Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Odessites know how to enjoy life and take it as it is. Also, everyone knows each oth-
er - if not personally, then your aunt from Stepovaya street.
Black Sea Coast
Lots of people swim at Odesa's crowded beaches in summer, but that's not really the aim
of going to the beach here. Rather, it's about strolling dishevelled promenades and ob-
serving beach life, Ukrainian style. All the beaches we describe are connected by what is
known as Trassa Zdorovya - Health Road. Be aware that drinking is now banned on and
around Odesa's beaches, so don't give the ever-present police an excuse to extract money
from you by carrying a cool one.
Arkadia Beach
BEACH
An evening at Arkadia is a must when in Odesa and this is definitely the city's best place
to see and be seen. Here you can play old-school arcade games, dress up like a tsar or
tsarina for a photo op, or hang out in a variety of cafes, bars and clubs.
The central part of the beach is almost entirely occupied by beach clubs, which have
pools and double as nightclubs after sunset. They usually charge 50uah to 100uah for ad-
mission and a sunbed, but a lot more to rent a towel.
Arkadia is easy to reach: take tram 5 from the tram stop near the train station, in front
of the McDonald's on vul Panteleymonivska, to the end of the line via the lovely tree-
lined bul Frantsuzsky, where the crème de la crème of Odesa's aristocracy lived in tsarist
times. Enjoy the views of the old mansions and sanatoriums along the way. Public trans-
port to Arkadia gets extremely crowded in summer, so consider taking a taxi (around
40uah).
The crowds begin to thin out and the water gets cleaner as you head south to the area
known as
Bolshoy Fontan
; take tram 18 from the tram stop near the train station.
Otrada Beach
BEACH
This beach can be reached via a primitive
chairlift
(kanatnaya doroga; one way 12uah)
. Like
eating
salo
(cured pig fat), riding one of these chairlifts is one of those 'when in Ukraine'
experiences that probably shouldn't be missed. To the south of Otrada Beach is a
nudist
beach
.
Lanzheron Beach
BEACH
Perhaps to copy Brighton Beach, New York - where half of Odesa seems to have emig-
rated - the authorities built a boardwalk at the beach closest to the city centre. It looks
