Balaklava

Introducing Balaklava

Thinking of the full-face ski mask to which it gave its name – the 19th-century equivalent of a ‘hoodie’ – you might not be expecting Balaklava to be particularly beautiful. But, oh, it is. Arid, scrub-covered hills rise on either side of a narrow, curving blue bay once reserved for secret Cold War manoeuvres. Now the former Soviet Union elite park their multi-million-dollar yachts in the inlet’s Mediterranean-like waters, while humble fishing boats ferry tourists to nearby coastal beaches with names like ‘Golden’ and ‘Silver’. Overlooking the whole scene are three Genoese towers, beyond which the headland offers a bird’s-eye view of the cove and the Black Sea. And that’s when you may wish you had a balaclava – to keep your jaw from dropping off.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009