Hotels in Pitsunda

The western, "town" side of the resort runs along Topolevaya and Gytsba streets: the 10th-century Patriarchal Cathedral, the concert hall with its organ, the market, excursion desks and a pebble bay sheltered from the waves by the cape. From here you reach the water through the relict grove in about a minute, and the cathedral is a five- to ten-minute walk. This is the area for anyone who came for classic Pitsunda and doesn't want to head into the village every day for groceries and cafes.

The grove ends and the village of Ldzaa — also known as Lidzava — begins: one- and two-story houses, family-run courtyards, the old fish-factory waterfront and a wild pebble beach that stays roomy even in August. Central Pitsunda is about a kilometer and a half away on foot along the sea, or ten minutes by taxi. People come here for the quiet and the absence of boarding-house group intakes, though you'll still have to walk into the village for a proper choice of cafes and groceries.

The most affordable places sit away from the beach bay — on Gochua and Rechnaya streets and deep inside the fish-factory district. Usually that means a room or a small cabin in a guest yard with a shared kitchen and garden, with a walk or a drive down to the water. The rule is simple: move a couple of kilometers back from the sea and the budget drops noticeably, and with a car the saving works out at almost double.

Beachfront is a rarity in Pitsunda: the relict grove and the blocks of the old resort take up nearly the whole shoreline, so properties right on the water can be counted on one hand. They sit in the upper price bracket and win you over not with a category but with the view, the sun terraces and their own way down to the pebbles. A logical choice for a couple, or for anyone unwilling to walk through the village to the sea every morning.

There are almost no star-rated hotels here — the resort grew out of Soviet boarding houses, and "class" is measured not by a category but by whether a property has fenced grounds, a pool, parking and somewhere to keep a child busy. Such places stand a little away from the center, but they are easy to reach by car and comfortable to settle into for a whole holiday. For parents with children that usually matters more than being a five-minute walk from the cathedral.

The sanatorium-and-boarding-house format is where this whole stretch of coast began: a block right by the water, parkland grounds, a canteen, a pool and a spa, a cinema hall instead of nightlife. In Pitsunda itself these blocks belong to the "Kurort Pitsunda" complex, while along the coast, toward Myussera and Gudauta, full-scale boarding houses have survived with their original infrastructure. It's a format for anyone who wants a set routine, meals laid on and as few day-to-day worries as possible.

In July and August Pitsunda gets more expensive faster than its neighbors, and that's when it pays to look along the coast: Alakhadzy is about ten kilometers away, Gagra twenty-five, and Tsandripsh, right by the border with Sochi, around fifty. The nature is the same — sea and mountains — each village has its own set of amenities, and starting prices are lower than in Pitsunda. There's one drawback: you'll have to drive to the relict grove and the sheltered bay.

Gagra is larger than Pitsunda, closer to Adler airport and noticeably livelier: a long promenade, the colonnade, restaurants and evening life. There's no pine park right by the beach here, and the sea is open — the surf is distinctly stronger than in Pitsunda's cape-sheltered bay. Take Gagra if you want to combine the beach with walks and day trips, and save the quiet of the relict grove for a single day.