When talking to my friend about stopping by Odesa during my Ukraine visit, she briefly mentioned that it is a summer vacation destination. I remember thinking “Really?”, as that was nothing that had crossed my mind, even though this is a Black Sea-side city. After visiting Lanzheron Beach (Langeron Beach), I get it. The waterfront may not scream beach life in October, but I can picture it being a bustling hotspot during warmer months. It is lined with restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, and a dolphinarium. All accessed via a promenade. When I exited Lanzheron Beach, and entered Otrada Beach, I ran into Zdorovya Track (Health Track), which is a 6 km long paved park path, that runs along the coast all the way from Lanzheron Beach to Arkadia Beach. There seemed to be a park train doing the stretch. Had I spotted this earlier, I might have gotten on, and explored, as I did 1/4 of the seaside only. Most likely it is a high season option. Even though this area is more of a summer spot, I found it to be a nice place to go for a stroll in the fall too.
I accessed via Shevchenko Park. Between Derybasivska Street and the park, there is not much to see, but the park is pleasant to wander through. The walk can be too long for the taste of some, about 30 minutes.
What to do after a day at the beach? The pedestrian main street, Derybasivska Street, and its surrounding area are filled with shops, restaurants, cafes, and all the other things city life offers. I would say I prefer it over the Kyiv equivalent. Spotted some cool street art and beautiful architecture, but the Potemkin Stairs were not impressive…
Shevchenko Park
At the beach
City life
Potemkin Stairs
