Loo is a village in Russia, in the Krasnodar Territory, where tourists love to relax. As of 2022, this place was extremely popular among young families with children - prices for accommodation and food are lower than in neighboring large cities, and at the same time there is where to go for a walk and what to see. This place is located 22 kilometers from Greater Sochi. Distance from the main resort is the key to a more relaxing holiday. It is not as crowded and noisy here as in Sochi itself. There are many attractions in Loo and its surroundings. Every tourist can find something interesting here.
General information about the resort Loo
Loo is a large resort village located on the Black Sea coast in the Lazarevsky district of the city of Sochi, Krasnodar Territory.
Within the settlement there is the Loo railway station. But, since the resort area stretches for almost 6 km, tourists coming on vacation can stop at the stations “Lesnaya”, “Mountain Air” and “Uch-Dere”.
Also through the village passes the federal highway Dzhubga - Adler (number A-147, previously designated M-27), part of which is Dekabristov Street. The distance to the center of Sochi is about 25 km. Therefore, if you wish, you can always get out of Loo to the center of the resort city. Usually, taking into account the increasing traffic jams, you can get there by bus or minibus in 45-50 minutes. It’s even better by train - almost twice as fast and much more comfortable.
Loo Map
Among the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory, Loo is an example of a budget holiday and is popular among visiting tourists. At the same time, a fairly developed infrastructure allows you to enjoy all the benefits of a good rest.
History of the name Loo
The village owes its name (the emphasis is on the second “o”) to the Abaza mountaineers who once lived here. At the turn of the 13th-14th centuries, the famous Abaza family of Low (Loovs) moved to the slopes of the Main Caucasus Range, firmly settling on the local land for several centuries.
Nowadays, an alternative version has appeared that explains the origin of the name of the village. You can often hear the following joke from local residents: Loo stands for “I like to relax alone.” If you, dear readers, have your own options for deciphering this name, you can write them in the comments to this article.
Climate and weather
The sea in Loo is most often calm. The climate here, as in most areas of the Sochi coast, is humid subtropical, with Mediterranean elements. In summer there are periodic heavy but short-lived downpours.
Starting from May, the Loo resort is ready to receive vacationers. Although the sea water is still cool, when the air temperature is from + 15 to 20 degrees, it is good to go on excursions.
The best months to visit the beach are June and July. The sea and air warm up to a comfortable temperature. The hottest period of time in Loo is usually in August. The air temperature on some days ranges from + 35 to 40 degrees. And the water in the sea can reach 25-27 degrees. This period is especially dangerous, as you can get ultraviolet burns.
Those who like a relaxing holiday should visit the resort in early September. At this time, you can not only sunbathe, but also take walks around the outskirts of Loo, sightseeing. You can also improve your health in local sanatoriums at low prices in the fall.
Dolphin Beach
This recreation area begins immediately behind the Compliment. The coastline stretches along the boat station of the same name. Feature: there is a car entrance.
The length is up to 700 m, the width is up to 55 m. The surface is mainly pebble, there are sandy islands. The infrastructure is good - rental equipment for recreation, toilets, many trash cans. Entertainment - banana boat rides, water scooters, tablets, catamarans, etc.
According to tourists, the beach is not much different from “Compliment”, there are few people, which allows you to relax peacefully even in the high season.
How to get to Loo
You can get to Loo using a variety of means of transport. It all depends on the person’s preferences and the circumstances surrounding the trip to the resort.
By car
A huge number of guests from various cities of the country come to Loo in their cars, which definitely has a number of serious advantages:
- savings on tickets;
- the opportunity to bring with you much more things necessary for vacation, and when leaving, take with you more local fruits, gifts and souvenirs;
- mobility during leisure and the ability to better plan your time.
Serpentines already directly on the highway along the Black Sea coast stretch for approximately 110 km. The road has a very decent surface, cars move strictly one after another, and there is always the opportunity to stop in some “pocket” to rest and catch your breath. It is better for drivers with little experience to overcome this section of the route in the daytime.
On Fridays, residents of Krasnodar and the Rostov region go to the sea, so it’s better to choose another day or at least have time to drive through this section before 5 pm before traffic jams start.
