Cape Tarkhankut in Crimea and how to visit it

Cape Tarkhankut - one of the largest and most beautiful natural attractions of the Crimea, located in the north-west of the peninsula near the famous resort Olenevka in the Chernomorskoe region. However, it so happened that there is some confusion with the real name of this attraction. The fact is that Cape Tarkhankut is just the tip of a large peninsula of the same name. There is an active lighthouse on it, and many guidebooks mistakenly designate this place as the westernmost point of the Crimea. However, it is impossible for tourists to get to the lighthouse and the Cape, since this is a closed zone. You can only admire the lighthouse from the side or swim the Cape on a pleasure excursion boat and explore it from the sea.

In fact, all the most interesting and picturesque places are located not directly on the Cape, but on the coast of the Tarkhankut Peninsula, which stretches for many kilometers. And so, to be sure, the real attraction is not the Cape, but the Tarkhankut Peninsula.

So, the Tarkhankut Peninsula is known for its picturesque coastal landscapes, which stretch for almost 10 kilometers mainly to the southeast of the Cape. And all these places form the Atlesh landscape and recreational natural park, which is most often visited by tourists during excursions and trips to Cape Tarkhankut. The Atlesh zone stretches along the coast, and along its length there are beautiful bays, grottoes, Rocky capes, arches, man-made sights and even a whole fishing village with a dolphinarium, a chapel, and a cave. In addition to land and coastal attractions, these places are also known for the underwater world. The living underwater world here is not rich, but historically it so happened that many ships ran aground on local reefs and crashed on rocks in different historical periods. And at the bottom there is a German aircraft of the Second World War and a man-made underwater sculpture park "alley of leaders" was created.now this amazing underwater landscape attracts experienced divers and amateur tourists.

How to get to Tarkhankut and how to visit it yourself

You can visit the Cape and the peninsula yourself, with excursions, by car, on foot or on pleasure boats. We will tell in detail about each of the methods:

• Excursions

  The easiest and most convenient way, if you do not have your own transport, is to take advantage of ready-made excursions that are offered at the nearest resorts in Yevpatoria, Chernomorskoye, Mezhvodnoye, Olenevka. You can find excursions to Tarkhankut and from other more distant resorts,including from the South Caucasus. But in our opinion, it is important to take into account the time that will have to be spent on the road. For example, from Yalta, the path only to the ode side will take 5 hours, while on the Cape itself you will spend only a couple of hours.

  You can buy excursions at resorts from distributors or book online at these trusted sites:

  • 📷 excursions to Sputnik8.com
  • 📷 excursions to Tripster.ru

• By car

  If you have a personal transport, then you can go around the peninsula and see all the interesting places with great pleasure and at your discretion, and not be tied to the tour schedule. Moreover, you can see even such sights, to which tourists on excursions are usually not brought (see below for all the sights on Tarkhankut). No permits or fees are required for driving your car along Tarkhankut. And yet, you can make the trip combined, i.e. drive along the coast by car, making stops in interesting places, and additionally also take a boat ride from the Fishing Camp to Bolshoy Atlesh at a cost of 400 rubles.

  The car route is best to start from Cape Tarkhankut and the lighthouse, and then move along the coast with stops at least to the cup of love, and then you will see all the most popular places. After the cup of love, you can go back the same way that most tourists do. But we advise you to continue further and take the road through the village of Marino. So you will see a few more picturesque places.

  Asphalt ends near the lighthouse, and then you have to go along the coast on dirt roads. They are knurled and in good weather you can safely drive on any car, but after the Big Atlesh and the Fishing Camp the road becomes worse, and without good experience and caution it is difficult to drive a car with a low landing. If you see a difficult area, it is better to go out carefully look around before passing it. And some "troubles" on the road can be bypassed on parallel dirt roads. There are a lot of roads here, they converge and diverge, but in general, if you do not move away from the coast, then even without a navigator it is difficult to get lost here. But in order not to miss interesting places, we recommend downloading points from our map of the peninsula to the Navigator or the app with maps on your smartphone.

  

• By boat

  Boat trips along the Tarkhankut Peninsula start from the pier in Olenevka, in the fishing camp at Cape Bolshoy Atlesh and in Yevpatoria. But we do not really recommend the latter option, since it is quite far and long to sail, and it is better to first travel by land to closer marinas.

  There is no clear schedule of departure of boats. They start as the group is recruited, although, of course, if you do not want to wait and are ready to singe the full cost of the boat, you can leave at any time. The Walking program is quite typical and includes swimming along the coast with a stop for photographing the most picturesque points and swimming through a through cave in Maly Atlesh. The walk lasts about an hour, costs from 400 rubles, depending on the number of people in the group and the place of departure. The cheapest walks are offered at the pier in the fishing camp.

