One of the most popular southern resorts in Russia is Saki in Crimea. What attracts tourists to this small town, which formally does not even have its own access to the sea? The fact is that the city of Saki is a real health resort, which successfully combines a therapeutic warm climate, mud lakes and mineral springs. If you want to treat chronic diseases, strengthen the immune system and completely “reboot” the body, then you should definitely go to this “health factory”; it is believed that even the air here heals. To help you plan your vacation, in this article we will look at where Saki is located in Crimea, what kind of tourists might be interested in the resort, what time is best to visit it, and much more.
Impressions from Saki
Although the city in western Crimea has the status of a regional center, it is small in size. Saki is located on the shore of the salty Saki Lake, and not by the sea. The resort infrastructure is aimed at sanatorium guests. The buildings are unremarkable, but clean. The main street is tiled. From residential areas to the beaches you need to take buses or taxis.
Olya2020: “Compared to other cities of Crimea that we went on excursions to (Yalta, Sevastopol, Evpatoria), Saki turned out to be a small and boring town. Apart from shops and just walking along the streets, we didn’t find any entertainment. There aren't even any photographs, because... There’s not much to photograph.”
Ymsynai: “The city immediately disappointed me - dirt everywhere, garbage, some kind of sloppiness caught my eye. Not for everyone. Nature is a wasteland."
Sunset in Saki (Photo: Andrii Svyrydenko / wikimedia.org)
A little about treatment
Saki mud is a brand known almost since tsarist times. Mud resorts were founded in this area under Nicholas I. This miraculous gift of nature is widely used in modern medicine. Mud lakes located near the city are sources of waters rich in minerals, salts, silt and mud. Numerous health resorts and sanatoriums of various medical profiles welcome guests in Saki all year round.
The city infrastructure is adapted for the reception and accommodation of people with limited mobility, conditions have been created for the treatment and rehabilitation of people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Is it expensive to vacation in Saki?
Accommodation at the resort is not the most expensive in Crimea. In the high season of 2022, accommodation for two in a sanatorium costs from 3800 rubles per day, a double room in a mini-hotel or guest house - 1200-1400 rubles, in a 3* hotel - from 2000 rubles, and in a 4* hotel - from 5800 rubles . Look how much trips to Crimea cost.
Due to sanctions, it is difficult to find housing in Crimea, but there are still several convenient services. Look for hotels on Hotellook, and private accommodation on Daily. Do not trust advertisements on Avito and similar sites. Book accommodation in Crimea only on reliable services with real photos and reviews from tourists, so as not to get a pig in a poke.
But the prices for food in Saki are high, judging by the reviews of vacationers. There are no chain stores with promotions or discounts. Tourists recommend the Bon Appetit canteen, the Prokofiev coffee chain and the Leader store.
Do you want to see neighboring Evpatoria during your vacation? Not a problem - travel on minibuses and buses costs 30-50 rubles.
Find out how to withdraw money without commission in Crimea.
AliLoveAlisa: “I booked the Botanic Club Hotel in Saki on hotellook.com. A room for three cost 1,503 rubles per night, breakfast not included. We liked the hotel, it was clean, tidy, the bed linen was new and well ironed.”
Entertainment beach complex
, the Solnyshko entertainment complex recently resumed its work . It is also full of services for holidays, accommodation or a one-night stay.
The complex has children's playgrounds and mini-water parks, various cafes, kiosks, stalls, and night clubs. Beach equipment for those staying in the hotels of the complex is free; for everyone else, rent ranges from 150-250 rubles per day.
The beach is wide and clean. There are canopies, showers, changing rooms, luggage storage, toilets. The parking lot next to the complex is guarded and therefore paid.
During the season, a lot of people gather on this coast, music and the squeals of happy children can be heard from everywhere.
This place cannot be called quiet, and the prices for accommodation and food here are higher than, for example, in “Priboy” or “Uyuta”.
Holidays with children in Saki
A good climate, warm sea and opportunities for medical treatment attract parents with children to Saki. The resort's resorts offer discounted family packages. Many tourists stay in mini-hotels or rent housing in the private sector.
While relaxing in Saki, take a walk around the Resort Park and go to the Saxony water park. Entrance to the entertainment aqua complex costs 150 rubles. Children enjoy playing on the playground, swimming in the mineral water pool and taking pictures with the colorful brontosaurus statue. For other entertainment you will have to go to neighboring Yevpatoria.
