Imeretinskaya Bay (Adler) - our tips and feedback about the rest

Next in line in a series of articles about holidays in Russia is Imeretinskaya Bay. We studied the reviews of tourists for 2020 and went ourselves.

Having traveled all over Big Sochi, I realized that Imeretinskaya Bay in Adler is the best place for a vacation. Both in the context of beaches and the beauty of the sea, and in terms of entertainment - everything is there, Abkhazia and the mountains are nearby.

In Imeretinka we rested for the standard 10 days, plus we also "hibernated". So the travel advice will be worthwhile and the information up-to-date.

* adjusting my glasses on my nose * Actually, it's correct to say NizhneImeretinskaya bay. But it is located in the Imereti lowland, so you don't have to complicate it, everyone already understands what it is about.

When is the best time to go?

Beach in Adler next to the Mandarin shopping center (mixed black sand and pebbles)

I was very surprised by the season in Adler - it turns out that it lasts not three months in the summer, but much longer. Imagine the situation: deep November. Friends on Instagram post pictures of the first snow in Kazan, and I watch them on the seashore in Adler in the bright + 15-degree sun!

• In short, the weather here does not deteriorate until mid-November - you can wear a T-shirt throughout October - and it gets better in the spring already in April.
• Sea water for bathing is good in summer, in September and in the first half of October (see table).
• Jellyfish love the Black Sea, a strong influx occurs after storms in October. Locals claim that they are harmless.

Since June, it is very hot in Adler and the bay. The temperature outside stubbornly creeps to +30, and it's hard in the open sun (I remember my August burns through the SPF). But this I do not like the heat, and so summer is a classic period in order to fry for a year in advance.

When to go to Nizhneimeretinskaya Bay?

* the average water temperature is indicated

Red - there is nothing to catch but a ski

Yellow - swimming is cold, but walking and just living is great (and budget)

Green - high season for beaches

Imeretian beaches and sea

In my opinion, the two best water activities in Adler 🙂

The beaches of the Imeretinskaya Bay - pebble... The pebbles are large, the size of a palm, in the reviews they are affectionately called "cobblestones". But in this you can find both disadvantages and advantages:

+ The sea in the Imereti resort because of the pebbles is the purest and most transparent, very beautiful.
- It hurts both to walk on the beach and to go into the water (way out: to be in coral slippers).
- It is inconvenient to sunbathe on a towel (and this moment is solved with the help of a beach mat).

A mere mortal from the private sector or a guest house can get to any beach, even despite the signs "Hotel N Beach". The line along the coast is public, and reclining on a towel is not prohibited. The infrastructure on the beaches is normal. There are free changing rooms and showers, toilets along the embankment for 30 rubles (there are free ones too, but rarely). Beach cafes, hot corn, massage - everything is available.

• Sunbed - 300-400 rubles per day
• Umbrella - 500 rubles (but most often there are common sheds on the beaches)
• "Royal" tent - 2500 rubles
• Towel for rent - 200 rubles

A separate moment of the Imeretian beaches is the sharp depth. With small children, you will have to splash on the shore and in oversleeves. In general, a popular accessory for holidaymakers is a swimming pillow, with which the depth is not terrible. And yes, there are no railway tracks along the local beaches, which is typical for many areas of Greater Sochi.

By the way, about the pebbles: in order to understand whether you need it, and to estimate the scale, watch our video, which we filmed this year for the channel on YouTube:

Prices for water activities

There are not very many water activities here.

- Rent of sup-boards (like surfboards, but with a paddle) - 700 rubles per hour
* an interesting option: go in a group on saplings in the morning to meet the dawn at sea!
- A place in the boat for "watching dolphins" - 500 rubles
- Diving for beginners - 2500–3500 rubles per dive
- Plastic pontoons in the sea to jump - free

How much does a trip to Adler cost?

Embankment along the Nizhneimeretinskaya Bay

Imeretinskaya Bay in Adler is a true resort area, and since the main costs of a trip are the way to get there and accommodation, in the season the cost of rest here is ... decent. And by analogy, in October-November it drops dramatically, because it is shameless to break prices for a cool sea.

How much does it cost to rest in Adler's Imereti Bay in the summer?

Point 1. How to get there?

• By plane - from 7,000 rubles for a round-trip air ticket from Moscow, from the regions it is more expensive.
• By train - from 6,000 rubles for a seat in the reserved seat round-trip from Moscow. I have such an experience of a trip to the sea ... If I could rewind, I would be the first to run to change the plane ticket, because two days in the carriage is not like lying on a sofa with a TV series. This is an ordeal.
• On a voucher - prices for tours from 40,000 rubles for 7 nights for two from Moscow, this already includes accommodation, from the regions about the same starting level. You can save money with tourist cashback if you go to Imeretinka before July 2021.