  

• On foot or by bike

  If you stopped for a rest in Olenevka, then you can go for a walk along Tarkhankut on foot or by bicycle, for which even excursions are offered. For a walk you should plan the whole day, take water and a snack, clothes for the season and, just in case, a raincoat. The route is simple and will pass through the plain, but to go in both directions past all the interesting points to the cup of Love will have 20 kilometers, which is a lot.

  

• By public transport

  We do not recommend this method, but theoretically there is such a possibility. You can use it if you are staying in Yevpatoria, the Chernomorskoe or Mezhvodnoye, and you do not have your own transport. You will have to get up as early as possible and take the first suburban bus to Olenevka. In Olenevka, you need to go to the final stop, and from there you will have to continue on foot, as indicated above. But you can do it easier: go one kilometer to the pier on the beach of Olenevka, and there buy an excursion on a pleasure boat.

  

What to see in Tarkhankut, attractions

There are many picturesque and interesting places on Tarkhankut that tourists visit. Here are the most popular, to which mass tourists are taken with excursions:

• Cape Tarkhankut and Lighthouse
• Cape breakdown - the westernmost point of Crimea
• Cape white nose and sculpture "The Thinker"
• Big Atlesh, fishing camp and Dolphinarium
• Rock Crocodile
• Small Atlesh, tunnel and "avenue of Chiefs"
• The Cup Of Love

But less popular and little-known:

• Bay with arch
• Through cave at the tower
• Runway towers
• Dzhangul Tract

And now let's get acquainted in more detail with the most iconic places that are worth visiting during an independent trip around the peninsula, and at the end of the list you can look at the map of Tarkhankut with the most memorable:

• Lighthouse and Cape Tarkhankut

  As we mentioned above, this is not the westernmost point of the Crimea, as many guidebooks mistakenly write. However, this is one of the iconic and picturesque places from where most of the excursion and independent routes along Tarkhankut begin. You can only look at the Cape and the lighthouse from the side, but you can not go to it, because it is a forbidden zone (cape and lighthouse on the map).

  Not far from the Cape is the dry cargo ship Ibrahim Yakim, which ran aground in 2010. Divers like to explore it, and land tourists can see it from the shore or swim by boat or kayak.

  

• Cape white nose and sculpture "The Thinker"

  Three kilometers from the lighthouse is a narrow and strongly protruding Cape White Nose (Cape White Nose on the map), on which in 2013 the sculptor and artist Alexander kit installed a stone statue of The Thinker, also known as the "heart of Tarkhankut". The tip of the Cape where it is installed is considered a place of power. In addition to the sculpture itself, you can take beautiful photos of the deep bays surrounding the Cape, one of which is called Yogi Bay, as well as the tiny turtle island.

  

  

  

• Fishing Camp, Big Atlesh and Dolphinarium

  Cape Bolshoy Atlesh is the main point of attraction for tourists on the entire coast, and often tourists with excursions are brought here to show Tarkhankut (Fisherman's camp and Cape Bolshoy Atlesh on the map). Here is a small fishing tourist village (Rybatsky Stan) with a paid entrance of 100 rubles per adult, where you can visit and see several interesting places at once. First of all, there is a dolphinarium, where a traditional dolphin show takes place twice a day at 11:00 and 15:00, dolphin therapy sessions and diving with dolphins are held. The cost of the show is 800 rubles, we recommend checking the schedule on the official website - https://dolphinatlesh.com/. But the most important thing that big Atlesh is famous for is the largest natural stone arch and cave, through one of the passages into which you can see the sea. And from here there are pleasure tourist boats to Cape Maly Altesh.

  

  

  

  

  

• Rock Crocodile

  A prominent rock in the sea, which, if you have imagination, can really remind you of the outline of a crocodile with an eye in the form of an arch (Crocodile Rock on the map). And, of course, it comes off with beautiful views of the rocky coast, dotted with rocky ledges and grottoes, and washed by deep blue water. Over the arch and through it you can go, but do it with caution, because landslides are not excluded.

  

  

  

• Small Atlesh, tunnel and underwater sculpture park "alley of leaders"

  Cape Maly Atlesh is another place of tourist attraction, where there are several interesting sights at once (small Atlesh on the map). This Cape attracts not only tourists, but also filmmakers. So, here they shot scenes of the films "Pirates of the twentieth century", "Amphibian Man", "dreams of Green".

  The famous through cave or as it is called the tunnel, through which under the screams of tourists at speed fly pleasure excursion boats, is located here. And now there is also a new kind of entertainment – to swim through the tunnel on a rented kayak or board for SUP-surf. Unfortunately, both of these activities (kayaks and motorboats) contradict each other on safety, so perhaps in the future one of them will be banned.