Net_2801: “I traveled alone with my child in June. We were lucky with the weather, the sea was warm, and we swam almost every day. The territory of the Poltava-Crimea sanatorium is large and well-groomed, there is a children’s room, animation for children and adults.”
- Holidays with children in Crimea
- The best resorts for children on the Black Sea
Embankment along the shore of the Sakinskoe healing lake. Photo: muhor / Depositphotos.com.
What to see
Lakes – Saki and Sasyk-Sivash
The main natural resources in the vicinity of Sak are mud lakes. People come here not so much for the beautiful views, but for their health benefits. The largest and most famous reservoirs are Lake Saki and pink lake Sasyk-Sivash.
The water is a rich pink color without filters or Photoshop - this is exactly what Lake Sasyk-Sivash looks like. And this is precisely why it attracts tourists, photographers and their models. Pictures taken from a skillfully chosen angle create landscapes that look like they are from another planet. But, first of all, Sasyk-Sivash is valued for its healing mud, the healing properties of which eliminate the need to save money for recovery at the Dead Sea. The lake is located approximately halfway from Sak to Evpatoria.
Incredible pink expanses of Lake Sasyk-Sivash. Photo from the author's archive
Beautiful and healing are the two main characteristics of Lake Saki. The salty estuary, formed about 5 thousand years ago, spreads over an area of 10 thousand kilometers. At the bottom of this particular lake, the famous Saki mud is mined. Diseases of the joints, skin, blood circulation and many other ailments can be healed with the correct use of this natural remedy. The reservoir is located within the city limits.
And what other lakes to see - take a look:
5 fantastic lakes of Crimea that everyone should see
Kara-Tobe
The remains of the Greco-Scythian settlement Kara-Tobe (translated as “Black Hill”) on the outskirts of Saki are one of the objects of the “Golden Ring of the Bosporan Kingdom” tour route. On the territory of a unique archaeological complex, you can not only wander among the ruins of ancient stone buildings of the 4th century BC. - III century AD, but also to see a two-meter defensive tower-donjon, fragments of buildings, sculptures. There is also a museum with archaeological finds and recreated fragments of the life of the Scythians of the late 1st century BC.
Photo: Khalangot Sergey
Resort Park
The most beautiful and popular place for leisurely promenades in Saki. After mud treatments, it’s nice to stroll along the wide alleys of the botanical garden with several ponds. The monument of landscape architecture is spread over an area of more than 30 hectares. About 80 species of greenery brought from different continents coexist here - from Japanese sophora to Syrian rose.
Gogol was here. Photo: drive2.ru
There are many interesting objects and sculptures in the park. For example, monuments were erected to Gogol and Lesya Ukrainka, who came to Saki for treatment. There are many other sculptures, one of the most famous is “The Fight of the Brontosaurus with the Ceratosaurus.” Also in the park is the Obelisk of Glory, next to which the Eternal Flame burns.
One of the hallmarks of the park is “The fight between the brontosaurus and the ceratosaurs,” which is reflected in the city’s coat of arms. Photo: vkrim.info
You can take a break from walking in one of the elegant gazebos or stand on the romantic “Bridge of Sighs.” And you can quench your thirst with the purest mineral water “Krymskaya” in a specially equipped pump room in the park.
Square named after A.S. Pushkin
Another pleasant place for a walk is right next to the central square. The atmosphere here is almost like in Lukomorye: there are plenty of green trees, and a learned cat will greet you, as well as Chernomor, Tsar Dodon and other sculptures of characters from Pushkin’s fairy tales. Nearby is a bust of the great Russian poet. You can walk among the trees and fairy-tale characters, or you can sit in the shade and silence on one of the many benches.
Guests of the square are greeted by Pushkin himself and the characters of his works
Waterpark "Banana Republic"
In “Banana Republic” there is not life, but a fairy tale. Vacationers from Saki, Evpatoria and other places flock to the largest water park in Crimea in the summer. On an area of 4000 square meters there is enough entertainment for everyone. More than 20 slides and attractions, 8 swimming pools, waterfalls. There are enough sun loungers for everyone. There is also no shortage of cafes and cocktail bars. The Banana Republic even has its own access to the sea: on the beach you can always take a break from the noisy slides, and then return to water activities.
The water park is located on the territory of the Saki district, not far from the road towards Evpatoria. You can get here by public transport, including by train - get off at the Pribrezhnaya station. Spacious parking is available.
