Cycling and Mountain Biking in Crimea
Crimea is a mountain biker's dream. Numerous automobile roads make the mountains easily accessible, and bikeable trails and dirt roads crisscross the peninsula.
Since bikers deal with many of the same issues as hikers, read this page on hiking in Crimea for information on water, climate, transportation, and regulations that may apply to you. In addition, we have a section on our site on Cycling in Ukraine with detailed information on transporting bikes and common cycling issues.
Where to begin your cycling trip
The main starting points for cyclists are Simferopol, Bakhchisaray, Sevastopol, and Feodosiya — all connected to other major Ukrainian cities (Lviv, Kiev, Kharkov, Donetsk) by train. South Shore towns like Yalta, Alushta, and Sudak are not accessible by train, so bikers rarely start there unless they are traveling as a large group and get a van to carry their bikes to ther starting point. Read about transporting bikes on Ukrainian trains.
Roads for cycling
All Crimean automobile roads are suitable for road cycling, however, some are best avoided during the tourist season. For example, traffic is quite heavy on highway M18 from Sevastopol to Yalta, Alushta, and Simferopol during summer months, and moderate at other times of year. The views of the sea and mountains are beautiful. Between Foros and Alupka (25 km) there is an older highway that runs parallel to the M18 higher up the slope with very little traffic, but there are more ups and downs and in places damage from landslides (the road is no longer maintained). In one location west of Parkovoe there is a sudden half-meter drop-off in the road—an unpleasant surprise if you're cruising down the road at 30 km/hr.!
A beautiful route that is unfortunately closed to the public is the paved road from Yalta to Alushta over the highest part of the Crimean mountains through the Crimean Nature Reserve. It is 77 km long and rises to 1448 m at Nikitskyy pass, making it the highest paved road in Ukraine. Ride at your own risk, as there is a minor chance of being caught and fined, or made to turn around. Supposedly the forest patrollers watch the section between Besedka Vetrov and Chuchelskyy pass and go home after 6:00 p.m....
Southeastern Crimea also has tons of roads fit for cycling. The Kerch Peninsula is almost completely flat, but there are many roads and relatively little traffic. As strong winds can be an issue, check wind direction before finalizing the direction of travel. West of Feodosiya begin the Crimean Mountains with their great and varied scenery. In the eastern section of the mountains there are numerous paved roads up these long valleys to remote small towns and villages, as well as endless kilometers of dirt and rocky roads suitable for mountain biking.
NICE ROADS FOR CYCLING |
DESCRIPTION |
NOTES |
| Bakhchisaray to Yalta (86 km) |
Beautiful ride with few cars through foothills and mountains with a strenuous 1000 m climb up switchbacks (over 12 km) to the stunning Ay-Petri plateau, then a steep descent into Yalta with switchbacks and more traffic. |
Descend into Yalta either early morning or late in the day when people are returning from Ay-Petri to Yalta and there is no oncoming traffic. |
1. Orlinoe to Golubinka (25 km),
2. Kholmovka to Shturmovoe (25 km),
3. Bakhchisaray to Aromat through Schastlivoe (50 km),
4. Skalistoe to Nauchnyy (14 km) |
These roads all run through the foothills (up to 500 m in elevation) southwest of Simferopol and have great views, varied scenery, and light automobile traffic |
These routes can easily be connected to make a loop or set of loops |
 Cycling trip reports
Mountain biking in Crimea
Crimea's terrain is hilly and mountainous and covered with trails and dirt roads. Grades range from flat to very steep. Once during a ride I met a Ukrainian guy from Donetsk who had marked on his topographical map all the places he had ridden; the map was literally covered in ink. He traveled alone and took a sleeping bag with him just in case night caught him on the road.
I won't list routes here because there are hundreds of them. Any trail or dirt road can be biked if it's not fenced off! The high-detail topographical maps show most of these trails. The easier rides, of course, are in the hills below about 500 m. Most of the "extreme" routes are above this altitude.
A good idea is to pick a destination, say, Bakhchisaray, buy topographical maps when you get there, and begin exploring areas you find interesting. Or, you can take the maps to the local Mountain Rescue Service post and get their advice on the routes you have chosen (if you speak at least some Russian/Ukrainian). See the "lodgings" section on our hiking page for tips on finding a place to stay.
Learn about week-long guided mountain biking trips through Crimea's most scenic mountain areas. |
