Shirokaya Balka

Shirokaya Balka is a popular resort village on the Black Sea coast. It is one of the suburbs of Novorossiysk, which is located 9.5 km southwest of the city center. Officially, only one hundred people live in the village – owners of dachas and cottages. The housing stock is used mainly during the summer tourist season and serves as a recreational area for city residents and tourists coming to the Black Sea.

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Video: Shirokaya Balka

Contents

Highlights

Shirokaya Balka is famous as a youth resort with a democratic atmosphere. In the summer here boils night life, open nightclubs and discos, cafes and restaurants, and local recreation centers offer inexpensive accommodation for students. The picturesque place attracts tourists with clean sea, mountain air, comfortable pebble beaches, green oak and juniper forests, the absence of enterprises, the presence of all necessary stores and regular bus service to Novorossiysk. Through the village of Shirokaya Balka, even at the height of the summer tourist season, passes a little traffic, and therefore there is still a beautiful ecology.

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Thanks to the dry Mediterranean climate, in the tract much better feel those who for health reasons contraindicated excessive humidity, characteristic of the Greater Sochi. People suffering from heart, respiratory and vascular diseases, as well as those with weakened immunity prefer to spend their vacations here. Love the village and couples with children.

As in other resort places, in Shirokaya Balka cheaper housing located at a distance from the sea, and the highest prices offer hotels standing directly on the seashore. Many vacationers prefer not to overpay and choose accommodation at the recreation centers in the far part of the village, from which to the beach to walk. A short walk to the sea becomes a daily warm-up, and vacation away from noisy hotels allows you to fully enjoy the solitude and clean air of the mountain gorge.

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History of the village

In ancient times in this part of the Black Sea coast there was a large Greek settlement. Archaeologists have found a lot of Greek ceramics and ancient tools in the tract. In the early Middle Ages, Genoese fortifications were built at the foot of Amzai Mountain. The ruins of their fortresses can still be seen here today.

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Since the beginning of the last century the tract was used for summer houses, and in 1908 it was included in the list of Russian climatic resorts. During the Great Patriotic War, Shirokaya Balka was occupied by Romanian troops, and when there were battles for Malaya Zemlya, the territory changed hands many times.

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In August 2002, a natural disaster occurred along a long stretch of coastline. Tornadoes rising over the Black Sea captured large masses of water and collapsed on the resort villages. From the strongest downpour mountain rivers went out of their banks and flooded the valleys. A huge mudflow passed through Shirokaya Balka, and it suffered the most. The buildings and infrastructure of the village were almost completely destroyed. The flow of water, stones and mud did not spare even buildings made of bricks. After this disaster, recreation centers and hotels in Shirokaya Balka were rebuilt.

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Nature and climate

Shirokaya Balka is located on the Abrau Peninsula and is surrounded by forested mountains Amzai, Koldun, Sapun and Ostraya. Along the tract flows a not wide brook Chukhabl. The narrow bottom of the gorge and the presence of many crevices – side tributaries of the Chukhabl – create an extensive watershed covering an area of 20 km².

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The surrounding slopes are covered with oaks, thuys, pistachios, pizund pines, derzhi-tree and several species of relict juniper. In favor of the excellent ecology of these places is the presence of plants listed in the Red Book. In addition, the richness of the flora gives the climate of the resort village special, healing properties.

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In the green zone of the Abrau Peninsula are deer, elk, roe deer, foxes, jackals, raccoon dogs, wild boars, hares, squirrels, weasels, badgers and forest cats. In the crowns of trees and on the coastal rocks there are many birds of prey, and near the shores one can often meet Black Sea dolphins, dolphin-azovok and white-sided dolphins.

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Shirokaya Balka belongs to the zone of dry Mediterranean climate. Due to the fact that the tract is separated by a chain of mountains, the weather in it differs significantly from Novorossiysk. In the resort village there are no strong north and northeast winds, but Shirokaya Balka is open to warm winds blowing from the Black Sea.