Banana Republic has its own atmosphere. Photo: prostorikrima.ru
Museum of Local Lore and History of Mud Therapy
This bright Art Nouveau building on Kurortnaya Street houses more than 9 thousand exhibits of various subjects. There is a separate room for each exhibition. Most of all, tourists are interested in the mud therapy exhibition, which tells about the extraction of mud in the 19th century. The guide will also talk about how approaches to balneotherapy have changed over time. Also on display at the museum are ancient amphorae, coins, anchors, and fragments of slabs with inscriptions in ancient Greek. Separate rooms are dedicated to the works of Crimean artists.
Photo: jalita.com
St. Elias Church
The main Orthodox Saka shrine is located opposite the central square, on Simferopolskaya Street. The temple complex, built at the end of the 19th century, is dominated by a 33-meter-high bell tower. During the Soviet years, the temple was reformatted into a club, and many old paintings were destroyed.
Photo: culture.ru
Services are now being held in the temple again. The restored interior is distinguished by the brightness of its colors and the volume of light entering through the tall windows. For those who are interested in Crimean shrines, a visit to the St. Elias Church will be an important event.
Walking around the city or... in a neighboring city
A true tourist will always find a lot of interesting things to discover in a simple walk through the streets of a new locality. Saki has everything for an interesting and useful walk: cafes for every taste, cozy coffee shops, shopping centers and supermarkets. It will also be interesting to sit near the light and musical fountain on Revolution Square. And if you suddenly get bored, you can always easily go to neighboring Yevpatoria, where there are even more entertainments and attractions.
A fountain in the shape of a clock on the main square of the city. Photo: drive2.com
Be sure to read: What is interesting about autumn Evpatoria? 27 remarkable places of the city
Saki, a famous Crimean health resort and the oldest balneological resort, is primarily of interest to those who want to get rid of annoying ailments. But even without medical procedures, the city is interesting for relaxation and a relaxing stay: fantastic landscapes of miraculous lakes, pleasant beach holidays, historical places, developed infrastructure, excursion trips around the surrounding area, a wide range of housing rental options. Come to Saki. It will not be boring.
When is the best time to go?
The climate of Sak differs from other Crimean resorts. The weather in Eastern Crimea is influenced by the Black Sea and the steppes heated by the sun. There are more sunny days in Saki than in Yalta and Evpatoria.
Winters at the resort are mild - the average air temperature is -1°C, and summers are very warm. There is little precipitation. The swimming season begins at the end of May and lasts until the end of September. According to reviews, the best weather for a holiday in Saki is in the first half of June and September. It's too hot at the resort in July and August!
SvetlanaLSI: “The climate is great, although it was very hot in June.”
- Holidays in Crimea in summer
- When is the best time to vacation in Crimea?
Lake Sasyk-Sivash, between Saki and Yevpatoria (Photo: Nimuel23 / wikimedia.org)
Let's look for wild beaches
Between Saki and Novofedorovka there is an area of wild beaches. This wide, spacious and flat strip of sandy coast has not yet been built up with anything. There is a dirt road running along it.
It’s good to relax here if you have an umbrella, enough water and sandwiches with you.
Between Novofedorovka and the village of Frunze, as well as beyond it, there are long wild beaches. The coastline has various sections - flat and sandy, pebble-rocky and narrow, there are even hilly and steep areas.
To get here you will need a map of local roads, since there is no through route along the coast.
Tours
A vacation in Saki is an excellent chance to combine an inexpensive beach holiday, sightseeing in Crimea and treatment with unique healing mud, which is superior in its effects to the mud masses of the Dead Sea. When purchasing a tour, vacationers receive a completely organized trip - they do not have to worry about finding accommodation, plane tickets, food or other important things.
The price of the trip starts from 20,000 rubles per week per person (including flights) in winter, and from 29,000 rubles in high season. Using the online service, you can easily compare prices in different hotels and sanatoriums, select and book a trip from any city in Russia.
How to navigate
The central part of the city is quite pedestrian and there is no need to bother with transport. But, if you need to get to the railway. station or coastal area, then knowing the bus routes in Saki is a strength.
There are 7 routes in total and they can be divided into 3 groups:
- No. 2, 6 - connect the railway. station with city center
- No. 3, 4 (additional in summer) - take city residents to the sea
- No. 1, 5, 7 - run around the center and other areas of Sak
Almost all of them run along the central street Sovetskaya - Pionerskaya, passing 2 steps from the bus station. From the a/c you can go both to Evpatoria and Simferopol, and to the sea to Novofedorovka and Frunze.
City bus schedule is here. The cost of travel around the city is 20 rubles. and 15 rub. using a MIR contactless card.
