Gagra - how much it means for the people of the older generation, who lived once in the Great country, called the USSR. Holidays in Gagra were considered something out of a series of outgoing, only the elite of that society could afford this resort. Rest in Gagrah boasted, even the phrase from the film "Ivan Vasilyevich is changing the profession" Heroine: - "You can't imagine yourself, I am now flying to Gagra." Not Pafos, but the realities of the forgotten, in places of great time.
Today, Gagra, no longer the distant fashionable party - an elite resort, the war left his indelible imprint both in humans and on the entire infrastructure of the wonderful city. Even in the central part, among the whole natural splendor, the foci of recent hostilities are visible. Dilapidated, abandoned houses, abandoned, frozen construction,
But again - not everything is so bad. The city is slowly coming to life and tuned, restored (sometimes, sorry is only outside). What is not to take away so these are gorgeous roads, the CIS countries about these just dream. At the entrance to the city (strange, as for the resort town) housed a local asphalt plant, in which the mass of road machinery. Probably due to this in the city such gorgeous roads.
You can get to the city of Gagra without much difficulty, especially if you follow on your vehicle. The city is essentially in another country, but practically there is such an imaginary abroad. Gagras are 25 km away. From the Russian - Abkhaz border, if you go from the side of Sochi. The mountainous area of the resort favorably affects climatic conditions, the mountains themselves are speaking something like a filter, delaying thunderstorms, rain clouds. The roads in Abkhazia are simply amazing and local Lihachi in full enjoying the comfort of the tracks, "chasing" on them as crazy. Automobile preference in this area remained in the 90s, the TU prefers BMW and Mercedes, with old models, but I repeat do not look at any rules of the road. As "joked" one taxi driver, lucky by the streets of the beautiful old Gagra, who said that "the traffic light in Gagra is alone and we respect it, otherwise we go as we need." So be careful moving the road, the rules are not observed here at all.
The city of Gagra geographically divides new and old Gagra. But it is impossible to get lost in the city, it is enough to remember a few simple names of the streets and you are without much difficulty getting to the destination. Oddly enough, here all roads lead to the sea.
There are no problems with housing in the city. This is a resort. Everyone lives at the expense of tourists and holidaymakers in the holiday season. Almost every house is ready to take on the post, I give out everything that can surrender, from comfortable rooms to the utility rooms. But do not forget that the Gagra is still a mountain resort and most of the proposed private sector housing is in the mountains to which they will have to "stall" from the sea coast. The higher in the mountains, of course, the cheaper is the law of the resort. Therefore, if you are not afraid of daily lifting and descents in very hot weather (in the season, the air temperature in the open sun reaches + 35-40 degrees), then such a housing is the "visual penny" according to Russian standards. By the way, the trails are far from all over the air and almost crystal clear. The price policy of the resort is a residential foundation hesitated from 250 rubles. up to 500 rubles. per day per person. For such money, you can safely require comfortable accommodation with the main types of service, sometimes there is even an air conditioner in a removed room. In addition to the private sector, the Caucasus and Moscow and Moscow are perfectly renovated in Gagrats.
But in these boarding houses, the service remained at the level of the Union times, almost the rooms did not change anything, there are some changes, but not significant, they are not visible budgetary. These are mainly concerned with luxury rooms and VIP holidaymakers.
Food in Gagra, the question is so simply deciding how much you wish yourself. What is characteristic of the mass of small institutions with national cuisine, restaurants, it all depends on how ready you will "to upset." According to personal experience, I want to advise if you stopped in the private sector - agree with the owners. They will prepare for you, maybe not so much diverse food as in restaurants, but at the same time no worse in quality and tastiness. In some residential areas, the ability to prepare independently. There is someone like. Product prices are more expensive than in Russia by themselves (because from there and are convicted, plus a mark-up), and in the resort season some groups of goods are noticeably "bounce" in the price (meat and dairy products). One thing I want to say, you can eat everywhere, in the cafe, bars, Cheburny not fear of poisoning. Local residents in the other will find a way to pull out of the rest of the extension, not saving on food. This is not accepted here. This proud, mountainous people, with its age-old traditions of hospitality will never deceive and will not coal by non-failure and swung products. If you eat budget, in the city, the mass of public tables, for 350 rubles it is possible to "before the dump" here, and the whole family.
All the same abundantly fat food, you do not eat a lot with such a thick heat.
The coast of the resort is very long, you can stay anywhere and swim. Pebble beaches, and adequately equipped.
There is no such wild, obsessive service as in the Crimean Peninsula. Here who wants, he takes a sun bed or an umbrella, the rest simply spread the bedspreads, massaging their "naked" backs of the coastal pebbles. The sea is just wonderful. Magnificent purity Sea water on a hot sun warms off incredibly quickly. I want to swim or just sit in the sea is desolation.
Of course there are cons, but who was on the Crimean Peninsula on the garbage along the central park and the paper along the promenade attention does not draw much. Yes, dirty, especially in the Central Park of the Old Gagra. Half is the wines of the holidays themselves. And untidy lawns, overgrown park alleys - fully wines of communal services. Contrast is huge. Against the background of the magnificent nature, wonderful exotic plants - heaps of dirt and garbage.
But not looking at all this "disgrace" - rest in Gagra is still beautiful.