Big Castel Bay on the map. Bolshoy Kastel - a beautiful ravine near Dzhangulskaya Bay

After a series of bays, wanderings and wanderings, we landed in a huge and beautiful bay - Big Castel.

Here on the shore there are plenty of places for tents and, accordingly, there are also a lot of tents. On a small hill there are the ruins of some ancient estate, which seems to be 2000 years old.

And now on the stones that remain from it gape the works of the unknown Danila the master.

Somewhere else on the shore there should be a well left over from the estate, but we didn’t see it and didn’t look for it, anyway we wouldn’t drink from it, but stopped a little further.

A well-worn rocky dirt road leads into the bay directly from. This road begins at the exit from the side. From the asphalt road in front of a lonely cottage to the left of the road, surrounded by a large fence, a dirt road goes to the left, climbs up a hill, then along a flat road parallel to the road, then descends 2 km into the bay itself. There are, of course, many branches there, but this one is especially heavily traveled by cars, rocky, and easy to distinguish.

I want to stay in the Big Castel for at least a day. There is where to swim, where to snorkel, where to jump from rocks. In general, on the western side, as we understand, this is a favorite place for many tourists.

Although in front of it, on the Black Sea side, there is also a wonderful little little-known bay with space for only a couple of tents near the sea, the rest can only be placed on a hill nearby. We also spent one night there.

For water and food we went 19 km, if along the bays, they wanted to shorten the return, but they didn’t know the road I described above yet, so, as usual, they looped about the same distance.

Greater Castel is a protected area protected by the state. This is a special natural place, where there are small areas overgrown with ancient bushes and steppe expanses, through which the wind blows and the feather grass rustles. In addition, here you can see the foundation of an ancient manor discovered by archaeologists. Therefore, a visit to the Great Castel will appeal to both nature lovers and fans of antiquities.

What is special about the Greater Castel Nature Reserve?

The Bolshoy Kastel beam is known for its unique nature: both flora and fauna. Relict groves of shrub plants have been preserved here, making up the special ecosystem of this place. Thanks to such unusual vegetation, the Great Castel looks especially attractive: tourists feel as if they have found themselves in another world. There are endless expanses of steppes, white limestone cliffs above the sea and the same snow-white beach. Looking at such a landscape, you might think that this is not the Crimean coast, but the shores of the Greek islands.

Big Castel is also unique for its fauna. Here you can see wild rabbits, the colony of which is strictly protected by the state. The appearance of these animals here is also unusual, and it is especially pleasant to see such animals running past. The ruins of an ancient building found in this place are very significant. Once upon a time there was an ancient Greek manor on the Big Kastel, which means that such an area attracted people with its beauty many centuries ago.

What is useful to know before your trip?

The Bolshoi Kastel tract is especially good for relaxing with tents. You can stay here for the night, but it is worth remembering that in such a steppe nature it is impossible to find firewood for a fire, and starting a fire in a protected area can lead to trouble. It is important to know in advance that there is no mobile reception in the bay itself and in order to make a call you will have to climb to the top of the hill. And 3G internet is generally poor throughout the entire area.

A trip to the Big Castel can be diversified by visiting other attractions, for example, the Dzhangul nature reserve or the ancient ancient village of Panskoye with the Temple of Hercules. You can dine in numerous cafes in the village of Chernomorskoye, which offer national Crimean Tatar dishes. In the same village you can rent various vehicles and rent accommodation. You can stay in hotels and sanatoriums not only in Chernomorskoye, but also in other nearby villages: Mezhvodnoye and Olenevka. In these places you can find fairly cheap private housing.

Don't forget about souvenirs. Good gifts would be products purchased at local markets, for example, the famous red sweet Yalta onion or Crimean wines. A trip to the Bolshoy Kastel tract will be even more successful if it coincides with local holiday events:

festive events to mark the beginning of the holiday season at the Solnechnaya Dolina boarding house (Olenevka village) from April 29 to May 3, 2017;

show performances at the Atlesh Dolphinarium.

How to get to the Bolshoy Kastel tract?

You can get to the Bolshoy Kastel tract on your own or as part of an excursion, the cost of which will depend on the place of departure. It is better to plan an independent trip for those who have a car, because it is much more convenient to bring all the necessary travel accessories with you. Bolshoi Kastel is located in the urban-type village of Chernomorskoye on Cape Tarkhankut in the northeast of the Dzhangul nature reserve.

Natural monument (1969), protected area (1980). The Bolshoy Kastel gully reaches the seashore on the Tarkhankut Peninsula northwest of Dzhangul. Areas of relict bush thickets and feather grass steppes have been preserved here. A large colony of wild rabbits is protected in the tract.

In the bay there are preserved ruins (foundation) of an ancient Greek estate, excavated in 1986-87 by an expedition of the Leningrad Institute of Archeology.