- The distance from Moscow to Loo by car is about 1,600 km. Travel time is 18 - 24 hours, provided that there are at least two drivers, and everything works out perfectly in terms of traffic jams, repair work, accidents and other issues that are simply impossible to foresee and calculate.
Further in the text for each route, the “pure” travel time is indicated, that is, without taking into account forced stops for meals, overnight stays, etc.
The M4 highway bypasses major cities through the Moscow, Tula, Lipetsk, and Voronezh regions. There are toll sections to the Voronezh region (with free parallel roads, where the coverage is much worse). In the Moscow region there are 3 and 4 lane sections, from Dzhubga there is only 1 lane.
- The distance from St. Petersburg to Loo is a little over 2300 km. Ideally, the travel time will be 34-35 hours. The easiest way to get by car to Loo from St. Petersburg is as follows: along the M-10 "Russia" highway you need to get to Moscow, then along the M-4 "Don" highway to get to Dzhubga and then along the A-147 highway Dzhubga - Sochi to get to the finish point of the trip.
- From Kazan to Loo it is about 2040 km. The approximate travel time is 30 hours. The route Kazan - Loo is as follows: get to Saransk, then bypass Penza through Balashov, then in the Boguchar area take the M-4 Don federal highway.
- You can get from Novosibirsk to Loo in two ways: through Kazakhstan or through the Russian Federation.
- The tourist route through Kazakhstan is as follows: Novosibirsk – Nur-Sultan – Aktobe – Astrakhan – Loo. The distance is 4450 km, the journey takes about 65 hours. The main disadvantage of this route is that it takes a lot of time to go through border control (about 5 hours in total).
- Bypassing Kazakhstan (Novosibirsk - Kurgan (Ishim) - Samara (Tolyatti) - Volgograd - Loo) you can get there a little faster. The distance will be approximately 4,300 km, and the travel time will be about 56 hours. This route is preferable also because the issue of customs formalities does not arise, and there is no need to issue a diagnostic inspection card for the car and car insurance.
Both routes are interesting and deserve the attention of tourists. A trip through Kazakhstan, even taking into account all border formalities, is an excellent option to diversify your trip with new impressions. To make it as rich as possible, you can consider both options. For example, through Kazakhstan on the way to Loo and through Russia back.
- A trip to Loo from Yekaterinburg (about 2800 km) takes approximately 2 days. The route passes through several regions of Russia, including Bashkortostan and the Krasnodar Territory. It is better to drive through the Zhigulevskaya dam at night, since from 10 pm local time it is opened for heavy trucks and large queues arise.
- The distance between Tyumen and Loo is 3100 km along public roads and highways. The trip takes on average about 2 days. The route passes through Saratov, Balashov, Borisoglebsk, Boguchar, Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar. After Rostov there is a toll road to Krasnodar.
- You can travel from Vladivostok to Loo (more than 10 thousand km) by car only if you have extensive experience in road travel and really want to see the country along the way. When constructing a route, the navigator gives 6 days for the entire journey. But with stops and overnight stays in hotels, it will take at least 10 days one way. It is better to travel at the end of summer or in May, when it is not so hot. As for expenses, you will need at least 800 liters of gasoline, that is, approximately 36,000 rubles are needed one way.
By train
To get to Loo by train, you need to purchase a ticket to Loo railway station.
- From Moscow, travel time averages 34 hours, fast (102C) - 23 hours;
- can be reached from St. Petersburg in 42 hours;
- from Kazan - 23 hours;
- from Novosibirsk - 84 hours;
- from Yekaterinburg - 65 hours;
- from Tyumen - 74 hours in advance;
- from Vladivostok (with transfers in Moscow, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk or Kanash) the trip will take from 7 to 11 days.
By plane
In Sochi, after the 2014 Olympics, a new international-class airport is successfully operating.
The flight time from Moscow is on average 2.5 hours, from St. Petersburg - about 3 hours, from Kazan - 2 hours 20 minutes, from Novosibirsk - 5 hours, from Yekaterinburg and Tyumen - 3.5 hours, from Vladivostok - almost 10 hours.
