Back in the 80s of the twentieth century, the local coast was almost wild: endless salt marshes, small salt lakes where many rare birds nested, and, of course, many kilometers of sandy beaches, completely deserted, and therefore clean. Everything changed in the early 1990s, when these places began to be actively built up. The development has also affected the village of Popovka, which is quite small (less than a thousand local residents) and is located north of Evpatoria. There are the same comfortable sandy beaches, but there is no dust and city noise, the air is always fresh and saturated with vapors of iodine and mineral salts of estuaries. And although Popovka is located not far from the city, here you are left alone with the pristine nature.

Popovka village. Lake Donuzlav

This largest lake in Crimea was once completely freshwater. However, after the naval base was located here, the isthmus separating the lake from the sea was dug up. Because of this, salt water mixed with fresh water, completely destroying the ecosystem and destroying most of the flora and fauna of Donuzlav.

Today, life here has almost completely recovered, but it is already completely different, because the lake has become half salty. Many rare birds nest here and fish are caught – both sea and lake. And also at the quays of the village of Mirnoe you can see military hovercraft.

Festival site “KaZantip”

After the famous Crimean rock festival “KaZantip” was expelled from its permanent place on the cape of the same name, it took place on Popovka beach for several years in a row. The entire infrastructure was built here: stages, cafes, tent camps, all kinds of surreal installations, etc.

“KaZantip” was closed in 2014, but all the buildings, which can still be viewed right on the sea coast of Popovka, remain a monument to him. By the way, the site is not empty – firstly, now the festival of electronic music “Z-Fest” is taking place here, and secondly, it is very fond of filmmakers and often serves as a backdrop for fantastic films.

Oybur Lake

In prehistoric times, there was a sea bay. However, constant storms did their job, and sandy deposits formed a land ridge, which reliably separated the bay from the sea, making it a lake. Gradually, the water in it became more and more salty, until it turned into brine – a saturated saline solution. All the inhabitants of the former bay perished and, having sunk to the bottom, turned into a thick layer of healing mud.

Today Oybrur salt lake is the fourth largest inland water body of Crimea. It is very shallow, the maximum depth does not reach four meters, and you can walk hundreds of meters from the coast – the depth will remain knee-deep. In summer, the lake warms up to +35 degrees. This is an ideal place for bathing babies, however, you should not get carried away, because the water is very salty.

Settlement “Chaika”

Scientists still do not know the name of this city during its heyday, it is only known that it was most likely part of the ancient Greek polis Kerkinitis (ancestor of Evpatoria), which was under the protectorate of Chersonesos. The suburb of Yevpatoria, which is located behind the salt lake Moinaki, where the settlement is located, is called “Seagull”. The foundations of houses, the remains of streets and outbuildings have survived to this day.

Where to go with children

Popovka, like Evpatoria, can be called one of the best and most popular children’s resorts in Crimea. The local beaches seem to be made for little ones: a wide line of fine sand, a warm sea, the bottom of which goes gently into the depths, and, of course, numerous attractions.

Water park “U Lukomorya”

Evpatoria is located very close to Popovka, which means that you just need to take your child to the U Lukomorya water park at least once. Various slides, pools and other attractions are made in the style of Pushkin’s fairy tales. There is even an oak tree with a gold chain and a Learned Cat.

The water park will be interesting for everyone: for fans of extreme sports, and for children, for whom shallow pools with bright and completely safe slides are equipped. The water in them is warmed up by the sun, so you can splash for hours.

The best beaches in Popovka

Unlike the narrow southern coastal beaches, local beaches are up to 100 m wide, and their length is tens of kilometers. All of them are covered with fine golden sand. The bottom is also sandy, as a rule there are no pitfalls at all. You can safely go into the water without being afraid of stumbling.

The sea is very clean and shallow, due to which it sometimes warms up to +29 degrees. However, due to the lack of mountains around, there are often winds and, accordingly, storms. After them, it is very interesting to wander along the shore in search of various interesting things carried by the waves. Most of the beaches are well equipped: there are sun canopies, sun loungers, and changing rooms.