  Well, if you find yourself here on foot or by car, you can look at another miracle of nature, called the "smugglers ' hole". This is a vertical cave with a height of 20 meters and a diameter of about 2 meters, which leads from the surface of the Cape vertically down to the tunnel. You can look into it to see the water and passing boats with tourists. But this should be done with extreme caution, because there is. In general, it is better to use a selfie stick or a hand tripod to take a photo of the "hole".

  And in the Big Bay adjacent to Maly Atlesh there is the famous underwater sculpture park "alley of leaders". To see the sculptures and busts of famous people in this underwater museum, you will have to dive to a great depth with scuba diving, for which you need to buy a tour with an instructor and equipment in the diving centers in Olenevka. Prices for diving start from 2500 rubles for experienced divers, and significantly higher if you do not have experience and certificate.

  

  

  

  

  

• The Cup Of Love

  Another natural natural attraction chalice of Love is just a couple of hundred meters from Maly Atlesh (cup of Love on the map). Here on the rocky seashore in the rocks is a natural natural pool, in which the water is always warmer than in the sea. You can swim in the bowl, but usually in high season there are a lot of tourists, so for swimming it is better to come here early in the morning, or stay until the evening.

  Next to the bowl there is a place for scuba diving, and you can watch a little underwater wildlife even from the rocks, the water is so clear here. And further along the coast, a couple of hundred meters away, there is a small bay with a beach with a convenient entrance, but a rocky bottom.

  

  

  

• Bay with arch

  It is believed that behind the cup of love, worthwhile visits to the beauty of Tarakhnkut end, and then there is nothing interesting. However, you can continue along the coast further, and then you will see some more remarkable places. One of them is an unnamed Bay with a small stone arch (bay with arch on map). This arch is only a couple of meters wide and high, and looks very fragile. So we do not recommend walking on it, otherwise you will destroy all the beauty. And gulls love to nest in this bay, so be careful, because they will protect their nests.

  

• Through cave at the tower

  Even further along the coast you can find a very little-known place for tourists - a through cave. To find it, look for a building-tower on the shore or follow exactly our coordinates (Pass-through cave near the tower on the map). Here you will need to go down the path down to the water, and there you can see another through cave - a tunnel about 10 meters long. Boats do not pass through it, it is too low, but if you really want to go through it on foot in waist-deep water. And nearby and a little higher on the slope there is a cozy grotto, where sometimes hermit tourists settle.

  

• Runway towers

  A little before reaching the eco-settlement of Mosrkoye and the village of Maryino in the fields you can see a strange structure-old towers located strictly in a straight line (Towers on the map). We could not find a reliable historical reference, what these structures are, but as the locals say, these are the remains of the old runway used during the Second World War. The towers served as landing lights at night, for which they built a fire (but this is not accurate).

  

• Dzhangul Tract

  The dzhangul tract is located in a completely different direction from the rest of the attractions behind Olenevka (Dzhangul tract on the map). There are almost no excursions here, and therefore you will have to visit the tract on your own transport. Here, a landslide of rocks stretched along the shore for almost five kilometers, giving it a chaotic and bizarre appearance. Among this chaos, you can find several pleasant Bute beaches, which tourists like to stay with tents.

  

Map of Tarkhankut with sights

What else is important to know about Tarkhankut for tourists

• Where can I eat? If you come here from afar, you can eat in one of the cafes or restaurants in Olenevka or in the fish restaurant "fisherman's shelter" in the fishing camp. Even in the high season, stalls with fast food and drinks appear on the shore next to popular stopping points.

• Are there any bans on driving along Tarkhankut by car? No, there are no such prohibitions, at least not yet.

• Is it possible to stay with a tent or in a motorhome? Yes, there are many suitable places for this on the coast, although we did not meet official car camps with electricity and water. Theoretically, on the territory of the Tarkhankutsky nature park, it is possible to camp only in specially designated places, in practice, tents are set up as conveniently as possible. Here is a diagram with official vacation spots where you can set up a tent - https://parktarhankut.ru/places-of-recreation. If you need places with a minimum of neighbors, we advise you to go further for the cup of Love in the direction of Maryevka: there are several cozy bays with wild beaches.

• Where and how to go diving? In general, we do not recommend combining a visit to the Cape as an attraction with diving, since diving is a serious activity and requires preparation. Therefore, it is better to settle in Olenevka for this, and after exploring and getting acquainted with the peninsula, find ready-made diving tours there in one of the dive centers.

And in conclusion, we recall that the Cape and the Tarkhankut Peninsula are a nature protection zone and our common wealth. We urge you not to litter, not to spoil the landscape, not to destroy nature. Here are the Official Rules of the park - https://parktarhankut.ru/users/rules, please stick to them.