During the season, there are usually campers with tents along the perimeter of the bay. Among the amenities, there is a well in the bay not far from the shore. The water is good, clean, but it is better, just in case, to boil it before drinking. The disadvantages are that there is no firewood in this area (and by law you cannot spoil the nature here), and there is no mobile phone reception in the bay itself - you need to climb a couple of minutes to the top of the hill.

If you notice an inaccuracy or the data is out of date, please make corrections, we will be grateful. Let's create the best encyclopedia about Crimea together!

Natural monument (1969), protected area (1980). The Bolshoy Kastel gully reaches the seashore on the Tarkhankut Peninsula northwest of Dzhangul. Areas of relict bush thickets and feather grass steppes have been preserved here. A large colony of wild rabbits is protected in the tract. In the bay there are preserved ruins (foundation) of an ancient Greek estate, excavated in 1986-87 by an expedition of the Leningrad Institute of Archeology. During the season, there are usually campers with tents along the perimeter of the bay. Among the amenities, there is a well in the bay not far from the shore. The water is good, clean, but it is better, just in case, to boil it before drinking. The disadvantages are that there is no firewood in this area (and by law you cannot spoil the nature here), and there is no mobile phone reception in the bay itself - you need to climb a couple of minutes to the top of the hill. Save changes

And searching for the coveted bay, we already knew where to go. We left our room early in the morning to avoid the heat and went straight to the steppe. The road to Bolshoy Kastel begins just after the end of the village, along the fence.

Although we left at 7 o’clock in the morning, even at that time we could feel the scorching Crimean sun. We took a beach umbrella with us and tried to hide in its shade. It looks a little strange, but it's actually effective.

Our attention was immediately drawn to the “brick” placed among the grasses. The sight is quite unusual, especially considering that there is not the slightest path leading to it.

The road took us 4 hours of walking. It is worth clarifying that all other times it took us only 2 hours. If you see a forest belt in the middle of the steppe, great, because you are on the right path and you still have exactly half to go! We used it as a landmark and a place to stop.

Upon arrival at the bay, we foolishly decided to lie down right above the water. It looked something like this:

As soon as we finished setting up, a caring grandfather came up to us and said that the sea was flooding to the place where our tent was located, and splashes from the waves were even falling on the rocks. We had to move the structure higher.

On our “trip” as a savage to the sea, we decided not to bother with weight and took duvet covers in order to create some comfort in our home. It was quite pleasant and comfortable, the inflatable pillows were especially pleasing.

The main reason why we chose this bay was the availability of fresh water. Although before the trip we heard that the water was not very tasty, we didn’t experience it ourselves - it’s ordinary water, but it spoils quickly, so we won’t be able to get it for future use. That is why we stayed in the Big Castel and did not look for a deserted place.

The photo shows a well. It is located 10 meters from the sea. If you are going to the bay, then think in advance about how you will collect water, since you may not have a bucket (a rope 3 m long will suffice).

There is not much to do in the bay, so people put names, names of cities, and whoever has enough imagination for what on the hills with stones:

Here's a great view from our tent:

We decided to walk to the other side of the bay and take a closer look. Along the road there are ancient ruins of what everyone claims is the country house of some rich Greek. Some tourists settle directly in them.

On the other side, you can see a more complete picture of the ruins - the house was quite large.

But this is what we saw on the other side - a dangerous path leads to a flat place where you can pitch your tent right on the cliff.

They also found a grotto. Swimming into it, we didn’t see anything special, which disappointed us a little, but the crabs seemed to like it there.

There are many unpleasant insects in the steppe. We were especially alarmed by the scolopendras, which crawled around the tent a couple of times at night, and the karakurts, which we were lucky not to meet.

For these reasons, we carefully packed things into bags, especially food. It’s also worth storing them this way because of the dust that gets into any crevices.

Dust seeps into the tent even through the mosquito net due to the wind, which does not stop for a second. Every evening we shook out our things that were in the tent.

There is absolutely no firewood to be found in the steppe - we cooked on a burner. We ate porridge and canned food. It was on this trip that I started using mayonnaise, since the choice of food was limited. A bus comes to the bay 1-2 times a day, bringing food from civilization, but it was focused more on beer, ice cream and bread. We usually bought kefir and butter for porridge there.

This is what our wind-unstable structure looks like:

Every day we started dinner at sunset and finished by lantern light. It was both romantic and awkward, but we loved it.

Over the course of a few days, we discovered a secluded place on the edge of the bay, which could be reached either by wading or sliding down an almost vertical cliff. That's where we usually spent our time.

One day we brought a melon from Olenevka and enjoyed it in the company of crabs.

