Road to the picturesque Lake Ritsa: routes and distances

The picturesque road to Lake Ritsa is rich in sights. The reservoir itself is also considered the pearl of Abkhazia. Here the beautiful nature is organically combined with a developed tourism infrastructure, so you can spend time versatile and comfortable.

Brief description of Lake Ritsa

Lake Ritsa is located at an altitude of 950 meters above sea level, in a picturesque, forested gorge. It was caused by a landslide that occurred during the earthquake – large fragments of Mount Pshegishkhva blocked the channel of the Lashingse River. This happened about 250 years ago.

The lake is surrounded by green cliffs and three mountain ranges with snow caps on top:

• Atsetuk (3,261 m);
• Arihua (2,700 m);
• Przegishkha (2222 m).

In addition to Lashingse, the Terbaza River flows into the reservoir, and the Yupshara River flows out of it.

The water is clear, visibility reaches 10 m. Its color depends on the season, which is due to seasonal changes in transparency and microflora composition.

Yellowish and greenish hues predominate in spring and summer, and blue in fall and winter. There is a well-equipped pebble beach with sun loungers, but bathing is prohibited, because. The reservoir is located on the territory of a biosphere reserve.

Another important reason is the low water temperature: in summer it is usually within +10 … +12 ° C and only rises to +18 ° C in the hottest days.

This kind of cold can cause cardiac arrest. Finally, the Lapshise, which flows into the reservoir, forms an undercurrent that can pull the bather to depth.

Around the lake there are many cafes and restaurants where you can eat good food. Local cuisine is offered in abundance. There are also small shops with souvenirs, toys and ice cream.

Tourists like to wander through the alleys and forest paths, admire the ducks and lotus flowers or ride a catamaran – on the shores of the lake there are many equipped piers.

Location of the lake on the map

The reservoir is located in the Gudauta district of the Abkhaz Republic, east of the Gagra mountain range. Geographic coordinates: 43.5° north latitude and 40.5° east longitude.

The area of the lake and its depth

The water body is 2,500 m long and 870 m wide. It covers an area of 1.3 square kilometers. The average depth is 63 m, the greatest – 130 m. With the influx of melt water, the surface of the lake rises, in summer and winter, it sinks. The difference in levels is up to 3 m.

Distance from Lake Ritsa to the nearest town

The easiest way to get to the lake is from the city of Gagra. The distance to this settlement is 55 kilometers.

What to take on a trip to the lake

The attraction is located in a mountainous area, so the first thing a tourist should have comfortable and sturdy shoes. Due to the lack of grocery stores it is recommended to take food and drinks with you – the catering establishments located near the lake are often overcrowded. You don’t need a foreign passport, a Russian one will do. The rest depends on what season the trip is made.

In the summertime

Ritsa is rich in fish. Three species are of particular interest to gourmets:

• trout;
• chub;
• whitefish (a member of the salmon family).

Fishing is allowed, so some tourists take with them rods and spinning rods. And you can also rent gear right on the spot. Those who like to live in nature take their tents with them – on Central Beach there is a well-equipped camping site.

In the mountains often blow strong winds, so it is recommended to have a jacket or windbreaker, and in case of precipitation – a raincoat.

During the winter season

In winter, there is a lot of snow on the territory of Ritza National Park, so you should dress accordingly. In general, the height of the snow cover does not exceed 3 m, but sometimes reaches 11 m.

Because of the abundance of precipitation, the probability of rockslides and avalanches increases. It is necessary to have a supply of food and water – it will come in handy if the road will be blocked for some time.

In case of a collapse, sightseeing buses turn back, but off-road vehicles most often manage to overcome the obstacle. Therefore, this mode of transport is preferred in winter.

Sometimes the Ritza freezes, covered with ice up to 5 cm thick. Then tourists take skates with them.

Ways to get to the lake from around the world

There is no public transportation to Ritza National Park. You can get to the place in 3 ways:

• on your car;
• by cab;
• by bus or jeep with a tour.

The layout of the route depends on the point from which the traveler is moving out.

From Sochi

The distance from the Russian resort to Ritza is 120 km. First, tourists take public transport to the border with Abkhazia, then change to a bus that goes to Gagra. This city can also be reached by direct train from Sochi.

