Western direction
Mozhaisk Reservoir
1) Mozhaiskoe highway, Kriushino village. Wild places are more suitable just for swimming, but you can also set up tents.
2) Recreation center “Calypso” in Goretovo. There is an entry fee. On the territory there is a cafe, a bathhouse, boat rentals, and summer houses. Read a detailed review >>here<<.
3) In the Borodino area we go to the right and go to the village of Kovalevo. After it we look for the right exit into the forest.
Read more about holidays at the Mozhaisk Reservoir.
Moscow River
Zvenigorod, Ratekhinskoe highway. Wild places for camping opposite the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery.
Nara Ponds
Minskoe highway 68 km, Asakovo village. Paid ponds for fishing enthusiasts.
Ozerninskoye Reservoir
1) Highway A-108 (large concrete road). Village of Khotebtsovo. Wild places to relax with tents. Driving through a field. Cars cannot always pass.
2) In Ruza we go to the Volokolamsk highway. After the village of Gidrouzel we turn right.
Ruza Reservoir
From the city of Ruza we move along the Volokolamsk highway to the village of Belyanaya Gora. After it we look for a left turn into the field. The ride is difficult.
Read more about holidays at the Ruza Reservoir.
Istra Reservoir
From Moscow we move along the Volokolamsk highway to the city of Istra. In the city we go to the right, towards New Jerusalem and go straight to the reservoir. Then we drive along the reservoir to our destination.
Read more about vacation spots in Istra here.
With a tent in the Krasnodar region
Campsites on the Black Sea are well equipped, there is convenient access and parking everywhere. But the savage’s holiday here is not very good - the entire coastline is built up and populated, especially closer to Sochi.
Blagoveshchenskaya village and Bugaz spit
For kite and windsurfing. The winds blow here, so it's a great place to get on your board and sail. The spit is quiet, the beach has sand and shells, and sometimes you can see dolphins.
There are dunes here, but there is no shade at all - take an awning with you. It’s better to go further away with your tent, so there will be fewer neighbors. There is an equipped camp "Eden". But the main disadvantage of the scythe is the garbage that no one cleans up.
Anapa and surroundings
Shallow water for kids, fun for adults. The sea in Anapa is very good for families with children, and it’s just a stone’s throw from dolphinariums, water parks and other hangouts.
You can’t just set up a tent with a tent, it’s crowded, but there are cool camps, for example, “Fairytale Forest”. The owners took the matter seriously: there are barbecues, a swimming pool, swings and hammocks, and even horseback riding. And you can put a tent among the trees - salvation from the sun.
There are similar campsites in Sukko and Dzhemet. In Anapa - everything is for children!
Big and Small Utrish
Rest in a protected area. It is absolutely forbidden to become a savage here. Otherwise, the place is secluded and quiet - clear sea, pebble beaches and relict forests, pine and juniper groves - to the delight of the lungs and bronchi. In Bolshoi Utrish the campsite is called “Utrish Wave”, in Maly Utrish it is called “Juniper Paradise”.
In Maly Utrish
Kabardinka
There are several camps in Kabardinka, but Scala Glamping stands out. This is glamping, that is, camping for lovers of comfort and Instagram photos.
The tent camp is on a cliff above the sea, and the tents there are unusual. This is a hotel - there is a bed and electricity inside, and there is a table and chairs on a wooden platform in front of the entrance. The guys have bike rentals and a panoramic restaurant, places for trailers and everything for cool hipster photos.
Weddings and yoga tours are held here, and animals are always welcome (up to 35 cm at the withers. Large ones are not very welcome). If your corgi wants to go to the sea, Scala is the right place for him.
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Gelendzhik
There are camps near Gelendzhik Bay, in Divnomorskoye and near Arkhipo-Osipovka. But the most important thing here is the Blue Abyss tract. That's where the beauty is!
There is a campsite at the top of the cliff, but everyone prefers to stay “savage”. A rocky beach, clear, emerald-azure water, and around Pitsunda pine trees - a balm for a person tired of civilization.
In the Blue Abyss
Tuapse district
Camping place. There are also guest houses here, but historically people come to this region with tents. The most iconic place for a wild holiday is the Kiseleva rock with a clear sea and a pebble beach. It is important to take a supply of water and provisions with you; getting there is not close. If you put up a tent on the beach, be prepared to bask in the sun all day: the shore faces south.
Sochi
There will be no wild recreation here: every square meter of the coastline is occupied by tourists. Remember the photo with flocks of fur seals on the shore? What kind of tent is this?
But if you really want to, you need to move to the border with Abkhazia. There is a car camping site "Olga" in the Nizhneimeretinskaya Bay near the mouth of the Psou River.
Pros: infrastructure 2 km away (Magnit) and the sea nearby. But there is no shade or pleasant greenery - you need an awning.
Northern direction
Zhostovo quarry
Ostashkovskoe highway, Zhostovo village.
There are many places on the isthmus between the canal. Moscow and the quarry. There are places where you can only drive an SUV, and there are places for regular cars.