To pass the time, we took with us a pack of Japanese crossword puzzles, which we solved on the days when it started to rain and storm. In general, there is generally nothing to do in the bay in bad weather.

There is no connection in the bay, so we went to the neighboring one to catch the signal. This took us about half an hour.

In order to catch the signal, start walking along the sea towards Olenevka along this path:

When you reach a place similar to the photo below (you can see Fisherman's Bay from it) start looking for a connection. Be patient - once we searched for half an hour and to no avail.

But after the call I was usually happy:

The steppe has a very unusual and beautiful landscape. I collected bouquets of dried herbs and snails :)

We spent 10 unforgettable days in the Big Castel. This place is amazingly beautiful and still quite wild. Anyone planning to go to Crimea as a savage, pay attention to him!

And in these places there is a great opportunity to walk around Dzhangul and Atlesh - don’t miss it!

Nature reserves are created not only to preserve natural or cultural values. An equally important task is to make sure that interested people can get to know them better. The Bolshoy Kastel protected ravine in Crimea, on Tarkhankut, is a protected area and at the same time a favorite vacation spot for many “tent campers”.

Where is Bolshoy Kastel Bay located on the map?

It is part of the Tarkhankutsky National Natural Park, found on the Western coast of Crimea, between the villages of Olenevka and Chernomorskoye. The second name of the bay is Dzhangulskaya, since very close it is not difficult to find a tract of the same name with a landslide coast.

History and origin: a piece of Greece

The Tarkhankut Peninsula, of which the ravine is part of the system, is a unique natural object in itself. The perimeter of the Greater Kastel makes you think not about Crimea, but about the southern Greek islands. The environment here is unusual, as a result, in 1980 the object was taken under protection as a natural monument.

Bolshoy Kastel is a complex of the Dzhangulskaya sea bay and the slopes of the gully descending to it. A significant part of it is steppe, but on the hill there is preserved relict shrub vegetation, which is not found anywhere else in Crimea. There is also a natural colony of wild rabbits here – also an unusual phenomenon for Taurida.

The sea, like everywhere else on Tarkhankut, is clean here. There are a lot of limestone rocks near the shore; the sand is also largely composed of crushed limestone, giving it a white undertone. These features make it uniquely similar to Greece.

The length of the beam is about 3 km. Its depth is 30 m, the slopes are moderately steep. As you can see in the photo, Bolshoy Kastel Bay has an almost regular semicircular shape and is reliably protected by capes. Therefore, there is almost no strong excitement in it, and the water remains transparent and bright, almost blue.

Colonizers with good taste

Archaeologists have now proven that the Greeks also thought so. Excavations in 1986 made it possible to discover here the remains of an estate from the period of the ancient Greek colonization of Crimea.

Such estates, quite well fortified (“castel” means “fortress”, “castle”), were the dwellings of wealthy landowners in the ancient period. It seems that the wealthy Greek colonialist tried to find a place on the Crimean coast that would be as similar as possible to his homeland.

Scientists believe that other Greeks lived here, engaged in fishing and trading. The task is to prevent damage to possible archaeological finds and to let them wait for their researchers.

Rest in Dzhangulskaya Bay

There are walks through the territory of the ravine, allowing you to explore its nature and archaeological sites. In addition to the Greek villa, interesting rock paintings were discovered here. Tourists regularly increase their number by trying themselves as stone cutters. But the results of their creativity mainly decorate stones near the coast.

Rabbits can be seen everywhere in the ravine – their presence gives the stay a special flavor. In the upper reaches, in the steppe areas, there are corrals,
where saigas and kulans live in semi-free conditions, work is underway to restore the population of these rare animals.

They love to come here. The water in the bay is completely clear. And in the coastal rocks there are many picturesque caves and grottoes. The cleanliness allows for underwater photography. Reviews from experienced divers about the dives here are invariably enthusiastic.

There is a technical detail that tourists heading to the Grand Castel, as well as their friends and relatives, need to know about. There is practically no mobile communications in the bay; there is nothing to count on for constant telephone conversations there (and even less so for mobile Internet).

If there is a need for an urgent call, you will have to climb higher. As for modern mobile technologies, they work poorly in the entire Black Sea region, to which this tract belongs.

How to get (get there) from Olenevka?

It is clear that buses do not go here - you only need a personal or rented car. It’s easy to get to the beam by car like this:

Note to tourists

• Address: Black Sea region, Crimea, Russia.
• GPS coordinates: 45.455345, 32.548865.

A good holiday does not always require a developed resort infrastructure, increased domestic comfort and ready-made entertainment. Proximity to nature, silence and the sound of the sea have an almost magical effect on modern people. To get all this, you don’t need to turn to a sorcerer - just go to the Big Castel gully in the summer, on. In conclusion, we offer a short video about it, enjoy watching.