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Most of the precipitation in the village falls in the winter months. At this time of year, the air temperature rarely drops below 0 ° C, and the sea is never colder than +8 ° C.

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There is always a lot of sunshine on the coast – 230 days a year. At the height of summer the air warms up to +28…+32 ° C, and the sea temperature reaches +27 ° C. Bathing season in Shirokaya Balka begins in May and lasts until October, when the temperature of water in the sea is +19.2 ° C.

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Beaches of Shirokaya Balka

The central beach of the resort village is covered with pebbles of medium size. It stretches for 1.5 km and has a width of up to 30 meters. On the beach in Shirokaya Balka has all the necessary infrastructure for a comfortable vacation – rental sun beds and sun umbrellas, changing rooms, toilets and showers.

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During the summer season on the snow-white embankment are cafes, restaurants, souvenir stores and stores selling goods for vacationers. Vacationers can ride on a “tablet” and “banana”, ride behind the boat on a parachute, as well as rent jet skis and catamarans. For children there are inflatable slides and a small amusement park. The sea at Shirokaya Balka is always clean, so snorkeling and diving, as well as exciting sailing trips are very popular.

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Towards the village of Myskhako stretches pebble beach “Lukomorye”, where parents with children like to visit. The beach area has a length of 0.9 km and a width of up to 20 meters. It is very convenient that at the entrance to the water the bottom is gentle, and the depth increases not as quickly as on the central beach of the resort Shirokaya Balka.

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In the direction of South Ozereyevka is located beach area recreation center “Priboy”, composed of small pebbles and areas of sand. You can get to it only through the recreation center, descending to the sea on a metal ladder in the high cliff. This beach stretches for 0.8 km and has a width of up to 20 meters. It is notable for steep cliffs overhanging directly above the pebble strip. In some places their height reaches up to 90 meters. Behind the “Surf” begins a wild nudist beach, stretching for 1.5 km.

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In the vicinity of the village there are several small wild beaches, where those who like to sunbathe and swim alone prefer to rest. The most picturesque of them stretches a narrow coastal strip towards the village of Myskhako. Above it towers striped rocks, and you can meet small lagoons and convenient places for small tent camps.

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Self guided tours and bus tours

From Shirokaya Balka popular climbing Mount Amzai (398 m), located in the northeast of the village. At the foot of this peak are the ruins of an ancient Genoese fortress, built of sandstone blocks, and among them a deep well is noticeable.

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From the tract is not difficult to make a hike to Myskhako, which offers a beautiful view of the entire Tsemesskaya Bay. In addition, vacationers in Shirokaya Balka popular excursions to explore the museums and sights of Novorossiysk, in the entertainment complex “Russia”, the Orthodox complex “Holy Hand” and the desert of St. Theodosius, the winery Abrau-Durso and winery “Sauk-Dere.”

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How to get there

Shirokaya Balka is located in the coastal zone between Myskhako and South Ozereyevka. One of the streets (Shirokaya Balka) runs along the coast, and the other (Zarechnaya) leads deep into the mountain gorge towards Novorossiysk.

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If you come to the Black Sea coast by plane, you need to take tickets to Gelendzhik or Anapa. Both airports are remote from the resort village at 60-70 km. From them by shuttle buses you first need to come to Novorossiysk, and from there – by bus to Shirokaya Balka. Without transfers to the resort village can reach only by cab.

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It is convenient to come to Novorossiysk by train, and in summer pleasure boats from Sochi, Anapa and Gelendzhik go to this city. From Novorossiysk to Shirokaya Balka is reached by bus or cab.

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In the resort village is not difficult to come by car. To Novorossiysk – on the highway M4 “Don”, and in the city – on the streets Kutuzovskaya, Osoaviakhima, Smorodinka, Lavandnaya and on the road “Novorossiysk – Shirokaya Balka 9 km.”

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