The easiest way to get from the airport to Loo (about 2 hours) is by electric train “Lastochka”. A taxi ride will cost an average of 2,000 rubles. As an option, if you don’t have a lot of luggage, you can consider traveling by public transport: bus 105C to the Sochi bus station (about an hour) and then buses 75, 76, 77 directly to Loo (about another 1 hour).
By bus
Several times a week, regular bus flights to Sochi (via Loo) operate from Moscow and St. Petersburg. Travel time from Moscow is about 25 hours, from St. Petersburg - 34-36 hours.
There are currently no regular buses to Loo from Kazan and Yekaterinburg.
Wild beach
A cozy corner, stunning with its beauty and untouched nature. Feature: a large bank protection dam has been installed. It has become a place where vacationers leave autographs. In the summer it is transformed - wild vines entwine it.
The pebble beach (there are sandy islands) is hidden from the noisy center of the village, there are trash cans, and the area is cleaned. The length is up to 600 m, and the width is up to 10 m. At the entrance there are shops, a rental point for water transport and beach equipment.
Guests say that it is pleasant to relax here. There is little entertainment, but there is peace and quiet. I like that the water is very clean and warms up quickly in shallow water.
Hotels, sanatoriums and guest houses in Loo
When planning a vacation in Loo, it is advisable to plan in advance where it is best to stay so that your vacation is spent with maximum comfort and is not spoiled by any everyday problems.
The largest sanatorium and resort complex in the village of Loo is the three-star sanatorium "Magadan". Once upon a time, at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, the estate of Count S.D. was located in its place. Sheremetev, a representative of one of the most titled families in Russia.
Several ancient trees in the beautiful arboretum, among which the sanatorium buildings, a water and health complex, a modern medical center and a restaurant are comfortably located, remind us of the former greatness of this unique corner.
The sanatorium and resort complex "AquaLoo" deserves attention. It occupies a large area of 14 hectares on the sea coast. In fact, this is a resort town with a large list of services. It has its own medical center, sports complex and its own water park, which we will discuss in more detail in this article.
The boarding house-hotel “ATOLA LOO” with 117 rooms, opened in 2022, is very popular among guests of the resort village. The hotel specializes in family, youth and children's recreation. “Atola” operates on a buffet basis, with 3 meals a day in the restaurant. On site there is a cafe, pizzeria, bar, outdoor swimming pool, and an animation team. The beach is about 200 meters away.
There are also more than 100 mini-hotels and guest houses in Loo. Their prices per room per night for 1 person start from 600 rubles. However, the cost of rent depends on a variety of factors and can vary greatly during one season.
Many guests of the village, coming on vacation during a pandemic, dream of renting a private house in Loo in order to protect themselves as much as possible from contact with other people. Of course, this accommodation option will cost much more, and is usually not very common at the resort.
In general, if we compare the price level for rooms in Loo with Sochi, the savings can range from 10% to 30% in the budget housing segment.
Beach "Compliment"
The coastline section is about 600 m long and up to 30 m wide. The surface is mostly pebble, with rare sandy islands. Despite its miniature size, the beach attracts many guests. The peculiarity is its location - it is located between the noisy Central and Wild beaches. It is enough to move in any direction and choose how to spend your time today.
The entrance to the water is gentle, the bottom is flat, there are no holes. There are buoys in the swimming area and the area is cleaned every day. Infrastructure - trash cans, rental of sun loungers, umbrellas, sports equipment. There are wooden decks leading down to the sea and large awnings. You can ride scooters, catamarans, and boats. There is a cafe and a canteen within walking distance.
Guests note that it is not crowded, very picturesque and cozy. There is no loud music, it is comfortable to relax with children.
Entertainment and active recreation in Loo
A proper holiday at a seaside resort cannot be complete without visiting the beach and swimming in the sea. Beach activities in Loo are quite varied, as in most resort villages.
