Anapa or Gelendzhik – choose a place to relax

Both resorts are perfect for holidays with children of all ages, but still we prefer Anapa in this matter. After all, Anapa beaches seem to have been specially created for holidays with children. They are sandy, shallow, and the water warms up very well already in early summer. Entertainment for children here is also developed on a solid "top five": there are several amusement parks, water parks, dolphinariums.

At the same time, there are advantages in Gelendzhik for a holiday with children, which cannot be overlooked. Firstly, Gelendzhik Bay protects the coast well from winds and waves, which is important on vacation with children. And secondly, there is a beautiful and longest promenade on the entire Chernomorskoe coast, along which it is so pleasant to walk with middle-aged children or push a stroller.

As for traveling on vacation with a wheelchair, in this matter, both resorts, in our opinion, are approximately equally equipped with a solid triple. Your comfort and ease of movement with a stroller will depend more on the specific location of the hotel and its proximity to the beach and walking areas than on the chosen resort.

It is impossible to answer this question objectively, because everyone has their own preferences for beach holidays. Therefore, here is a brief description of the beaches and their features:

• Beaches in Gelendzhik

  The beaches in Gelendzhik are located in a cozy Gelendzhik Bay, which protects them from winds and waves. The beaches on the shores of the bay are diverse: there are sand and pebbles; there are very well-equipped, but there are also almost "wild" areas, but there are very few of them. In general, there is a lot to choose from. Of the minuses, one can single out the division of the coast into sections by concrete breakwaters (buns) and fences, which fans of strolling along the water will not really like. But along all the beaches stretches a well-equipped promenade with a length of almost 8 kilometers, that's really where there is room for walking. And also, in our subjective opinion, the water here is more transparent than in Anapa.

  As for the arrangement, everything is fine with this, there is everything you need for a relaxing and active holiday on the shore. In general, in our opinion, the arrangement of the beach in Gelendzhik is more modern, stylish and youthful than in Anapa. Read more about the beaches in Gelendzhik and a lot of photos here.

  

  

  

• Beaches in Anapa

  The main business card of Anapa beaches is sand. The sandy beach here stretches continuously for many kilometers without any fences and breakwaters, and if you look further outside the city, then for tens of kilometers. Therefore, if you like long walks along the water's edge, then you can't think of a better place. The sand on the shore is fine, yellow, very pleasant. The depth is mostly very, very small, which is good for children, but lovers of swimming will not really like it. But there is also a significant minus: the water in Anapa is noticeably muddier because of the sand, and there is also an influx of algae, because of which the water turns into an unpleasant "green jelly".

  There is an infrastructure on the shore here, but not as modern as in Gelendzhik, everything is a little simpler. But in general, everything you need for a comfortable beach holiday on the shore is presented. Read more about the beaches in Anapa and a lot of photos here.

  

  

  

In fact, it would be surprising if there was a big difference in the price of a holiday between two developed resorts located a couple of hours away from each other on the same coast. But, nevertheless, if you add up all expenses, such as transportation to the place of rest, accommodation, entertainment and meals, then Anapa looks like a clear favorite.

You can get to Anapa cheaper by train (you can't get to Gelendzhik by train), tickets to the local airport are also cheaper. There are also more economical options for living in Anapa, but there are also Vityazevo, Dzhemete and Sukko, which also belong to the city and accommodation there can be found even cheaper. Well, when it comes to entertainment and food, then you will feel that Anapa is out of competition at all. What are the local kebab cafes worth, in which all kinds of kebabs are sold at a weight of 60 rubles per 100 grams. We have not seen this anywhere else on the coast.

If you prefer to organize your holidays yourself and get to the resort on your own, then getting to Anapa will be easier and cheaper than to Gelendzhik.

There is an airport there, but flights to Anapa are significantly cheaper. Another significant plus in favor of Anapa is the presence of a railway station here, which can be reached comfortably and inexpensively from Moscow, St. Petersburg and a large number of regions of Russia.

There is no railway in Gelendzhik at all, and you can get by train only through Novorossiysk, where you will have to change from the train to a taxi or take buses. It's not very difficult, but still inconvenient.