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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Azhek Waterfalls is a chain of several waterfalls and water slides on the Azhek River, a tributary of the Sochi River. They are relatively close to the center of Sochi, only 20 kilometers away, but they are among the most difficult to reach. To visit them, you will have to go on a small hiking trip through the forest along a route of medium difficulty with a length of 6 kilometers, and first you still have to get to the beginning of this hiking route. You can get to it by car or by city bus, but then another 2 kilometers from the stop will be added to The Walking part of the route. For reference, the time from the parking lot to the first (lower) waterfall on foot in both directions should be laid at least 3 hours. And if you decide to go to the farthest waterfall Azhek upper, then you should plan about 8 hours there and back. For more information on how to get to the azhek waterfalls, see the end of the article.
AZEK waterfalls are located in Sochi National Park and a pedestrian "AZEK Eco-trail" is organized for hiking to them. Entrance to it is paid, 200 rubles in 2021.
In general, you can see several waterfalls and water slides here. The most famous and largest are Azhek lower and Azhek upper, and between them there are several tiny unnamed waterfalls and water slides, including the named Azhek Middle.
But waterfalls, this is not the only thing for which it is worth going here. The hiking trail leads along the beautiful canyon of the river through the picturesque boxwood forest, and along the way you can stop at the tiny waterfalls on the Svanidze Creek (for this you have to deviate a little from the main trail). Almost on the approach to the first (lower) waterfall there will be a monument to those who died during the Second World War, which, as the locals say, was built by the surviving prisoner of the concentration camp who returned after the war. And together with Azhek, you can and should visit free Orekhovsky waterfall.
For a walk on Azhek, be sure to wear sports shoes, and best of all specialized hiking or trekking boots with a tenacious sole. You can take trekking poles with you, but they will be useful only on the section of the route to the first (lower) waterfall, and then they will rather interfere, so you will either have to leave them somewhere for a while in a secluded place on the route, or fix them on a backpack so as not to interfere with Still be sure to take drinking water, and you can take something to eat. If you plan to swim in the pools on the river or at the base of the waterfalls, take a swimsuit and a towel. But keep in mind that the water here is cool, you should swim only in hot weather. And yet, these places are notorious for a large number of ticks, so periodically in the course of movement do a check of open and closed areas of the body, and at the end of the hike check completely with the removal of clothes. It is even better to wear light light clothes, tightly close the open areas of the skin, tuck the pants into socks and shoes, tighten the sleeves.
🕐 Working hours
during the daytime, it is better to visit in spring or early summer.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
to pass through the Eco-trail, you must pay the national park fee of 200 rubles, children under 10 years old – free of charge. Payment is made at the ticket office at the beginning of the route, only cash is accepted.
🚶 How to get there
Azhek waterfalls are located 20 kilometers from the center of Sochi behind the village of Plastunka (AZEK waterfalls on the map). First you need to get to the beginning of the walking route, and then to the waterfalls only on foot along the equipped Eco-trail of the Sochi National Park. The first (lower) waterfall is almost 4 kilometers away, and this is the easiest part of the route, which is overcome in both directions in at least 3 hours. After the first waterfall, you can continue further to the farthest (upper), but this is already a difficult path on stones and through fallen trees, sometimes even on water. The round trip to the far waterfall will take almost 8 hours in both directions.
You can get to the beginning of the route and the ticket office at the entrance:
- By car. Go from the center in the direction of the village of Plastunka. At the end of the village, the asphalt road ends, and the concrete begins, turning into a rocky primer. You can drive along it with experience and in good weather on any car, but if in doubt, you can leave the car in the village or on the side of the road, and then walk two kilometers. If you are ready to go further, then continue along Japaridze Street and follow the Orekhovsky waterfall sign until the road ends near the Eco-trail information boards. There you can leave the car for free, and then only on foot.
- By bus. From the railway station of Sochi, bus No. 102 departs every hour at a cost of 40 rubles. You can also take this route on Gorky Street, on Kurortny Avenue near Sea station and on Constitution Street of the USSR. You need to go to the final stop in Plastunka, and from there walk two kilometers to the entrance to the trail.
- From other districts and resorts of Sochi. By bus or train (we recommend the train) get to the railway station in Sochi, and there transfer to bus number 102 and get there as indicated above. See also about transport in Sochi and what to travel to tourists here.
We also advise you to see interesting options for individual and group tours of Sochi on these proven sites:
- search for excursions in Sochi on Sputnik8.com
- excursions from the tour operator TEZ Tour
- search for excursions in Sochi on Tripster.ru