. By car from Izberbash you can make one-day trips at least:

• In Izberbash – here is the fortress of Naryn Kala, the old town, the light and music fountain.
• In mountainous Dagestan – in particular, in the village of Gunib, the abandoned ghost villages of Goor and Gamsutl, the underground Saltinsky waterfall and much more.
• In the valley of the Samur river and the village of Akhty – there is an abandoned ghost village of Gra, hot springs of Akhty, Zrykhsky waterfall, Akhtyn fortress).
• To the village of Khuchni - there is the Khuchna fortress, the Khanag waterfall, the Khustil cave, the Dag-Bar fort, the ancient Gulli bridge, the Kuzhnik natural bridge).
• In the direction of Kubachi – there is the Kala-Koreish fortress, the Kubacha Tower, the Dagestan pyramids.
• In the direction of Makhachkala – there is the Sarykum dune, the Sulak Canyon, the Chirkey reservoir.

In this list we have only outlined the main directions, but it is better to use our map with the sights of Dagestan, where you will see everything clearly and plan your route:

Well, if you don't have your own transport, then you can take buses or trains during the day to Izberbash, Samur forest or Makhachkala.

But the few sights in Izberbash itself are:

• Hot springs in Izberbash

  

  Hydrogen sulfide hot spring in Izberbash (also called "fever" or "Grankina") – a place that definitely needs to be visited during your vacation in this resort town, and it's even worth stopping by here on the way. The fact is that, firstly, they are free, and secondly, they are officially recognized as curative. And there is also silt at the bottom of the springs pool, which is considered therapeutic mud, but there is very little of it there, and you can't take it with you. Learn more about the hot springs in Izberbash here.

  🕐 Working hours: Around the clock.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket price: Free.

  🚶 How to get there: located in the city center in the private sector on Grankina Street (source on the map). City transport does not go here, you will have to get there on foot or by taxi from 100 rubles.

• Izberbasha Water Park

  

  The only water park in the resort town of Izberbash, which attracts vacationers in the summer. The water park is small, there are closed and open slides, spirals, a funnel for adults. For the youngest – "frogs" with attractions and a playground. For a comfortable stay on the territory there are sun beds and umbrellas, canopies, toilets, changing rooms, a cafe. Learn more about the water park in Izberbash here.

  🕐 Working hours: Daily in high season, from 10:00 to 19:00. It starts its work from about the middle of June to the beginning of September, it all depends on the settled weather. Phone for more information about opening hours +7 (967) 258-55-45.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket price: Children and adults - 700 rubles, children under 3 years – free of charge.

  🚶 How to get there: The water park is located in Izberbash near the Central Beach on Shaidaev Street (water park on the map). Urban transport does not go here, but since the city as a whole is not very big, you can walk from many places on the coast, or you can take a taxi from 100 rubles (use the Yandex.taxi or local taxi apps Already). If it is essential to get there by public transport, then you can take city buses No. 3 or No. 4 to the Lermontov Street stop, and from it to the water park 25 minutes (2 kilometers) on foot.

• Mount Pushkin-tau

  

  Pushkin-tau is the unofficial name of Mount Izberbash. Its height is only 220 meters. It is interesting because if you look at the mountain from a certain point, you can see the profile of the great Russian writer A.S. Pushkin. To see the outline of the profile, focus on the communication tower. And, of course, if you climb the mountain, it offers great views of the resort and the sea. And paragliding flights are also made from the top. Read more about Pushkin-tau here.

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: Pushkin-Tau is located on the outskirts of Izberbash behind the main highway (mountain on the map). You can climb to the top on foot, by bike and even by car on dirt roads.