Rest in Sochi is a great opportunity to enjoy the Black Sea coast, well-groomed beaches and clear sea. Exciting excursions to local attractions await tourists. So, having had plenty of swimming in the sea and enjoying night discos and clubs, it's time to visit the best natural attractions of the resort region, among which waterfalls occupy a special place.
Valley “33 waterfalls“
Let's start our review with a sight called “33 waterfalls”. Anyone can visit the valley, who found themselves by chance in Lazarevsky. To make it easier to navigate the terrain, we advise you to focus on the village of Bolshoy Kichmay, which is only 30 km from the resort.
As the name of the attraction suggests, there are indeed 33 waterfalls of different sizes and types in the valley. The only thing that unites them is that they originate from the Dzhegosh stream. The highest water stream originates at a height of 10 meters.
The falling water cascades look especially beautiful in spring, when the stream is saturated with melt water, throwing even more liquid at the feet of tourists. It is worth noting that all the conditions for a full-fledged excursion of tourists have been created here – observation platforms, bridges and stairs have been built, and guides conduct excursions, telling entertaining stories.
You can get to the amazing natural place by bus number 158, which runs along the route “Lazarevskoye – Bolshoy Kichmay”. There is one unpleasant moment: from the bus stop to the sights, you will have to overcome a seven-kilometer distance.
Therefore, many tourists prefer to use the services of fellow travelers, hire taxis or trucks. But if you are not afraid of difficulties, you can walk to the waterfalls on foot, enjoying the amazing nature around.
Agur waterfalls
No less popular are the Agur waterfalls, which, in addition to their beauty, are known for an interesting, but very sad legend. According to legend, the girl Agura brought water to her lover, who was chained to a rock.
When her tribesmen found out about this, they threw her off a cliff. The girl crashed and turned into the river of the same name, which has since fed several waterfalls. The easiest way to get to the sights is to use the services of buses or fixed-route taxis No. 2,110,122,125.
Get off at the Sputnik stop and follow the route to Mount Akhun, from where it will not be difficult to go down to the waterfalls.
If you decide to go by car, just enter the address Kurortny Prospekt, 120, where the Zelenaya Roshcha sanatorium is located, into the navigator. Leaving the car, you need to walk about 1 km to the restaurant “Caucasian Aul”.
Here you will see the entrance leading to the natural masterpiece. An alternative route (for more prepared tourists) is a hike along the path along the river, which will lead you to your cherished goal. Although such a hiking route will be more exhausting, you will be able to enjoy the picturesque scenery to your heart's content. Remember: three waterfalls are located at different levels and a path leads to each of them.
It's easier if you build your route from the top source to the bottom one. You can also use the services of an experienced guide who will not only lead you to the springs, but also tell many interesting stories and legends about this place.
Achipsinsky waterfalls
Consider another route for lovers of natural wonders, which will lead us to the Achipsinsky waterfalls. The route runs along a forest path past alpine meadows. The starting point of the route is the Sochi National Park, from where you need to follow along the eastern slope of Mount Achishkho straight to the source of the river of the same name with waterfalls.
Since tourists have a long way to go, it is worth preparing for the trip thoroughly, not forgetting to take tents for the night, food and essentials with you.
It is recommended to plan such a trip only in the warm season – from mid-May to mid-October. After all, you will have to spend the night under the open sky. And one more piece of advice: it is better to go on a journey in the company of a whole group of tourists and an experienced guide.
Waterfall Azhek
One of the cleanest waterfalls in the Sochi region can be considered Azhek. It is located on the stream of the same name, 6.5 km from the nearest settlement – the village of Orekhovka. You can find this natural attraction by moving upstream the Sochi River, bypassing an abandoned apiary. Having reached the last one, you can take a good rest before the final jerk.
After all, from this place to the cherished goal there will be only 1 km of the way! With good physical preparation, you will find yourself at Azhek after 5-6 hours of leisurely travel. You will have an amazing view of the 9.5-meter water jet, which below meets with an impressive size (about 7 meters in diameter) bowl of a natural pool.
It is worth noting that the waterfall is completely hidden from the sun's rays by the dense foliage of trees. Accordingly, the water temperature here is not suitable for swimming even in summer. Well, the remoteness of the waterfall and the inaccessibility for tourists have their advantages, including the excellent sanitary condition of the natural object.
