When most people think of Crimea, they envision beaches with low mountains rising in the background.  Yalta is usually the first city to come to mind, being Crimea’s most famous coastal resort and historical site, and was also known as a summer playground for the soviet politburo and high ranking communist officials.  While it is indisputable that this area possesses an almost Mediterranean beauty, it is also true that that southern Crimea is overcrowded and littered in the summer months of May through September, and most of the well-known tourist destinations can be tacky and run down.  Crimea is a tourist destination primarily for Ukrainians and Russians who go to the peninsula often for the sole purpose of showing off their affluence, which has in turn created an uneasy atmosphere. Its lack of hospitality is remnant of the soviet ways, which contrasts greatly with their relaxed Mediterranean neighbors across the Black Sea and beyond. 

However, if you find yourself in this neck of the woods and you are not interested in casinos and crowed beaches, there is salvation, and that is Tarhankut. Located on the most western point of the Crimean peninsula, Tarhankut has remained in relative obscurity, and receives no pass through traffic; in fact, the place receives relatively little traffic at all.   Tarhankut is a treeless rolling steppe that reaches to the Black Sea and then drops straight down a hundred meters or so to the sea.  There is a roughed beauty to the land, but people come to Tarhankut to visit the cliffs, caves and sea. It was a pleasant surprise to find that this place had not been littered to the extent of the rest of the peninsula.  We found visitors to Tarhankut to be true nature lovers who come back year after year, have respect for its natural beauty, and make all efforts to keep the cliffs and the sea clean. 

My wife Natasha and I were traveling by car and just happened to come across several “lagers” located next to the sea cliffs about five or six km. past the village of Olenivka.  Lager is the Russian word for ‘expedition camping’ and involves an array of outdoor ‘camping’ activities.  I was the first non-Russian or Ukrainian that ever stayed at the lager, and people were curious but respectful.  People at the lager are healthy in body and soul.  Most spend their days doing a variety of activities including scuba diving, wind surfing, and water sking.  The lager has two boats used for excursions to remote water caves formed in the sandstone sea cliffs.  The lager is set upon a cove with an excellent rock beach for swimming, and the water is clear and unpolluted.