All local travel companies offer sightseeing tours to Ritza. The cost of the trip ranges from 1,500 to 3,000 rubles and depends on the type of transport.

From Adler

The city is located 90 km from the lake. To travel from here to Abkhazia, you will have to pass the Psou border checkpoint at 101, Urozhaynaya Street. Here, take bus number 133 or bus number 125 and go to the terminus, there you must change to a cab. There is another option: take a bus number 565 or 566 to Gagra.

You can also take a cab directly from Adler, but it will cost more. “Yandex.Taxi and Uber offer about the same price – about 3,000 rubles.

From Gagra

The nearest city to Rice is not in the catalogs of “Yandex.Taxi” and Uber. The local service abhtaxi.ru will come to the rescue. Delivery of passengers from the bus station will cost 1 300-1 500 rubles. You can go directly to one of the taxi companies, such as “Prestige”, “Argo” or “Taxi GT”.

A number of local businesses, especially guesthouse owners, offer shuttle service. The price of the service is 800-900 rubles.

To save money, you can take bus number 3 to the village Bzypta and there hire a cab. Transport leaves from the “Memorial of Glory” stop 4 times a day:

• в 8:45;
• в 11:20;
• в 14:30;
• в 17:45.

Tickets are sold by the driver himself.

Gagra offers many excursions to Ritza. The cost depends on the type of transport and is 700-1,500 rubles. Before buying the ticket, please check whether the environmental fee is included in its price.

From Pitsunda

If you do not take into account sightseeing tours, from this city you can get to Ritza only by cab or private vehicle. You have to cover a distance of 63 km. The minimum cost of a cab is 900 rubles.

From New Athos

From here there is no public transport in the right direction either. It is necessary to use the services of a travel agency or cab. Often, delivery to the Ritza by own transport offer those who rent accommodation in New Athos. They charge less for the trip and are more willing to stay in beautiful and interesting places.

From Sukhum

The distance between Sukhum and Ritzy National Park is 110 km. There is no public transportation in this direction, so take a shuttle, a cab, or an excursion.

From Gudauta

The district center is 73 km away from the attraction. Take public transport to the village of Bzypta and take a cab there.

From Russia

Russian tour operators offer excursions to Lake Ritza. You can travel on your own – by rail or by plane. For example, from the Kazansky station in Moscow leaves the train to Sukhum. Get on it and get off at Gagra – it’s not far from here to Ritza.

The journey by private car will take about a day if the start of the route is planned in Moscow.

From Tsandrypsh

Tsandripsh is located near the Russian-Abkhaz border. Cab drivers and sightseeing tour organizers provide transportation to Lake Ritsa. There are no buses and shuttles in this direction.

From Lazarevsky

Sochi Microdistrict is 183 km from the main national park of Abkhazia. Here you can buy a ticket for a tour, the program of which includes visits to various attractions, as well as tastings of honey and wine.

You can get by public transport – bus, shuttle or train. First they drive to the border with Abkhazia, then transfer to flights to Gagra.

From the station “Lazarevskoye” is easy to get to the central station of Sochi. From here there is a direct electric train to Gagra.

Environmental fees for entering the Ritza Nature Reserve

At the entrance to the reserve tourists pay the environmental fee. Its size depends on the age of the visitor:

• older than 12 years – 350 rubles;
• From 7 to 12 years – 100 rubles;
• Under 7 years old – free of charge.

The funds raised go toward activities to preserve the national park’s endemic bird and animal species, as well as the relic plants that grow there. The reserve’s checkpoint is next to Blue Lake.

Ways to get to Lake Ritsa by different means of transportation

It is best to go to the lake on your own by car, because on the way there are many places where you will want to stop. If you do not have your own vehicle, you can be in the collection to hire a jeep. You will have to pay 3,000 rubles for 1 person.

To get to the lake by car

To get to the reservoir from Gagra, you need to move along Sukhumi highway. (E60) to the settlement of Bzypta. At the end of this village turn to Eshba Street and drive along the Bzyb River (highway SH11). The road will lead to a serpentine in Yupshar canyon, behind it will be Ritsa.

How much to go depends on the program of the trip. If it does not include stops, then 1.5 hours from Gagra and 1 hour from the village Bzypta. But more often than not, the road stretches for several hours, because. There are many beautiful places along the way.

