ODESA, Ukraine — This summer is unlike other ones. No transatlantic flights for sunshine seekers. Faraway trips are rare. Domestic tourism is booming around the globe. No surprise, as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended vacations (and a lot more) for millions of people.
For Ukrainians, coronavirus lockdown meant no planes to take them to popular destinations like Spain, Cyprus, or Thailand. Neighboring Turkey — the nation’s favorite place for summer vacation — is among several countries that allow Ukrainians in.
Many, however, decided to stay in Ukraine and go hunting for interesting places to visit in their home country. That is what I did.
Instead of spending my summer vacation as planned in Portugal, I ended up traveling across Ukraine’s south: swimming in Black and Azov seas and sailing to the biggest island in the country, Dzharylhach.
I must say that rough roads can make your ride bumpy. Empty vodka bottles and beer caps can spoil your impression of the stunning nature. The lack of towels and toilet paper in the hotel room can be very annoying.
However, after overcoming a few obstacles, you will eventually see picturesque views that will likely blow your mind. You will witness dolphins jumping in the Black Sea next to Dzharylhach Island and meet a fox eating berries from a bush next to you at the Stanislav Cliffs. Amazing? It is.
Another summer month is ahead, which means there is still time to travel across Ukraine’s south and visit places that are far from mainstream.
You may still want to start with Odesa.
Start in Odesa
Odesa is home to 1 million people on the Black Sea, located 50 kilometers from Ukraine’s border with Moldova.
There are a few reasons for a visit. First, Odesa architecture — with its French and Italian touch — is the most beautiful in the country, in my opinion. Second, it is crumbling, so you may want to hurry up and see it before it becomes ruins.
It is falling apart quickly, but that is not what upsets one the most. The poor-quality restoration is.
We stayed in an apartment-hotel on the second floor of a building that, according to the hotel’s owner, was designed by the same people as the Odesa Opera and Ballet Theater, with its pompous neo-baroque edifice and built by Austrian architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer.
Designed by them or not, the building still looks old and beautiful. A metal plaque sitting next to the heavy wooden doors says that this is an architectural monument of the 19th century.
Its ornate facade is neglected but absolutely stunning. Its interior looks notably restored and I doubt the renovation was a good thing.
The two bas-reliefs once depicted faces of the women who, according to the hotel’s owner, used to live there. Today one of them resembles features of a human face, but the other is just a shapeless clay mass.
It is one of many historical buildings in Odesa that went through a brutal renovation. Many have not been restored at all. Neglected architecture is a big problem in Odesa.
Buildings aside, we are on the sea coast, so let’s talk local beaches.
There are many of them worth visiting. The majority are taken over by beach clubs — like Arcadia and Otrada — with bartenders run- ning around handing cocktails to sunbathers.
I suggest exploring the beach of the Chkalov sanatorium, which was opened in the 1920s. It was launched in a park that hosted dachas, or summer cottages, of the rich and famous of the 19th century.
Chkalov beach is a quiet place with transparent water and a clean sandy coast. Not overcrowded and, what’s also pleasant, free.
The tone for the trip is set. It’s time to move to the next destination.
Stanislav Cliffs
The tiny village of Stanislav is 200 kilometers east of Odesa. There is nothing that would distinguish it from other rural parts of the country except for its magnificent clay cliffs.
The shore looks astonishing. Here, two rivers meet: the Dnipro and the Southern Bug.
Take in a lungful of fresh air and enjoy the view but, when on the edge, do not look down. Too scary. Better to watch the sun glitter on the water in the distance.
The Stanislav Cliffs are a popular but not yet mainstream spot for kayaking. A fan of it? You came to the right place.
Not in the mood for sports? Have a stroll along the coast. You will see beautiful birds and, if lucky, meet a red fox eating berries from a bush.
The only problem is empty vodka bottles and beer caps scattered under your feet. Be nice, take your garbage with you when leaving.
But do not hurry up — wait for the sunset. It is spectacular. You will see all shades, ranging from aquamarine blue to brick red.
Pitching a tent on the top of the cliff is not allowed here, but people do it still.
To obey the rules, stay at a camping site that a local villager set up in his garden. Wake up early to see the sunrise.
Skadovsk: a punishment
We then drove 140 kilometers southeast from Stanislav and went to Skadovsk.
What took about two hours felt like time travel. Simply do not do it if you are not a person studying Soviet nostalgia.
You will see a handful of reminders of the USSR: constructivist architecture, metal kiosks, and shade canopies made of grey wavy slats.
The locals say their resort is a paradise for children. I would put it this way for a kid: “If you misbehave, I will send you to Skadovsk.”
Jokes aside, I’m not recommend- ing this place to anyone, children or adults.
Why the locals advertise it as a popular place for families with small children? Because the Black Sea here is shallow.
Frankly, find another place with a shallow sea instead. The water here is full of seaweed and huge jellyfish. If that does not stop you and you insist on going in, you will have to overcome an obstacle — a gigantic concrete curb that separates the beach from the water. There are stairs leading to the sea, but think twice. It is very dirty.
The only other reason to come here, apart from Soviet heritage research, is to board a boat and sail to the biggest Ukrainian island, Dzharylhach.
‘Ukrainian Maldives’
In the Ukrainian media, Dzharylhach is often pompously labeled the Ukrainian Maldives. I would not call it that.
You will not be able to book a five-star hotel there or practically any accommodations. No one will clean the seashore for you or provide you with a beach umbrella. It is a wild place, where camping is the only option. Breakfast? Cook some. Simple as that.
Even though the comparison to the Maldives is misleading, it is certainly a marvelous island you will want to visit.
There is one problem, however — getting there.
The boats cruising from Skadovsk to Dzharylhach and back are old and often overloaded.
When we were sailing, a massive portable refrigerator was blocking one emergency exit, while a huge bag was blocking the other. It was obvious that the vessel was overcrowded. On the upper deck, there were almost twice as many people as allowed by the plan hanging on the wall inside the ship.
Skadovsk-Marina, the private company that operates the boats sailing to Dzharylhach, has no license or security certificates available on its website.
There were life vests on board but we were shown them only after ask- ing for it twice. All the rest of around 300 passengers had no idea where they were.
When you get to the island it does not instantly impress. At a pier, you will hear loud music booming from the tavern, where people are drinking beer with the usual fish appetizer.
To experience the magic of this place you need to walk as far away from the pier as you can.
Pitch a tent in a quiet place and then look around. You will see dolphins jumping in turquoise water, meet a cormorant and deer.
Wild boars can wake you up at night delving in the garbage. It is a little dirty with litter lying around. Do not make it worse and take yours with you.
Not all inhabitants of the island are nice and welcoming. Venomous spider and snake may not be, so watch your step.
Arabat Spit
Around 200 kilometers east from Skadovsk was the final stop of our trip.
Arabat Spit separates Syvash, a large, shallow, and salty system of lagoons known for their rosy color, from the Azov Sea.
In 2014, when Russia’s troops landed in Crimea to seize it from Ukraine, the spit was also occupied. Russia, however, soon withdrew its forces from the northern Kherson Oblast and, in the end, grabbed only half of the Arabat Spit which belonged to Crimea.
It is a very nice resort for those who do not have ambitious expectations from a vacation.
Traveling Ukraine is fun. You just need to know where to go. Now you have a few options. Bon voyage!
