There are so many villages in Greater Sochi that you can be confused as to which one to choose for a vacation. We have personally visited all the districts and formed an opinion about each. Let's compare the resorts of Sochi together and decide who and where is better to relax in the summer of 2021.
Which area to choose in Greater Sochi
Sochi is not only the city itself, but also several districts around it. Greater Sochi starts almost from Tuapse and stretches right up to Abkhazia. Here is such an extended city! So let's deal with the districts. There are four of them:
Lazarevsky district - the longest and most distant from the city center. The most popular resorts are Lazarevskoye and Dagomys. I advise you to stay in them if a developed infrastructure and beautiful nature are important. Also on hearing Ashe, Golovinka, Loo, but they are not so developed. The rest of the villages are quite small.
central District - this is the city of Sochi itself. The most popular and developed area, but also the most expensive. It is suitable for those who want to combine urban beach holidays with excursions, shopping and cultural activities.
Khostinsky district suitable for a relaxing beach holiday and light one-day hikes in nature, as well as spa treatment. The main villages are Khosta, Matsesta and Kudepsta. They are small, green and cozy.
Adler district = mountains + sea! This is the most comfortable, lively and civilized area. Here you have an airport with a railway station, new infrastructure for the Olympics, a bunch of attractions and even Abkhazia close by. The area includes Adler itself, Imeretinskaya Bay and Krasnaya Polyana.
So I briefly told you about the districts and main resorts of Greater Sochi. Already at this stage, you can estimate in which area of Sochi it is better to stop for a rest. Now let's compare the resorts!
Where to live in the center of Sochi
In the center of Sochi, it is best to rest in the microdistricts of Svetlana, Center, Novy Sochi, Mamayka and Yana Fabricius, as they are adjacent to the sea. We like most of all Centre and Svetlana - they are the most beautiful, well-groomed, comfortable and prestigious. They have the most entertainment and attractions, besides, it is convenient to travel from there to other areas of Sochi.
Where to spend an inexpensive vacation in Sochi
Yes, in almost any village of Sochi you can have an inexpensive vacation! Choose a small village in the Lazarevsky district, there are a lot of them: Dagomys, Ashe, Golovinka, Loo, Shepsi, Vardane, Magri, Vishnevka, Makopse, Council-Kvadzhe, Golubaya Dacha, Chemitokvadzhe, Zubova schlit, Deep gap, Anchor gap, Nizhnaya Beranda, Lower Khobza, Lower Uchdere.
You can also live inexpensively in the Khosta district - in Khosta, Matsesta and Kudepsta. Find out how much it costs to relax in Sochi.
Well, the highest prices for vacations are in the center of Sochi, Adler, Imeretinskaya Bay and Krasnaya Polyana, a little lower - in Lazarevskoye. Although you can relax there inexpensively if you come in the velvet season, live in guest houses or rent an apartment profitably, and also do not go to restaurants. For example, we had a very inexpensive vacation: we lived in good three-star hotels in the center of Sochi and Imeretinka and in 8 days spent only 28,000 rubles for two on everything except air tickets. Not bad, huh? Find out how to have a cheap rest in Sochi.
There is another way to have an inexpensive vacation in Sochi - buy burning tour for 15-30 thousand rubles for two. Look for profitable tours on Travelata and Level.Travel services - they will find the best deals among different tour operators. Want to save money? Find out how to buy tours for less.
Where are the best beaches
The entire coast of Greater Sochi is pebble beaches... In some resorts, the stones are quite large and the entrance to the sea is also pebble, for example, in Ashe and neighboring villages. But in Khost and Kudepst the pebbles seemed to me smaller.
In other resorts, the pebbles are smaller, and the entrance to the sea is sand with pebbles. This can be found on some beaches in Lazarevskoye, Adler, Central Sochi.
There are beaches where pebbles are mixed with sand. We met this in Golovinka, Vardan, Loo, some beaches of Central Sochi. Adler has beaches with large sandy areas.
