Russia's Black Sea coast stretches from the Taman Peninsula in the north to the border with Abkhazia in the south — a strip of subtropical coastline squeezed between the sea and the western slopes of the Caucasus. The combination of warm water, mountain backdrop, and a climate mild enough to grow tea and citrus makes this Russia's most popular domestic beach destination, drawing millions of visitors each summer.
The coast changes character as you move south. Anapa at the northern end has wide sandy beaches and calm, shallow water that makes it Russia's most family-friendly resort. Further south, Novorossiysk is a working port city, and the coast becomes narrower and more rugged as the mountains close in. Gelendzhik has a sheltered bay and a promenade of Soviet-era sanatoria. The Sochi area, at the southern end, is the most developed — it hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, and the ski resorts of Krasnaya Polyana sit just forty kilometres inland. The subtropical climate around Sochi supports palms, bamboo, and botanical gardens that feel genuinely exotic for a Russian city.
The region has Greek and Ottoman roots visible in place names and archaeological sites. The ancient colony of Gorgippia, now under the modern city of Anapa, left mosaics and stone tombs that can be visited at the local museum. Balneological traditions — mineral springs, therapeutic muds — have shaped resort culture here since the nineteenth century, when Russian aristocrats came to "take the waters."