Beach Week: Koktebel

From the jazz festival to the hippie culture, Koktebel has already been praised in Tonic posts, but how does its beach stack up against others on the Ukrainian Black Sea? Surprisingly, it's actually one of the best.

Koktebel beaches are still rocky like the rest of them, but the shore seems cleaner and better maintained. Maybe that's the town's large hippie element showing their concern for nature and the environment. Either way, it makes the rocky terrain at least appear nicer.

The waters don't seem to have the same bluish-green hue as those in Novy Svet, but they are nonetheless gorgeous. The currents are also a lot calmer, so it's much easier to relax and chill out. The town also offers one of the longest stretches of shoreline, so there is vastly more room to layout and not feel so crowded.

Most people, of course, head to the east end of the shoreline for the largest naturalist beach in the entire former Soviet Union (even if some of the sights were anything but natural looking). Lots of people strip down, so it's a safe environment for getting rid of those pesky tan lines. If nothing else, it makes it easier to change out of a wet bathing suit into something dry.

Basically, if the Grateful Dead had their own beach, would you be one of the first to go? If that's a yes, then Koktebel is your first choice for a Black Sea aqua adventure. There is a naturalist vibe that extends even beyond the bare bottoms, from hippie musicians to people selling you homemade stuff on the beach. Still, if the only herb you've smoked is on a BBQ, this east Crimean coastline is a great place for beautiful waters, a mellow vibe and even a few laughs. Let's just hope the laughs aren't at your expense on the nude beach.

Koktebel Rating: 8 out of 10