Item 2. Accommodation.

Our apartment for a month near the port of Adler overlooking the sea

For independent tourists, the range of accommodation options is large - apartments, guest houses, whole houses, hotels. All of them have one thing in common: a price tag of at least 2,000 rubles per day. If you look at a good non-grandmother's housing with an area of ​​more than 10 sq. m, then from 4000 rubles.

Where to watch and choose? Using two sites:

• Sutochno.ru - here are apartments and guest houses
• RoomGuru - here are traditional hotels, apart-hotels, hotels

But: if you consider only hotels and your trip will take place until June 30, 2021, it is more profitable for you to choose an option on Onlinetours - because it participates in the tourist cashback promotion from Rostourism and returns 20% of the hotel cost back (do not forget to check the "only hotel" checkbox in search), but Daily and Rumguru no.

Item 3. Food.

The simplest and most understandable point, establishments here are growing by leaps and bounds - everything is tailored to the needs of tourists. From Hong Kong waffles to restaurants from Novikov, but most popular are canteens, buffets and cheburek.

What are the prices for cafes and groceries in stores? Slightly higher than in the regions, but not like in Moscow. The title of "folk" grocery stores in Adler is shared by Pyaterochka and Magnit.

• Lunch in the dining room for two - 500-600 rubles
• Hike to a cafe for two - 1000 rubles
• Cappuccino in a coffee shop, 0.3 - 180 rubles
• Lavash in tandoor - 50 rubles
• Fruit - 100-200 rubles per 1 kg
• Vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions) - 30-50 rubles per 1 kg
• Water, 5l - 50 rubles
• Ice cream on the embankment - 100 rubles for 3 balls

Frankly, we did not go to establishments too much. I will note in Imeretinka two places with the most original names (but it is easy to remember) - Bakery and Burger... The first one prepares good pies (250 rubles) and rolls (80-100 rubles), there are basic breakfasts with an egg; in the second - burgers (350-400 rubles), there is even a vegetarian with falafel !! Both are located after the Radisson Hotel, which is the most visible here.

Most often we stayed in coffee houses - by the way, this is tight in the bay, there are coffee stalls, but they are kind of without a soul, and delicious coffee is prepared every other time. Therefore, we went towards the Imereti port: there is Surf Coffee (in the evening, under the lit lights, there is a wildly pleasant "hipster" atmosphere) and Karma (this is a full-fledged cafe with food and coffee, but only the last one is good here).

Clause 4. Transport.
It is only 5 kilometers from the extreme point to the Fisht Olympic stadium, where the Nizhneimeretinskaya Bay ends. Theoretically, you can walk, but in the summer heat it is torture. To services of tourists:

• Yandex.Taxi - from the airport 300-500 rubles, around the city 100-150 rubles, but if you decide to cross the bridge to Adler, then from 300 rubles
• Buses around the city - 34 rubles
• Bus to Rosa Khutor - 180 rubles
• Bicycle rental - 2-3 rubles per minute
• Electric scooter rental - 3-6 rubles per minute + 30-50 rubles per start
• Cars, such as tuk-tuk in Thailand, plying along the embankment and to the Olympic Park - 300-500 rubles

A separate item is ↓

Rent a Car

Sochi and Adler are one of the few cities in Russia where car sharing is available! But here it has its own specifics: it works like a regular car rental. Minimum for a day, there are no tariffs per minute. The cost is from 2000 rubles for 24 hours, but you can save money by entering a promotional code for the first trip during registration in the mobile application:

• For Belka Car service - GRMO3459 (300 rubles)
• For the YouDrive service - sFGDCR (50%, but a discount of no more than 500 rubles)

To go to Sochi, we took Smart Mini in YouDrive for 2,000 rubles for a day, and it turned out to be 1,500 rubles at a discount. Not bad.

In the rental offices you can find a car cheaper, but the machine was important for us, so we stopped at car sharing. If mechanics don't bother you, look for cars in advance on MyRentaCar.

Hotels in Imeretinskaya Bay

We went with an overnight stay in Krasnaya Polyana, stayed at the Marriott Hotel (photo on the right) I advise!

There are few classical hotels in Adler in the European style. It has its own rules and concepts of service, so the army of mini-hotels and guest houses prevails. But there are also "diamonds" among them.

Let's do it this way. I will give a list of good hotels with a high rating and their prices in season - and a photo and a detailed description, look at the hotel page.