Loo beaches
Almost the entire coastline in Loo is a beach. For the convenience of vacationers, wooden flooring is laid, changing cabins, showers and storage rooms are equipped. The most comfortable and well-maintained beaches in Loo include:
- Beach "Central". Located near the Loo train station. This is the most developed part of the resort. But the beach strip here has become noticeably narrower in recent years due to the erosion of pebbles by storms. This becomes a matter of serious concern for the relevant resort services, which try to bring new pebbles to the beach before each new season. Towards the end of the embankment, if you go towards Sochi, the coastline widens slightly;
- Beach "Transparent". In fact, it is a continuation of the central beach if you go towards Lazarevsky (to the north). Has approximately the same pros and cons;
- Beach of the sanatorium "Magadan". Wide (about 30 m), well-equipped beach, covered with small pebbles and sand. There is a volleyball court, a tennis table, and a fenced off area for children to swim in the sea. Nearby there is a first aid station and a diving center;
- Beach of the boarding house "Mountain Air". Located next to the railway station of the same name. Clean, well-groomed area, wide coastal strip (up to 50 m). There is all the infrastructure for a comfortable stay;
- AquaLoo Beach. It is located opposite the sanatorium complex and water park of the same name and borders the Mountain Air beach. Locals also call this beach “White”, as the shore is covered with white pebbles, quite large. Coarse gray sand is found in places. The area around is usually clean, with good recreational infrastructure and entertainment for children;
Slightly less attractive beaches, in terms of infrastructure and ease of use:
- Dolphin Beach. located in the northern direction (if you go towards Lazarevsky). It is separated from the central part by the Loo River. The beach is quite narrow, there is not much entertainment here. Perhaps that is why there are always not many vacationers here, which, in turn, can be called a plus.
- Beach of the village "Nizhnyaya Khobza". Located approximately 2 km from the central part of Loo. Nearby is the Lesnaya railway station. This beach has its own specifics: there are a large number of breakwaters and concrete fortifications. At the same time, the shore is quite clean and not crowded.
- Nudist beach, located between the beaches of Nizhnyaya Khobza and Dolphin. In this place, the coastline for more than 1 km is very rocky and difficult to access. In this case, there are small sections of the coast with small pebbles and even sand.
Many resort guests and local residents are attracted to Loo by its wild beaches, where there are significantly fewer people. Here you can relax without violating someone else’s personal space and counting on the fact that no one will violate yours.
Motor ship excursion
In the Loo area there is an equipped pier from where you can go on a boat excursion along the coast, if desired - with fishing in the open sea.
However, most local vacationers prefer boat trips from the center of Sochi. From here you can take an exciting sea voyage along the Black Sea coast, admiring the panorama of the city and enjoying the coolness of the sea. Typically, such walks are accompanied by an audio guide, which adds an additional educational element to them and makes a vacation on a pleasure boat more interesting and meaningful.
Diving
Every year, diving becomes one of the most popular outdoor activities at sea. Diving centers offer individual programs of varying degrees of complexity. The first scuba dive always takes place at shallow depths for 20-25 minutes, accompanied by an experienced instructor. The minimum age of participants is 10 years old and must be accompanied by parents.
The Loo area has unique underwater attractions. Many of them are accessible to beginners and do not require a special diving certificate: the Rockliff shipwreck, the Uch-Dere canyon, the Luchezarnaya bank, which is also one of the popular spearfishing spots. Diving to these objects will take 2.5-3 hours.
The cost of the dive is from 2500 rubles. and depends on the duration of the planned stay under water and the complexity of the chosen program. Underwater photos are available for an additional fee.
It must be taken into account that there are medical contraindications for diving under water: cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and others. Therefore, if you are planning to go diving, it is advisable to consult a doctor.
Several diving centers operate on the territory of Loo every year - Address: st. Dekabristov, 20/6
Diving club "Aquantis" Address: st. Dekabristov, 161 (beach of the Magadan sanatorium)
Caving trips
Traveling to caves, or caving trips, can be one of the most memorable holiday experiences in Loo and other places in Greater Sochi. Today, speleology lovers are offered the opportunity to get acquainted with such caves as:
- Glubokiy Yar;
- Siberian;
- Vorontsovskaya, Ochazhny Hall;
- Long.
Extraordinarily beautiful karst formations in the form of mysterious halls, underground rivers and lakes will be a reward for those who dare to venture into the mysterious and full of surprises underground world.
