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The coastline of the Black Sea resort area stretches for more than 100 km, and the beaches,   depending on their location,  are  rocky, pebble, pebble-sand and sand.

The latter are represented in the Gelendzhik Bay; and in its center a 1.5-kilometer artificial sandy city beach with a moderate slope in depth has been created. Swimming in the bay is an ongoing topic for disputes among tourists who are lucky or not with the weather, the purity of the sea or noisy neighbors. Yes, it can be bit dirty sometimes, but the bay and the beach are constantly cleaned, there is even a special filter vessel and a team of divers. Yes, it can be crowded, but this is a feature of all city beaches. It is less crowded and cleaner on the edge of the bay - at the lighthouse or on the beach "Gardens of the Seas". But the bay with its form is protected from sea waves, is full of marine entertainment, quickly warms up by the sun and allows you to drag out the swimming season until mid-October.

The beaches in the direction of Novorossiysk - in the area of the Blue Bay and Kabardinka - are quite clean, not so crowded, pebble and sand.



A rocky and steep coast stretches towards Dzhanhot, but even here you can find a descent to a narrow wild beach, for example, several picturesque places at the foot of snow-white cliffs in the area of Divnomorsky. In Dzhanhot and Divnomorsky there are both natural pebble beaches and artificial sandy. Between Dzhanhot and Praskoveevka there are places where rocks horizontally sink into the sea, creating unique bathtubs with a perfectly smooth, polished bottom. Krynica is famous for its wide beach with the cleanest water in the area, including sunbeds, umbrellas, and changing cabins. Between Krinitsa and Betta there are many secluded small wild "piglets". The main beach of Betta is small, consists of medium pebbles, next to all the necessary tourist infrastructure. A rocky nudist beach is a 30-minute walk away.

In Arkhipo-Osipovka there are sand and pebble beaches. The pebble beach across the Teshebs river is beautiful and less fussy, the Nornickel beach is equipped with a convenient exit and paid parking, the water is clear, pebbles are shallow. Also in the area of the village there are several beautiful wild beaches.

Diving in Gelendzhik

Although the Black Sea is not particularly attractive for experienced divers with its landscapes and liveliness, if you wish, you can arrange training with further certification in Gelendzhik, dive for the sake of supporting your own qualifications or order several tours from local diving centers.



Of the pluses here you will find  a responsible approach and good reviews, as well as pleasant prices, given the exchange rate and the cost of similar services in foreign resorts. Access to the open sea by boat for 1.5-2 hours with a dive will cost 1300-2000 RUB depending on the season, complexity and availability of promotions. The PADI Open Water Diver course for 4-7 days costs 17 000-20 000 RUB, upgrading to Advanced Open Water Diver or Rescue Diver is estimated at different clubs at 8000-15 000 RUB, for the Divemaster certificate you need to pay another 20 000-30 000 RUB.

Experienced divers may find interesting sites with the remains of planes and ships wrecked and sunken during World War II, including the Boston A-20 bomber, the maze of reefs Yakornaya Bank and Pyatibrata Bank, reefs in the Dzhanhot area, as well as flooded in 1918 the battleship "Free Russia".