Huge piles of garbage, sky-high prices and rude cab drivers: Russian tourists complain about terrible vacation in occupied Crimea

Russians are trying hard to lure tourists to the illegally occupied Crimea for a summer vacation by the warm Azov Sea, but people are facing the reality and refuse to go on vacation to the peninsula. And the reason is not the constant explosions, air raid alerts or missiles (although it partially affects it, as demand has decreased by 20%), but the lack of basic preparation for the beach season, which the Russians decided to open in April with discounts of up to 50%.

Recreation centers are empty, people are walking around the cities unhappy, and it is impossible to find a place on the beaches because of the scattered garbage - all this will befall a potential Russian who has decided to spend their vacation in Crimea but does not yet realize what horror awaits them there. The place where tourists from different countries used to come to rest by the sea before 2014 has turned into chaos, where even the occupiers are afraid to set foot. Russian travelers shared their impressions of the 'best services' of the occupied Crimea on social media.

It is interesting that propagandists claim that so many people visit the peninsula that there is no room to swing a cat, but at the same time, tourists themselves say that prices are significantly overstated. This may indicate a low demand and the need to pay salaries and utilities.

Donuzlav Lake, which flows into the Black Sea and is located in the west of Crimea, has become a cesspool where even fish cannot survive.

"They destroyed such a beautiful beach! Fish jump up on the shore, it stinks of sewage, there is a lot of clay at the bottom, the water is muddy, the color of the lake looks like copper sulfate has been diluted in it. We used to come there every year from Yevpatoriia because it is shallow, quiet, the water is always clear, and there are very few people. Unfortunately, on July 1, I saw a completely different state of the beach," the Russian woman complained.

In the south of the peninsula, the Delfin (Dolphin) beach in Yalta faces the same problem - all the sewage gets into the sea, and poor Russians have to swim in it. But it seems that some people are not afraid of this state of the coast and the presence of bacteria dangerous to health. It is like they paid money for the vouchers, so they have to endure the horror to recoup every ruble they spent.

"There are a lot of people sunbathing, but there is even more garbage in the bins - it's overflowing, like a real mountain of garbage. They need to put bigger bins or empty the small ones more often. Shame!" a Russian man was outraged by the state of Massandra Beach in Yalta.

The peninsula's residents are trying to empty Russians' wallets and force them to pay huge sums for travel and, moreover, for a shower on the beach. For a 3.5 minute taxi ride, a tourist paid 300 rubles (140 hryvnias) and was treated rudely by locals because of her allegedly wet clothes, Russian media reports. But those who do not want to walk around the city and crunch sand between their teeth have to pay 20 rubles (10 hryvnias) for a 30-second shower on the beach.

"We vacation in Yalta every year. But it was in 2024 that we realized how much they don't like visitors to the city! A saleswoman at the clothing market wouldn't let us into the store until she was sure we could pay for the 3,500 rubles (1,660 UAH) item. The woman shouted that the category of goods was too high and even blocked our entrance with a mop," another Russian woman complained.

The food is also overpriced. Tourists complained about expensive lunches of boiled potatoes, beets, and cabbage, which cost almost 1000 rubles (470 UAH). The same applies to living conditions, where "rooms in 0-star hotels with outdated renovations and low levels of service" require all savings.

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