Waterfall Aquarius
The walking route to this natural spring starts from the Tatyanovka Village bus stop. To the starting point, everyone will be delivered by buses from the village of Lazarevskoye, which run at numbers 156 and 157.
If you decide to get there on your own, we advise you to pay attention to road signs. Drive along the Lazarevskoye – Tkhagapsh highway. On the territory of the forestry there will be a congress to the beginning of the trail, near which the ticket office is installed.
Almost the entire path will have to go through the dense Colchis forest, which seems to be copied from a movie about dinosaurs and the prehistoric era. Even a walk through this forest will not leave anyone indifferent, it will allow you to enjoy the rich variety of vegetation – lianas, moss, ferns. The road runs along the very bottom of the gorge (about 300-400 meters).
Tourists need to follow the path that runs along a small river, the name of which either no one remembers, or it was not named at all.
So that the guests would not get lost, local tourist organizations and just those who were not indifferent paved the path with rubble, made wooden decks where it was necessary, and also threw small decks and bridges over numerous streams.
Steps were hewn directly in front of the Aquarius waterfall, which will lead visitors to the very source of the water stream. In addition to the ten-meter waterfall, there are also smaller springs here, against which excellent photographs will turn out!
Waterfall “Girl's Tears”
As you have already noticed, there are legends about almost all beautiful places. The waterfall with the original name “Girl's Tears” was no exception. According to legend, the origin of the spring is connected with the sad love story of a mere mortal daughter of a shepherd and a forest spirit that lived in these places.
The jealous and evil sorceress, by all means, decided to destroy the feelings between the person and the spirit, threw the girl into the gorge. Since then, a waterfall has appeared here, which personifies unhappy love, unfulfilled happiness and sadness for a loved one.
It is worth noting that the place turned out to be very romantic: thin streams of water, together with numerous droplets, flow down the gently sloping rocky ledges, which is very reminiscent of shed human tears. Perhaps the spirit itself lives in these places and communicates with the soul of his beloved…
There is an amazing attraction in the Krasnopolyansky forestry. To get to this place, it is worth following the Adler-Krasnaya Polyana highway and two kilometers before the beginning of the village, turn along the road towards the mountain.
In order not to get lost, use the village of Chvizhepse as a guideline, passing which after 3-4 km there will be the mentioned exit. After a short walk along the mountain path, you will find yourself near a spring, the water of which falls down from a 13-meter height, and, breaking, rushes to the Mzymta River.
On the way to the sights, you can stop for a moment on the shore of Lake Ritsa, which was formed as a result of the melt waters from the Alpine heights. Passing through the thickness of limestone, filtered water enters the lake, so many reservoirs of protected areas can envy the purity of the source.
Zmeykovskiye waterfalls
This cascade of waterfalls is very reminiscent of the Agur waterfalls, but, unlike them, it never dries up. And all thanks to the large number of springs that feed the unique natural landmark. You can find an attraction near the Zmeyka River, which is the right tributary of the Matsesta.
The river owes its name to the unusual shape and the color of the water shimmering in the sun. From afar, it seems that a giant snake with sparkling scales is crawling out of a dense forest. We advise you to pay special attention to the area from the first upper to the fifth lower waterfall.
The total length of this section reaches 600 meters. The first source is represented by two tiers, on the first there is a small natural pool in which everyone can swim.
It seems that the creators of the pools in the hotels, which are located on the very edge of the terrace near the cliff, drew their ideas from such natural phenomena.
Well, you can drink the purest spring water, which feeds the waterfall, from a spring that is located at the very top of a sheer cliff. We guarantee you have never tasted such water! To get to the sights, tourists will need a car to get to Izmailovskaya Street.
The length of the route from Kurortny Prospekt Sochi is 12 km, including, you have to overcome the bridge over the Matsesta. If you go by bus, then you need to take minibus number 120, which departs from the railway station and runs every 45 minutes. After disembarking, you will have to overcome the hiking trail with a length of 800 meters and you will find yourself near the first water stream.
As you can see, tourists who find themselves on the resort coast of Sochi will have something to diversify their holiday program. Make an exciting trip to natural springs, see some of the most beautiful waterfalls in Russia, take memorable pictures and fall in love with the local beauties forever – this is the motto of those who decide on an exciting excursion!