The only sandy beach is in the Imereti Bay, but it is artificial. The beach belongs to the Radisson 5 * hotel, but it is free. If you want to relax on the sand, you have to pay for a sun lounger. Since the beach is loose, there are pebbles at the water's edge and at the entrance to the sea, so you will need aqua shoes. Find out where in southern Russia to find sandy beaches.
So where are the best beaches in Sochi? I prefer beaches mixed with sand, as the entrance to the sea is shallower and more comfortable. Plus, you can always take a sandy corner. :) Look for these in Lazarevsky, Adler, Central Sochi.
Resorts and beaches of Greater Sochi on the map
Where is it more interesting to relax
If you are more interested in an excursion vacation, it is best to rest in central Sochi, Adler or Imeretinskaya Bay, since it is convenient to travel from there.
In the center of Sochi many interesting places that you can see on your own: Riviera Park, Marine Station, Navaginskaya Street, Arboretum, Embankment, Winter Theater, Museum of History, Art Museum. Sightseeing tours are conducted in the center of Sochi, you can take a boat trip in the port. See where you can take a walk in Sochi.
Also from Sochi easy to go to the sights of the Khosta district. There we visited a lot of wonderful places: Yew-boxwood grove, Eagle Rocks, Agursky waterfalls, Ordzhonikidze sanatorium, Kvitko dacha. There is also the Vorontsovskaya cave, Mount Akhun and Stalin's summer residence. Find out about 20 cool places in Sochi.
From Adler and Imeretinskaya Bay it is convenient to visit the arboretum "Southern Cultures", the Olympic Park with dancing fountains, the attractions of the "Sochi-Park", the resorts of Krasnaya Polyana, the Psakho canyon, the Akhshtyr cave and Abkhazia.
In Lazarevskoe it is also convenient to relax if you want to see nature. From the village we drove to the Svir gorge, "Berendeevo kingdom" and Mamedovo gorge, to the Volkonsky dolmen. Also nearby there is the Crab Gorge and the Miracle-Beauty waterfall.
Where is the best place to relax in Sochi with children
You can have a great rest with children in the Imeretinskaya Bay - there is cleaner water there than in the center of Sochi, and there is more entertainment for children. One "Sochi-Park" is worth something!
Lazarevskoye and Dagomys are often chosen for family vacations - it is quieter there than in Sochi, but at the same time a very developed infrastructure.
Many people stay in Adler. There is an airport and a railway station near the resort, so you don't need to travel far and long with your child.
Someone prefers total solitude and chooses very small and unknown villages.
As for rotavirus and norovirus, you can get infected with them everywhere, not only in Russian resorts. Supervise children and do not allow them to swallow seawater, wash hands and fruits thoroughly with running fresh water. Drink bottled water and avoid taking perishable food to the beach to avoid food poisoning. Find out how to put together a first aid kit for your vacation.
Youth Resorts
The most youthful resorts - this is the center of Sochi and the Imeretinskaya Bay. Nightclubs, discos, strip clubs, bowling, karaoke - there is a lot of entertainment. We don't like places like this, so we can't recommend specific establishments.
If you love leisure, you'd better stay in the center of Sochi, Imeretinka, Adler and Krasnaya Polyana. There are many excursions at these resorts: sea and horseback riding, diving, rafting, jeeping, day trips, motorcycle trips, ATVs, bicycles around Greater Sochi. Just see what interesting excursions there are on the Tripster:
Resorts for seniors
Elderly and middle-aged people are better off resting in the less noisy resorts of Sochi. For example, it is quiet and calm in Kudepsta. Dagomys and Golovinka are perfect for middle-aged and elderly people.And in Adler and Matsesta there are many sanatoriums where they treat with silt mud and hydrogen sulfide baths. Khosta, despite all its greenery, has a difficult mountainous terrain, but the resort also has a good sanatorium base.
