What do you associate with the Black Sea coast? I have rocky beaches, mountains and rocky shores, Pitsunda pines and crowds of sunbathers. When we arrived on the Taman Peninsula, I will not say that I expected to see something familiar to my gaze, or, on the contrary, unusual, I somehow did not even think about it. After all, I have already been to the Krasnodar Territory many times. But what was revealed to us during the trip along the coastline from Cape Tuzla to Cape Panagia is difficult to convey in words. To be honest, I had no idea that landscapes in Taman could be so ... cosmic ...
The route of our trip and its concept can be seen here: We are participating in the project «Russia in 365 days»
The content of the article
Taman Peninsula
The first thing that came to mind at that moment is the steppes of Kazakhstan, in which I have never been. Moreover, these «Kazakh» the steppes also border on some incomprehensible sea. Who was in Kazakhstan, tell me, looks like? It is likely that the month in which we were here (September) played a big role. If someone was on the Taman Peninsula at the beginning of summer, then it would also be interesting to compare. Steep shores, but some kind of earthen and constantly falling into the sea, flat yellow fields, separated by small hills and gullies, a muddy-gray sea with clay and ... no one around. In general, not souls and silence ...
For a couple of hours from civilization, we met only a white BMW left by someone and the remains of a burnt-out trailer on an abandoned piece of land. As if the aliens had kidnapped everyone, or they all died out from the swine flu. If to add a little red to these autumn-yellow colors, then the Martian landscapes are clearly not our planet. We would still need spacesuits for greater persuasiveness. The feeling of unreality did not leave us for a minute. I still remember these places, they do not let me go. And why don't people go there to rest? Or is it because it's out of season? Several kilometers of deserted beaches - just the thing for a wild holiday in silence and alone with yourself. Although, of course, if we are talking about a beach vacation, then the sea here is completely different..
Artillery fort
The culmination of our space travel was the finding of an abandoned military base. Fantasy could draw a lot more, but we just returned to reality and climbed along long corridors, rooms and bunkers, which, by the way, are underground. There was a feeling that it was all not just thrown, but also blown up several times. Later I read that these were the ruins of an artillery fort. In 1943-1944 there was a battery number 743 and defended the Kerch coast from the Nazi invaders.
I do not know how long the fort will stand there, since it is already practically on a cliff, and is about to fall into the sea. However, this problem is relevant in general for the entire Taman Peninsula, since every year about a meter of the coast is eaten up by the sea. Especially, this worries archaeologists, since not so long ago, the remains of an ancient settlement (3 thousand BC) were discovered in the area of the village of Veselovka, and they will soon go under water, as happened with the Greek city of Korokondamma a couple of thousand years ago.
So, for those who like ruins and unique landscapes, I recommend thinking about a vacation on the Taman Peninsula right now, otherwise you never know, the sea is not joking.
How to get there
The easiest way to get there is by car, because it's far away. Continuously drive along the coast from Tuzla Cape to Panagia Cape to the southeast. The easiest way to start the journey is from Taman and further either along the map, or on a whim, or according to the navigator.