“And Dagestan is that Russia? – I was in full seriousness when I was going on a trip.
– Are there rubles? And a passport is not needed? Analysis on the COVID-19 should be taken upon arrival? “
It is surprising that this region of Russia has not yet become a Mecca of tourism. After all, there are all the conditions: the sea, mountains, flower fields, ancient cities and villages, a bunch of attractions.
What can I say, I myself did not really know anything about Dagestan to this spring. And then she looked at the photos with a friend who went in March, and fell in love with this beauty in absentia.
As a result, we got out to Dagestan at the May holidays. There are many flights in Makhachkala, planes fly from all Moscow airports, so it’s easy to find a convenient option.
How to get
The plane to Makhachkala – the capital of Dagestan – flies for about 2.5 hours. At the airport, we took two taxis at once (you cannot call minivan, and our large family does not fit in a standard car). The cost of the trip was about 450 rubles.
Day First: Makhachkala
We settled in a hotel in the city center and began to look for a place where to have lunch. So it coincided that we came to the post, so most institutions did not work during the day. But some were open. And we were lucky to get into the restaurant-Museum “on Lermontov”. The place is popular – here they shot “Eagle and Tails”, so there are a lot of people who want to have lunch or dinner.
We ordered local dishes: Kurze (in fact – dumplings), a miracle with pumpkin and nuts, with herbs. And it was very tasty!
Then they walked to the embankment of the Caspian Sea, threw pebbles into the water, breathed drunk air and walked through the park.
We had dinner in a cafe on the way to the hotel. We ordered a dessert – a pie with cottage cheese and urbu – and they brought us a whole pie. What a pity it was to leave part on a plate! But to eat everything turned out to be simply unrealistic!
Day Second: Barkhan Sarykum and Sulak Canyon
The next morning, we went on the first tour. The guide was found in advance, back in Moscow. We needed a man with a large car and a children’s car seare.
First of all, we were taken to the sarykum velvet. From the highway it seems that this is some kind of mountain of sand. And you even think: what is special here? But when you drive closer, you understand that he is just huge! It was here that the famous film “The White Sun of the Desert” was shot. A long path from the boards leads to the march. And to be honest, it was not easy to go. A very strong wind blew, the sand flew into the eyes, clogged into the hair. But when we reached the top, beauty surrounded the indescribable! And the children were just happy to run in a large “sandbox”.
The next point was the Sulak canyon. This is the place that every future tourist sees, scoring in the search engine “Sights of Dagestan.” Imagine high beautiful mountains, and between them a stormy river of bright turquoise color. Just for this place, you should go to Dagestan! Looking at the canyon on the one hand, we also drove up with the one where the GRES is located. And both views of the river were amazing!
Day Three: Derbent and Izberbash
On the third day, they decided to go to Derbent – the oldest city among those where people still live. The road from Makhachkala is not for about two hours. But at the same time, picturesque, along the sea. And along the way we saw the most beautiful poppy fields. One of them could not stand it and even stopped. We climbed over the fence and began to be photographed.
At first, the guide suggested calling for the famous attraction – the ekranoplan “Lun”. This is a giant structure – a hybrid of a ship and aircraft. And he is located near Derbent. It stands right on the seashore. They say that in the future they want to make a park of military equipment next to him. But now there is just a lonely “Lun”, which always has crowds of tourists.
The children liked him. We took a picture and went on – to Derbent itself. At first we were taken to the mountain, where the beautiful fortress of Naryn-Kala is located. There we took the tour and did not regret it – it turned out to be very interesting and informative. We saw how the rulers of these places lived many centuries ago.
And after the fortress, I asked the guide to show us a store where you can buy a local carpet. I really wanted to bring him home as a souvenir.
The guide called someone from his acquaintances and brought us to a completely nondescript place. But how many carpets were there – handmade, bright, motley, beautiful. It was simply impossible to get out of there empty -handed!
After Derbent, we went to the city of Izberbash, where the second half of our journey was supposed to go. It so happened that in Makhachkala on the May holidays it was very difficult to find a hotel. And so I divided the journey into two parts in advance: by a couple of nights in Makhachkala and Izberbash.
Honestly, now I understand that there is nothing special to do in Izberbash. Perhaps here is much prettier in the summer, when you can swim at sea and beaches work. But in the offseason here it is boring.
Four day: mountains
So, on the fourth day we went to the mountains. The road there was not easy – only one way we drove for more than three hours. But it was worth it!
The first stop was made near the waterfall Tobot. And this is just a revived picture! Then we went to an abandoned village in the mountains – Kahib. There are many such places in Dagestan. But it must be borne in mind that getting there is quite difficult. I have three young children. And to go the heat of a few kilometers somewhere in the mountains is simply unrealistic.
But the kahib is located quite successfully. At first we arrived in a new village, and then we had to get to the old one. The road is also not easy – rocky and long. But it is realistic to go through it.
At the same time, landscapes were so beautiful around that I could not even believe – do we really see all this with our own eyes? All this was like the scenery of the Lord of the Rings or the Game of Thrones. Around us were picturesque green slopes of the mountain, a stormy river, and the old ones were destroyed by houses nearby. Previously, many centuries ago, people lived here. They chose this place due to safety-no enemy will pass. But then life changed, and it became clear that the road was needed, a message with other villages. And people moved to the other mountain and abandoned these houses. Now they have turned very picturesque ruins. It is even amazing why films are still not making here.
But that was not all! After Kahib, we went to another incredibly beautiful place – it is called the Horus or the “Troll Language”. Nearby and an abandoned village, and the snowy peaks of the mountains, and a huge green plateau hanging over the cliff. We are returning home already dark and very tired. But we were overwhelmed with emotions. We constantly repeated: “Is all this in Russia?”
The fifth day
In the morning, we went for a walk along the sea in Izberbash, ate in a cafe, and then moved to the airport. The guide said that we did not see everything. There are still many beautiful places in Dagestan.
And now we have a great desire to return!
