"Velvet" Crimea: TOP-5 ideas for recreation in autumn

Autumn, raging with colors, is able to give the guests of the peninsula a truly cozy, calm leisure, without unnecessary fuss and crowds on the promenades.

Autumn in Crimea is the best time for family, cultural and gastronomic vacations. This is an ideal season for health-improvement, for mountain-forest health paths, in order to recharge with vitamins for the coming winter, having eaten plenty of juicy Crimean fruits.

So, we offer you TOP-5 reasons why you should definitely recreate in the "velvet" Crimea: 

1. The sea is still warm and the weather is still good 

This is by far the main reason. Unlike other regions of Russia, real autumn here usually comes closer to the end of October / beginning of November. In September, the air temperature reaches +30°C (86°F), sea water is about +24°C (75°F).

In the first half of October, the air temperature is within +20…+25 (68…77°F), sea water is from +20 to +22 (68…71°F), depending on the coast. Therefore, you can safely indulge in beach leisure and take healthy sunbathing. 

And already in late October / early November, the air temperature usually does not rise above +15°C (59°F) and the sea cools down. Few people dare to swim. At this time, it is good to just walk along the sea shore, inhaling the salts and iodine of the sea breeze. 

2. Mountain hikes, health paths, picnics and more

It is in the autumn, when there is no exhausting heat, that it is high time to climb one of the mountain peaks of the peninsula: Ai-Petri, Demerdzhi, Chatyr-Dag, Ayu-Dag, Kara-Dag, Roman-Kosh, to walk the cave towns Chufut-Kaleh, Mangup-Kaleh, Eski-Kermen, arrange an unforgettable picnic, for example, on the unique Cape Tarkhankut, on the picturesque Cape Fiolent or the mysterious Cape Meganom. 

Moreover, the velvet season is ideal for terrenkur, that is, hiking along mountain "health" or "eco" paths. Terrenkur, by the way, is one of the main methods of treatment in climatotherapy. The most popular eco-trails are on the South Coast: Botkinskaya, Tarakhtashskaya, Tsarskaya (Solnechnaya), Koreizskaya trails. Active tourists also choose the Great Sevastopol Trail and the Golitsyn Trail on the eastern coast. 

Finally, autumn is a great time to indulge in all kinds of excursions? So to say, to fulfill the "maximum program"? Moreover, it becomes much easier to get to this or that place, there are much fewer queues. Antique city-states and caves, luxurious palaces and museums, monuments of history and archeology − choose what is closer to your heart. 

3. Food, wine and just an explosion of flavor

It is believed that autumn is the ideal time for food and wine tourism. You cannot visit Crimea and not taste its amazing wines. We recommend going to the famous wineries of the peninsula, offering guests interesting tours of their production facilities with tastings. These can be Massandra wine cellars, Noviy Svet tasting rooms, Koktebel's largest Madera ground in Europe, the luxurious Zolotaya Balka Champagnerie, the only Alma Valley gravity winery in Crimea, etc. 

And of course, enjoy the delicious local food. First of all, those from the depths of the sea. We advise you to taste the traditional Crimean fish − flounder, ram (sultanka), horse mackerel, garfish, bluefish, silver carp, Kerch herring and anchovy, Azov gobies. And for real gourmets there are oysters, mussels and rapana. In order not to worry about their freshness, choose restaurants in seaside places. We talked about seafood in more detail in our publications. It is also worth visiting one of the most popular Crimean cheese dairies: our guide will help with the choice.

And also Crimea offers various cuisines: Crimean Tatar, Karaite, Ukrainian, Armenian, Georgian, Jewish, Greek cuisines. Here we told about what national dishes you should definitely try. 

4. Vivid photo sessions against the backdrop of natural scenery 

In autumn the nature of Crimea is transformed, changing the green garments to yellow-orange-red. The riot of colors is especially noticeable on the South Coast, in the mountainous forest area, so take a camera, good mood, jump into your car and go to perhaps the most vivid photo session in your life!

By the way, vineyards are considered one of the top autumn photo locations. They are, for example, in Greater Yalta, in Solnechnaya Dolina and Balaklava. They occupy huge areas, catch the eye with their fantastic palette, so you won't miss when searching.

In addition, you can (and should!) take incredible pictures during the traditional chrysanthemum ball in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, which starts in October. In this delightful variegation, breathing in the magical aromas of the "queen of autumn", you will be charged with positive energy, feel harmony and peace.

Then, during the winter and cold weather, remember the wonderful vacation spent in the "velvet" Crimea.

5. Abundance of wellness programs and low prices

Do not forget about other autumn treat of the peninsula. Firstly, it is an abundance of health programs in health resorts and hotels, as well as climatotherapy, which is so important today, which is available to absolutely everyone in Crimea. Good weather allows you to enjoy the sun and air baths − with scent of pine needles and the aromas of the sea breeze − even just while walking. So have walks, breathe and strengthen your body. 

Secondly, it is an opportunity to do extreme sports: surfing, diving, rock climbing, rope jumping, paragliding or parachute jumping… Belogorsk and Simferopol districts, in the foothills of the South Coast. 

And thirdly, prices. After the active holiday season, they gradually decrease, and it is much cheaper to stay in hotels and health resorts of the region with the benefit to your body and soul. Therefore, do not miss the chance to extend your summer. Arrange an unforgettable velvet vacation in Crimea!