Anapa - Kerch. How to get from the Caucasus to the Crimea?

Last year, the question of the Anapa-Kerch route was of little importance. How to get from one sea port to another, except by sea? On it, according to the schedule, passenger ships cruised, but it was impossible to name this route particularly lively. It was also easy to overcome this distance by land, with ferry crossing across the Kerch Strait.

Against the background of recent political events

The revolutionary events of the spring of this year radically changed the situation both on the peninsula and around it. After the Crimea was included in the Russian Federation, many problems arose. Among other things, we had to recall the sea passenger line Anapa-Kerch. Getting there as soon as possible from the Caucasian coast to the Crimean peninsula, it became interesting to those who go to the Crimea to rest. Particularly relevant this issue was made by such factors as the problematic nature of traveling to Crimea by rail through unstable Ukraine and the high cost of flying there by air. A simple statistics indicates that the bulk of vacationers in previous years came to the Crimean peninsula through the Perekopsky Isthmus by rail. And Crimea in the arrival of tourists was much more interested than they are in it.

Transport problems

The ferry across the Kerch Strait was commissioned in 1956. It successfully connects the coast to this day. But the existing ferry crossing from the port of Kavkaz to Kerch in April 2014 ceased to cope with the flow of passengers. On the shore of the Kerch Strait a long line of cars was formed, whose passengers want to get to the Crimean coast. Waiting for loading on the ferry in the port of Caucasus now takes more than a day. Thus, the easily accessible section of the road from the Caucasus to the Crimea, Anapa-Kerch (the distance between the end points of which is only 127 kilometers), has become very problematic. The situation is further complicated by the fact that it is impossible to know in advance how long it will take to queue at the crossing. Needless to say that such an adventure can seriously poison the entire summer vacation?

What to do?

The technical capabilities of the ferry crossing in the Kerch Strait have been exhausted. In principle, the situation could not be changed even by the urgent commissioning of new ferry facilities. It was necessary to find urgently an alternative solution to the transport problem that arose. In particular, they recalled the long-standing passenger line of Anapa-Kerch. How to get to the Crimea by ferry? Is it necessary for this to create a crush in the narrow Kerch Strait? Of course not. Especially since there are well-equipped passenger terminals near the hotel.

Anapa-Kerch. Ferry to the peninsula

Even at the end of March technical tests were successfully passed, and from April two similar high-speed vessel-catamaran were put into commercial operation on the Anapa-Kerch line. They are even called almost the same - "Sochi-1" and "Sochi-2". When fully loaded in three hundred people, the journey takes about three hours. This in the future ensures the stability of the functioning of the Anapa-Kerch ferry line, the timetable of which will ensure the timely arrival to the holiday destination for everyone who has decided to spend a vacation in the Crimea. The ticket price is one thousand rubles. This is a serious step towards solving the transport problem that suddenly arose before the beginning of the summer tourist season. In the near future, other ferry lines from Anapa to the ports of the Crimean peninsula should appear. First of all, in the direction of Feodosia, Yalta and Sevastopol. Also promising is the expansion of the message on the route between Sochi and Yalta.

Kerch-Anapa. Bus to the Caucasus

The measures taken to create alternative communication lines with the Crimean peninsula should radically unload the ferry crossing in the Kerch Strait and stabilize its operation. Even today, tourists who are going to rest in the Crimea, are offered bus tickets for the return journey along the route Kerch-Anapa at a reduced rate. And the Kerch ferry crossing for those who prefers to travel to Crimea behind the wheel of their own car will remain relevant.

Bridge across the strait

Currently, a bridge project is being developed across the Kerch Strait. After putting it into operation, and it will happen in the most optimal case of years in five, it will be possible to overcome the Anapa-Kerch route in one and a half hour. "How to get to the Crimea and how to get back?" - you can no longer ask because of the obvious answer. All other options, except the bridge, will go to the section of deeply secondary and will be interesting only for those who like sea walks. And the main flow of passengers will move to the Crimea and back on road transport. But the implementation of such a grandiose project as a bridge across the Kerch Strait is fraught with considerable difficulties, both technical and economic. To imagine the scale of the erected building, it is enough to recall that the bridge should not create obstacles to sea vessels following in the direction of the Azov Sea and back. Among other things, the Kerch Strait is characterized by strong currents and often there is a complex ice situation in the winter. Summarizing what has been said, do not expect that the bridge across the strait will be built very quickly.