The Valley of Lotuses is one of the most famous natural attractions in the vicinity of Anapa. The valley where lotuses bloom is located in the Akhtanizovsky lake in the north of the Taman Peninsula, 65 kilometers from Anapa and 160 kilometers from Gelendzhik. The popularity of excursions to the Valley of Lotuses is so great that tourists come here from many resorts on the coast of the Caucasus.
The flowering time of lotuses is very short – about three weeks. They begin to bloom from late July to mid-August. If the water warms up earlier, then they bloom from mid-July. At this time, tourists tend to visit the valley to see a unique picture of blooming lotuses for these places. It is best to arrive with the first rays of the sun, since at this time the lotus flower opens as much as possible. If you do not have time to arrive in the Valley of Lotuses early in the morning, then you do not need to get upset. Their flowers do not close completely on hot summer days, but at this time you will have to wait for a long queue to board a boat that takes tourists along the lake.
Lotus fields in the Akhtanizovsky lake appeared in the 1960s, thanks to the experiments of scientist A. Shakhov. Until the 18th century, the Taman lakes were filled with salt water, which made the local lands unsuitable for agriculture. By order of Empress Catherine II, the Cossack Erik Canal was dug from the Kuban River, which allowed fresh water to be supplied to the lakes. This is how the conditions for experiments with breeding lotuses were formed.
Lotuses are very picky about living conditions. They grow in warm water, on a muddy bottom, at a water level of about 1 meter. The lotuses themselves grow by about 1.5 meters. Lotus is a relict plant that appeared in the Cretaceous Period, about 100 million years ago.
For all Eastern religions, the lotus is a symbol of spiritual purity. This is due to the special structure of lotus leaves and petals, which can be self-cleaned. A lotus flower grows out of dirty water and silt, but its flowers and leaves themselves are always perfectly clean. There is a special reverence for the lotus in Buddhism.
Excursions to the Valley of Lotuses begin on the shore of the Akhtanizovsky lake in different places. Excursions to the Valley of Lotuses begin on the shore of the Akhtanizovsky lake in two places. One place is located on the northern shore of the Akhtanizovsky lake near the village of Golubitskaya. You need to drive up to the lake from the winery "Golubitskoe Estate". The second place is located in the south-eastern side of the lake, on the bank of the Cossack Erik River. This place is called Oak Market, near the campsite Cossack cordon.
The most interesting excursions are on high-speed motor boats that can accommodate 4 people. First you will visit the Valley of Lotuses itself, where you can see huge fields of flowering plants. After that, you will be taken for a boat ride along the Cossack Erik.
The Cossack Erik is a canal that was dug under Catherine II to supply fresh water from the Kuban River to the Taman estuaries. Over time, the river became part of the lake, and dense thickets of bushes and trees grew on its banks. This made the channel look like the Amazon Jungle. To see the "jungle" of the Cossack Erik is no less interesting part of the tour than visiting the Valley of Lotuses.