Hotels by the sea (first line):

• 3 * Modart Hotel - from 5000 rubles per night
• 5 * Arfa Park Hotel - from 10,000 rubles per night
• 4 * Alana Royal - from 10,000 rubles per night

Popular hotels (including mini-) away from the beach:

• 3 * Omega Sirius - from 6000 rubles per night
• 3 * Pearl-village mini-hotel - from 5000 rubles per night
• 3 * Tiadele Hotel - from 5000 rubles per night
• Mini-hotel O More - from 4000 rubles per night
• Mini-hotel Sails - from 4000 rubles per night
• 3 * Velvet Seasons Ekaterininsky quarter - from 4000 rubles per night

Is it worth going to the Imereti Bay for rest, as in Turkey? Luxurious hotel, territory, that's all. Well, there is a suitable hotel here, 5 * Radisson Collection Paradise Resort & Spa - huge, modern and expensive, with sand on the beach. But "all inclusive" is not there, the maximum is "breakfast, lunch, dinner."

All links lead to RoomGuru - an aggregator of hotels from Booking, it differs in that it monitors all existing hotel booking systems and, accordingly, searches for all discounts and great offers. If you are traveling, see hotels and reviews on Travelata.

Housing in the private sector of Adler

Most of Adler and Imeretinka are the private sector and guest houses. Moreover, it will not necessarily be a two- or three-storey house, where a room or a floor is rented to a tourist. It is full of new buildings and high-rise residential complexes.

It is difficult to find housing in the private sector right by the sea, and in the season it is super expensive, they ask for around 7,000-10,000 rubles per day. If you “let go” the first line, you can get together for 3500-5000 rubles. The lowest price tag - 1500-2000 rubles - is placed on rooms in guest houses and economy hotels, or on options 3 km from the sea.

I advise you to search and choose daily accommodation on: Sutochno.ru or Booking (click on the left filter "guest houses" and "apartments / apartments").

What to see in the Nizhneimeretinskaya Bay?

In Imeretinka, everything that a tourist needs to visit is assembled - all the sights for which they travel from Sochi:

• Olympic Park and Singing Fountains - Free
• Formula 1 track - free
• Sochi Park amusement park - 1900/1500 rubles for an adult and a child
• Local arboretum Southern Cultures - 300 rubles
• Oceanarium Sochi Discovery World Aquarium - 800/500 rubles
• Promenade along the sea and piers - free

And the directions of the most popular excursions are also not far from here.

Prices for entertainment and excursions

Best of all, the following guided trips are at odds with the excursion booths:

• Abkhazia - 1500 rubles per person
• Krasnaya Polyana - 1000 rubles
• Sochi sightseeing tour - 700-800 rubles
• Boat trip - 1500 rubles
• Fishing - 1300 rubles
• Horseback riding - 1400 rubles

Imeretinskaya Bay and Sochi are separated by 30 kilometers, and it is easier and more convenient to go there on your own by car (see the section "Rent a car" above). As well as to Krasnaya Polyana and its peak Rosa Khutor.

For something more modern and original than guided streaming bus tours, look at Tripster - a service of individual excursions:

The center of general leisure in the Imeretinskaya Bay is the embankment. Here bicycles and electric scooters rush along a dedicated path, grandmothers and grandchildren walk decorously after dinner, gambling holiday-makers shoot at the shooting range, life-size puppets-symbols of the Olympics catch children and adults who are greedy for pictures, musicians and singers shout one louder than the other. Fun!

The nearest shopping and entertainment center is located in central Adler - the Mandarin shopping center. There are shops and a good half of popular establishments.

Holidays with children in Adler

Of all the districts of Adler, where it is better to rest for tourists, I recommend Imeretinka to "children". First, the airport is 10-15 minutes away by taxi. Secondly, it is calm and quiet here, compared to Sochi or central Adler. The terrain is flat, there are no steep descents and ascents. There are many entertainments and playgrounds on the embankment. After all, Sochi Park is here that you cannot show your child if you are not going to take him there!

In the kitchen and food - everything is clear, mashed potatoes and pasta are served everywhere. There are also conditions for cooking at home on your own. Well, the best proof of the suitability of the Imeretinskaya Bay for small and not so much is a huge number of family tourists even in low season!

Reviews of tourists about the Imeretinskaya Bay: pros and cons

There are a great many reviews of tourists about the Imereti Bay in 2020, probably the same as in all previous years. Thanks to closed borders. Having listened to the responses and multiplied by my own experience, I will sum it up as follows.

Why yes"?

+ Beaches without railway tracks and terrible breakwaters - flat sea horizon
+ Beautiful transparent sea
+ Abkhazia and Krasnaya Polyana nearby
+ Relatively new, but fully equipped for tourists resort, before the Olympics there was nothing here
+ Nearby both the airport and the railway station

Why not"?

- Pebbles (are you for or against?)
- Sharp depth
- No good coffee shops
- Expensive housing in season