Lake Senezh (Senezh Reservoir)
Leningradskoe highway, Solnechnogorsk. In the city center turn right, then follow the sign to Timonovo
Beautiful and picturesque nature. There are both public and wild places to relax.
Lake Pleshcheyevo
Yaroslavl highway, Pereslavl-Zalessky. About 140 km from Moscow.
Forest Lake
Yaroslavskoe highway, farm “Close Dali”. A large territory untouched by civilization. There is an entry fee. Pets are allowed.
Crimea
Crimea and the tent are made for each other. The coolest places for camping - Cape Tarkhankut or Cape Meganom - are difficult to get to. There are no other roads except dirt roads, so take care of a good SUV.
West Bank
Cape Tarkhankut and the village of Olenevka are camping legends. In May poppies bloom here, and in June crabs bask on the rocks. And in general, the azure Karadzhinskaya Bay is a picturesque place. True, there is no vegetation here at all, just rocks. And the sun bakes mercilessly: you can’t do without an awning and a supply of water, the wind constantly blows. But the beach in Olenevka is called “Miami”, and for good reason - the water couldn’t be cleaner and the sand whiter, and the views of the sea and the lighthouse will steal your heart. You can stay at the new Olenevka Village or Sunset campsites.
View of the Tarkhankut lighthouse
A little further towards Evpatoria there is also a decent place for a tent, Belyaus Spit. These beaches are called the “Crimean Maldives”, so you can actually get from Miami to the Maldives in an hour by car. Miracles of teleportation, no less. There are minimal people here, the beach is sandy and shell-like, and there is a lot of fish, shrimp and mussels in the sea. Here you can set up a tent completely free of charge and not deny yourself anything except crabs. Border guards patrol and check the fishermen; catching crab is strictly prohibited.
the south coast of Crimea
Not the most popular place in terms of camping, but, as they say, you need to know the places. Here are a couple:
- Laspi Bay 40 km from Sevastopol. In addition to the fabulous paintings, it is also the warmest on the South Coast: there are no winds or cold currents. The beaches have small pebbles, and there are pine and juniper groves around. There is also a vibrant underwater world here, which means great diving. The camps are located at the top of the cliff, you need to go down to the sea. And then going up, if not climbing, is not the best solution for relaxing with children. In Laspi there is an equipped camp “Heraclea”, but you won’t be able to become a savage there.
- As an alternative, there is the wild Fig beach behind Balaklava Bay on Cape Aya. Just as picturesque as in Laspi, only the coast here is very indented, and there are many secluded small coves everywhere, some with only a place for a tent. There is also an equipped camp “Figs”, where they take care of good communications, cuisine and even the organization of excursions and events.
In the Ayazma tract, where Inzhir beach
East Coast
This is where camping lovers have a place to turn. The coast is not very developed, there are many hidden places. Mostly wild people come here, although there are also campsites. Yogis, artists, Buddhists, informals and other free-thinking citizens flock to the east of Crimea. Here are the most famous destinations:
- General's beaches are 12 km from Kerch, widely known in narrow circles. Between the villages of Zolotoy and Kurortny there are 30 km of silence and soft sand. This is the Sea of Azov, shallow and warm, and the coast is indented with secluded coves - pitch a tent and live. The landscapes are breathtaking even after a couple of weeks of rest, and the air smells gently of herbs. Paradise? Paradise. You can only get there by car with high ground clearance and strong suspension, and there is no infrastructure. Unity with nature as it is.
- Cape Meganom. There are many legends surrounding it; the cape is considered a place of power and one of the points of connection with the Cosmos. So be prepared that your neighbors will be informal people of all stripes; they even have their own open-air temple here, the Temple of the Sun. But the water is wonderful: clean and azure, and dolphins often approach the shore. There are no trees here and strong winds blow, so it’s worth taking care of an awning and water. But the opportunity to pass through yourself the vibrations of the Universe outweighs these inconveniences.
Tents on Meganom
- Fox Bay between Sudak and Koktebel. There is no wind, the water is warm, sand and grass. During the season, the bay acquires infrastructure - toilets, cafes and shops appear. Savages settle here, and in general this is also a place of attraction for informals. True, instead of yogis and Buddhists, there are nudists here. If this is your topic, go to Lisya.
Traveling around southern Russia with a tent is not such a bad idea. It's budget-friendly and romantic. Camping culture is evolving and it's no longer "ugh, sleep on the ground and don't wash" but just another form of vacation. Often cooler than a luxury hotel.
South direction
Oka River
Places on both sides of the river between the cities of Serpukhov and Stupino. There are so many places, there is no point in describing them all. See the entrances to the water using Google Maps. I'll give you a couple of guidelines as examples.
If you come from the direction of Serpukhov, pass the village of Luzhki, then turn onto the dirt road towards the river, then along the shore there will be places for parking with tents.
Also, there are many places near the village of Priluki. Exit the M4 highway, reach the village, then look for dirt roads leading to the Oka.
