Odessa enjoys the Black Sea as its southernmost border, historically serving as a port city for continental Ukraine, with trade routes to other seaside countries. Odessa also regularly sends passenger ships to coastal cities such as Istanbul, Turkey, Haifa, Israel and Varna, Bulgaria. Tourists, however, might most enjoy Odessa’s waterfront locale for its beaches. Here is a look at the area’s most popular places to enjoy a little sand and sun.
- Arcadia Beach – About a 15 minute ride from the city’s center, Arcadia is not only the largest beach in the Odessa area but also the most frequented. From the beaches main entrance stretches a long boulevard, home to numerous cafes and restaurants allowing beach goers to make a full day trip, staying for lunch and dinner. After dinner, a wide variety of nightclubs and hotspots run along the strip, making it particularly popular with the younger single crowd. If you’re looking for the most happening beach in the Odessa area, Arcadia is your best bet.
- Otrada Beach – Otrada Beach is most well known for its signature cable cars that take patrons directly down to water level. Not only convenient, the cable cars also offer picturesque views of the beautiful Ukranian coast. Otrada Beach is actually made up of a series of small beaches, each equipped with showers, kids’ play areas, bars, changing areas, etc. While it certainly has something for everyone, Otrada caters particularly well to full families of travelers.
- Lanzeron Beach – Perhaps Lanzeron Beach’s most appealing aspect is its central location, only about a 15 minute walk from Deribasovskaya St., the Broadway of Odessa. Nestled up to Schevchenko Park, Lanzeron gives visitors the choice between an ocean front view and scenic greenery depending on where they set up shop. Waterslides, jet ski rentals and other aquatic activities are commonplace along the beach, making Lanzeron a fun destination for more active beach enthusiasts.