Organizer: “Adventure Workshop”
Rafting
The closest rafting from Loo takes place along the Mzymta mountain river in Adler. You can get there on your own, but it is better to order a transfer from Loo by contacting any of the excursion companies. Rafting is carried out on inflatable rafts with instructors. Gorgeous views of the Akhshtyrskoye Gorge, steep cliffs, fighting river rapids and feelings of delight - all this remains in the memory for a long time after an exciting extreme sport on a mountain river.
A nice bonus after a multi-kilometer journey is a heated sauna (included in the price) and a picnic (kebabs, trout and wine) for an additional fee.
Excursions to Mount Fisht
Mount Fisht (2867 m) is perfect for both the first ascent and for practicing more complex mountaineering skills.
On foot
The best time to climb Fisht is July-September, when there is the least snow on the glacier and all the cracks are clearly visible.
In the afternoon there is often bad weather at the summit, so the ascent usually begins early in the morning, before 5 o'clock.
Since Fisht is located on the territory of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, any stay here must be paid at the checkpoint - 300 rubles per person per day.
Since Soviet times, there has been a popular tourist route "thirty": checkpoint of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve - Instructor's Gap - Armenian Pass - Fisht shelter - Belorechensky Pass - Cherkessky Pass - Babuk-Aul shelter - Solokh-Aul shelter - Dagomys.
The route, which covers several climatic zones at once (alpine meadows, mountain peaks with eternal snow, fir forests and coastal subtropics), can also be followed in the opposite direction.
On horseback
Conquering Fisht on horseback is only possible if you have good physical shape and excellent riding skills.
The horse riding route starts in Dagomys and also follows the trails of route No. 30.
During the 9-day horse riding tour, participants visit the birthplace of Russian tea Solokhaul, climb the Circassian Pass (1836 m), where the Caucasus defense line passed during the Great Patriotic War, swim in the mountain lake Khuko, located at an altitude of 1744 m above sea level, admire the peaks of the Fisht mountain range: Fisht (2854 m), Oshten (2804 m) and Pshekho-Su (2743 m).
By helicopter
There is also a more exclusive way to take a sightseeing tour of Mount Fisht. We are talking about a helicopter excursion. Seeing natural attractions and surroundings from a bird's eye view is an expensive pleasure. Both literally and figuratively. The average cost of such an excursion is about 200,000 rubles.
Water park "AquaLoo"
Where is it: st. Dekabristov, 78-b
Tel.,
A year-round water park with a large number of different water attractions for children and adults has been operating in Loo for many years. There is also a dry play area, a thermal complex, a salt room, and animation.
Crocodile farm
The crocodile farm is located right on the territory of the AquaLoo sanatorium and resort complex. Here you can learn a lot of interesting things about the world of ancient predators, see how various reptiles live, reproduce and feed.
There is an opportunity to feed the animals and take pictures with them.
Club "Tornado"
Address: st. Azovskaya, 8, Central Beach
Phone: 8-903-466-82-52.
The Tornado nightclub in Loo is located right on the Black Sea shore, which in itself is a big advantage in the eyes of many resort guests. Here you can have a great dinner and dance. Every night there are shows, foam parties and even striptease.
Beach of the village of Gorny Vozdukh
A unique recreation area due to its topography. Even on hot days it is cool here. The length of the beach is almost 600 m, and the width reaches 55 m (one of the widest in the greater Sochi). The coating is mild small pebbles mixed with sand.
The main part of the territory is landscaped - equipment rental, playgrounds, many slides, a trampoline. There are all kinds of sea attractions. A special feature is daily beach cleaning. The second zone is a large area under a shady awning with sun loungers. Along the entire beach there is a promenade with numerous cafes, bars, pizzerias and shops. Near the entrance to the recreation area there is a local market with an abundance of fruit.
According to tourists, this beach is a worthy alternative to the Central one. It is much cleaner, more comfortable and not so crowded. The presence of traders is frustrating.
Nudist beach
The area for natruists begins immediately behind the Wild Beach. On the coastline up to 7 m wide, topless sunbathers manage to settle down. The length is up to 1 km, the surface is pebbles, mostly large, there are large boulders on the shore and the seabed. Feature - the beach is hidden from prying eyes from all sides. Mountains, dam and railway line. There is no infrastructure. Tourists note that the beach is beautiful, the water is crystal clear. But there is a danger of injury at the bottom; there are rocks and sharp ledges.
