Cape Aya Nature Reserve is located to the east of Balaklava. It occupies an area of 1.3 thousand hectares. At the edge, the cape descends into the sea with sheer cliffs. Their height reaches 300 meters, and the highest mountains on Cape Aya exceed 500 meters. Translated from Greek, the word "Aya" means "Holy". This name has been preserved since the Greek colonization of the Crimea in the 6th-3rd centuries BC.
The protected area of Cape Aya is one of the most beautiful places of the Crimean Mountains. This is the only place where trekking trails run along juniper and pine forests directly on the seashore along several beaches. In other places of the Crimean Mountains, for example, in the Yalta Nature Reserve, trails for trekking pass a few kilometers from the sea. Many rare plants and trees listed in the Red Book grow on the rocks of Cape Aya.
The high rock of Cape Aya protrudes into the sea for 13 kilometers and an excursion to it is accessible only for physically prepared people due to the difficult mountainous terrain and large height differences. Kokiya-Kaya Mountain (558 m), on the edge of Cape Aya, can be approached from the village of Reservnoe. The length of this route is 7 kilometers with a height difference of 250 meters. A much more interesting hiking route to Cape Aya runs along the Great Sevastopol Trail from Balaklava to Fig Beach.
The farthest point of Cape Aya is 19 kilometers away from the Balaklava resort. The village of Laspi is located 7 kilometers to the west from it. If you are vacationing in Balaklava, then there is no sense in going to the top of rocky Cape Aya, since the most beautiful places of Cape Aya are located much closer to Balaklava.
Balaklava is different from other Crimean beach resorts. It is located in a narrow bay and resembles a Greek or Italian cozy resort with a marina and numerous restaurants on the Balaklava Embankment. There are no beaches in Balaklava itself, but on the embankment, you can take boats that run like water taxis in the summer season and take tourists to the beaches. The beaches of Cape Aya are the closest to Balaklava.
The largest and most popular beach on Cape Aya is called Silver beach. It is located 3 kilometers from Balaklava, so it is also called the Near Beach. There are sun beds, canopies, small shops. The beach is covered with small pebbles, so the rest and swimming on it is most comfortable.
There is a Golden beach 5 kilometers from Balaklava. This beach is located in a narrow strip along the rocky coast, there is no infrastructure. The farthest from Balaklava is Fig Beach (6.5 km). This is a small wild beach among the rocks, but it is the most beautiful. From it you can walk 200 meters further west to the nudist beach.
A few years ago, all the beaches of Cape Aya were a favorite place for lovers of camping. There were especially many of them near Fig Beach, as there are large spaces among juniper and pine forests where they could set up tents. With the tightening of the protected regime at Cape Aya, living in tents here is now strictly prohibited. Employees of the reserve are on duty near Fig Beach in summer, who stop all attempts to set up a tent, a fine may be imposed for violation. As for people who come to the beaches and protected areas of Cape Aya with day hikes, there are no restrictions in this.
If you want to go to the beaches of Cape Aya by boat, then you can take them on the Balaklava embankment near the building of the former cinema. In 2022 the cost of a trip to Silver Beach is 100 rubles per person, and to Fig beach – 300 rubles per person.
If you do not want to go by boat, then you can walk along the Great Sevastopol Trail through the protected forests of Cape Aya. It starts near the Chembalo Fortress. The total length of the Great Sevastopol Trail is huge: 117 kilometers. It starts in Balaklava and the most initial section from the Chembalo fortress to Fig Beach (6 km) can be recognized as one of the most beautiful.
Behind the Chembalo Fortress, before the first hill, the trail diverges into the upper and lower. On the upper trail you can see the ruins of a military fort, which is called the Barrel of Death. However, the upper trail goes along the crest of the mountain range and is quite difficult to pass. The lower path goes along the beaches, there are no large height differences on it. It is much more picturesque. A very beautiful place on this trail is the Gray Rock, which is located between the Silver and Golden Beaches.
