The resort season in Anapa opened amidst a stark contrast in coastal conditions. Some beaches are open and deemed safe, while others are closed due to erosion, unstable soil, and environmental risks. The "Caucasian Knot" report details which beaches are ready for visitors and which pose a risk.
On June 1, 2026, the swimming season officially opened at the Black Sea resort of Anapa. On the eve of its opening, storms and heavy rains battered the coast. Imported quarry sand, heavily diluted with clay, turned into sticky mud, and the coastal waters turned brown. According to ecologist Igor Shkradyuk, "a dirty strip of water hundreds of meters wide has formed near the shore. Moreover, on May 31, we recorded a fresh spill of fuel oil on the beach in the village of Supsekh."
Ecologists and activists talk about systemic problems: oil spills repeat, and the cheap clay sand imported for "reclamation" turns the beaches into a slippery mess and reduces water clarity. Thus, according to Anapa activist Ilya Gogolinsky, after the rain on May 31st, everything "turned into a slippery mess. "People fall before they reach the water. "All this clay is washed out to sea by storms, destroying the water's clarity," he told the "Caucasian Knot." Activists are warning of systemic problems and the threat of disrupting the season. City authorities acknowledge that only certain areas are accessible to vacationers.
Materials on the consequences of the fuel oil spills in the Kerch Strait and Tuapse have been compiled by the "Caucasian Knot" on the page "Eco-disaster in Kuban." Data on the scale of coastal pollution has been compiled by the "Caucasian Knot" in the reference material "Fuel Oil Spill in the Kerch Strait."
Pebble Beaches
"High Beach"
The infrastructure is ready, but the shoreline is littered with branches and seaweed. Here, walking on the shore and swimming in shoes is permitted (due to the pebbles). There are no clay deposits.
"Small Bay"
The beach is ready to receive tourists.Swimming and using sun loungers is permitted. The protected water area, where the water clears up faster than in open areas, is visually clean. Zone.
Sukko Beach
Open without restrictions. Large pebbles, deep-water bay. Quarry sand was not imported, but there is household waste from the local river on the shore.
Bolshoy Utrish
Pebble beach in a protected area. The beach is open, swimming is permitted. Water quality is better than within the city limits, and relatively clear further from the shore.
Problematic sandy beaches of the "safe zone"
Central Beach
Officially opened. Filled with a sand-clay mixture, deep mud furrows formed after the rain, construction debris - metal structures, marking pegs - is found. The water near the shore is murky and brown. High risk of injury due to rebar hidden under the mud and uneven, hardened soil.
"Healing" Beach"
Officially open. Substandard soil mixed with clay has been brought to the beach, which turns into liquid mud after rain. Swimming is officially permitted, but the water is opaque and contains suspended matter due to erosion of loam and liquid mud at the edge. Zero visibility in the water increases the risk of stepping on stingrays that approach the shallows.
Beaches of Pionersky Prospekt to the Bimlyuk Sanatorium
Passage and recreation are permitted; lifeguard posts are in place. Natural quartz sand is covered with a layer of quarry loam, the surface of which becomes crusted and then turns to dust. Water quality deteriorates due to the washout of clay particles. There is a danger due to dust formation, and a risk of injury on slippery surfaces after rain. areas.
Vityazevo Beach
Only 1 km near Skifskaya Street is partially open; the rest of the area is closed. Imported sand has been washed away by rain, and the shore is full of gullies. The water near the gullies is very turbid. Swimming is safe only within the permitted kilometer.
Closed and dangerous areas
Jemete Beaches (from "Bimlyuk" to "Ryabinushka")
Closed, swimming prohibited, access restricted. The beach has been dug up by graders, and the previously imported sand and clay mixture has been washed into the sea. There is a wide strip of liquid mud near the shore. Walking along the shore is only possible in sturdy shoes.
Pionersky Prospekt Beaches (from "Ryabinushka" to Vityazevo)
Closed, swimming is strictly prohibited. Natural dunes are being destroyed, sand dumping continues; it's effectively a construction site with heavy equipment in operation. Water quality has deteriorated due to soil erosion.
Beach in the village of Blagoveshchenskaya
Closed, swimming is strictly prohibited. Sand spits are at risk of erosion; a "clean layer" has not formed, and work to create one has not begun. The area is considered hazardous due to strong bottom currents after storms. There is a danger of strong currents and the collapse of sand spits.
Bugaz Spit
Closed, swimming prohibited. The coastline has been heavily altered by storms, with accumulations of marine debris. This is a "wild" area, not officially monitored by rescue services, with no infrastructure and maximum risk of rip currents.
Wild beaches of Supsekh - Sukko - Utrish, Vityazevo estuaries
Closed, swimming and presence are strictly prohibited. A fresh oil spill was recorded at the beach in Supsekh May 31 (fractions up to 6 cm). Algae rotting and erosion near the estuaries. Stagnant water with an unpleasant odor in the estuaries. Dangers in the area include toxic oil pollution, infectious risks, and unstable shorelines.