In recent years, I have been vacationing in Sochi in the Imereti Valley area, which is now the federal territory of Sirius. It is close to the airport (20-30 minutes by taxi to any hotel). The sea in Sirius is much cleaner than in the center of Sochi (near the border with Abkhazia). There is a 7 km promenade with a pedestrian sidewalk and independent cycle path with sea and mountain views. Walking and horseback riding are a pleasure. But from the second half of June to the end of August there are not many people here.
So, the advantages of rest in Sochi and Sirius in the off-season, or why you shouldn’t go here during the high season. I will highlight three main factors.
In April, a windbreaker or an insulating vest is still necessary. Especially when the wind rises or the sun sets. Photo: Ekaterina Kotova
Climate
Sochi has a subtropical climate, which means that in summer it is incredibly hot, but in spring, autumn and part of winter it is sunny and pleasant. There may be some rain, but in general the weather is mild.
For example, this year the entire month of February in Sochi was about +17. But even at +12, February in this part of Russia can be surprisingly good: without gray and sleet, take a walk and admire the palm trees, clear sky, sea and mountains.
Tourists actively ride bicycles. Photo: Ekaterina Kotova
Swimming in February and March is still cold. Starting in April, the bravest go into the sea. This year I was on vacation at Sirius from April 6th to 10th. On sunny days, people actively sunbathed on the beach, but few swam. “Well, how’s the water?” -the husband asks his wife coming out of the sea. “Cold!” -she answers happily. In May the water will be warmer and there will be more people in the sea.
At the end of May and beginning of June the sun is already shining. Staying on the beach after 11:30 can quickly get sunburned. And simply walking after noon is no longer very comfortable due to the heat. So if you like to walk along the shore and breathe the sea breeze, it is best to choose spring or autumn for your trip.
Many people come on vacation with their pets. Photo: Ekaterina Kotova
Prices
Keep in mind: the longer the hot season, the higher the prices. For all. Rental of umbrellas, sun loungers, bicycles, SUP boards, even the cost of a scoop of ice cream in a booth on the embankment – everything will be much more expensive in summer.
In April you can sunbathe on sunny days. Photo: Ekaterina Kotova
Let’s consider the main expenses: accommodation and plane tickets.
Last year I was on vacation at Sirius at the beginning of June. The hotel room cost me about half as much as if I had arrived here in early July, and three times less than it did in mid-July and August.
In April this year I paid 20 thousand rubles (four days, 5 thousand rubles per night) to stay in an apartment with a kitchen 5 minutes from the sea. Now let’s compare with prices from other dates. In June, the same apartments for the same period will cost three times more – 60 thousand (15 thousand per night), and in July and August – 70 thousand (17.5 thousand rubles per night). In September, for four nights they ask for 56 thousand rubles (14 thousand per night); During the high season, prices remain generally stable, but are already starting to fall.
There are many planes flying to Sochi. Therefore, the price range for airline tickets is not as impressive as that for housing. However, the good thing about the low season is that you can take advantage of airline discounts and fly for 10 thousand rubles round trip, or even cheaper. Without promotions, round-trip tickets from Moscow to Sochi will cost on average 15-20 thousand in April-May, and 20-25 thousand rubles in June-August. In September you can fly for 15 thousand rubles, in October for 11 thousand rubles.
Surrounded by palm trees, it is pleasant to ride an electric scooter. Especially around the Olympic venues. You just can’t go to the embankment with them. Photo: Ekaterina Kotova
Cheer up
My travel experience once told me: everything I love is available out of season in Sochi.
For example, I like to move around instead of sitting in my room under the air conditioning from 12:00 to 16:00 waiting for the heat to drop. In spring and autumn on Sirius it is comfortable to walk along the embankment at any time. And if it rains, you can hide in a restaurant.
I love riding a bike, breathing the sea air and not being afraid every minute of running over a running child. Out of season, there are few children in the tourist areas and bicycle rental is developed and works like clockwork. Prices are reasonable: renting a bike for an hour costs 200 rubles, for a day – 500 rubles.
A wide variety of bicycle transport can be found on the Sirius embankment. Photo: Ekaterina Kotova
You can rent a surfboard on the beach in April for 1,000 rubles per hour, and at an equipment rental point 500 meters from the beach – for 400 rubles per hour (or 1,200 rubles per day).
At the beginning of April the first SUP rental stations appear on the beach. Photo: Ekaterina Kotova
In the morning I like to sit and have a cup of coffee on the open terrace. In the evening, grab pizza to go and dine right on the shore. Thus, renting an ottoman on the beach in April costs 250 rubles per hour, during the season prices are two or three times higher. In addition, in the height of the season, you can wait a long time for both coffee and pizza, and the quality of service in Sochi (already low, as we know) decreases due to the influx of visitors.
Ottoman rentals are popular on the coast: they can be used to comfortably read a book or dine by the sea. Photo: Ekaterina Kotova
I love excursions without traffic jams, entertainment without queues, shots of nature without crowds of vacationers, peace and quiet. For example, in Sochi there is Disneyland (“Sochipark”), but already in June my son and I had to wait in impossible lines for each attraction, and in April there are none.
When the sea is calm, people go out on SUP boards. Photo: Ekaterina Kotova
Each “I love you” creates the necessary atmosphere for true relaxation. When you don’t fight with anyone about anything, but instead get what you deserve from life (at least during your vacation). The very etymology of the word “rest” is symbolic: to stop suffocating, that is, not to die, to remain alive.
Sirius pebble beach in early April, without sun loungers, but with ottomans and swings. Photo: Ekaterina Kotova