The distance from Pitsunda to Ritsa is 63 km.

The route is as follows:

1. When you reach the T-junction with a traffic light, turn right.
2. After about 6 km, turn right again (behind the traffic police).
3. Move along the left bank of the river Bzyb up to Ritsa (the section has a length of about 40 km).

New Athos is 85 km from Ritza. Take the E60 highway and turn right after the bridge over Bzyb (before reaching the village of Blaburkhva). Continue along the river. The same road is used for driving from Sukhum.

By plane

The nearest airport is in Adler. Here you can order a cab using Yandex.Taxi and Uber apps. The first operator will cost 3,292 rubles, the second – 3,268 rubles.

If you decide to rent a car at the airport and move on your own, take the M4 highway, then turn to the A-147. The road will take you to the Russian-Abkhazian border. From there, move along Sukhumi Highway. in the direction of Gagra and the settlement of Bzybta.

Attractions near Ritsa

In addition to the lake itself, you can visit many interesting places. Thus, 5 km away is another body of water – Malaya Ritsa. It is much higher – at 1,235 meters above sea level, you can get there only on foot, guided by the signs. Swimming in the Malaya Ritsa is also not possible, but the surrounding beauty is worth the climb.

Noteworthy is Stalin’s dacha, located on the shore of a large lake.

Maiden’s Tears Falls

The first thing a tourist will see on the way to Ritza is an unusual waterfall, which stretches along the road for 100 meters. It is a veil of thin jets of water falling from a 55-meter precipice.

Locals say that if you make a wish and tie a colored ribbon on a branch of a nearby bush, it will certainly come true. The accessory sells right there for 20 rubles.

The water is considered medicinal, which is why travelers are advised to wash their faces with it. It tastes good, too.

A little farther away is the Men’s Tears waterfall. It has a more traditional appearance: a stream of water falls from a height of 11 meters into a small bowl right by the road. The plants here are also decorated with ribbons tied to make wishes come true.

There is a photo area, often featuring original items. For example, a car similar to the one in the movie “Prisoner of the Caucasus.

Blue Lake

A small pond with an area of only 180 square meters is located on the right bank of the river Bzyb, not far from the road to Ritsu. The unusual color of the water is due to the presence of layers of lazurite at the bottom and walls of the bowl, the shade does not depend on the weather. The reservoir is never covered with ice.

There is a store nearby, and they also sell take-out churcheli, wine, honey, etc. There is a photo area with hats, burkas and peacocks.

Gegsky waterfall

In Abkhazia, this attraction is considered no less valuable and attractive to tourists than Lake Ritsa. To see the waterfall, you have to turn off the road and climb a steep 5 km uphill.

A passenger car can not come here – you have to walk or use the services of carriers in off-road vehicles. They will take you to the place for 1,500 rubles.

When you arrive at your destination, you will see an impressive spectacle – a stream of water rushing straight out of the rock and plunging down from a height of at least 50 meters. In winter, it is not advisable to come here because there is a danger of rockslides and avalanches. But some carriers work this time of year as well.

Yupshar Canyon

This is the name of the 8 km long gulley, through which the river Yupshara runs and the road to Ritza. The canyon makes an unforgettable impression – at its narrowest point its width is less than 20 meters, and over the traveler rises steep cliffs up to 500 meters high.

The place is safe, on the precipitous sections of the road is equipped with a fence. But people with claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces) can feel bad here.

At the exit of the narrow passage there is a flat stone ledge – Chabgarian cornice. It is equipped with a fence, turned into an observation deck, one of the best in the whole Caucasus.

How to get to Stalin’s dacha near Ritsa

The complex is located right on the shore of the lake, next to Khrushchev’s dacha. You can go there on foot or by car, most tours include a visit to Stalin’s residence in their program. But you have to pay for it separately, the ticket costs 200 rubles.

Excursion routes on Lake Ritsa for 2023

The most popular tours are:

1. “Beautiful Abkhazia. The cost of the trip is 850 rubles per person, the group consists of 20 tourists. In addition to the listed attractions, you will see an apiary and a winery, the ruins of the Bzyb fortress and many others. others.
2. “On jeeps through Abkhazia: the Gega waterfall and breakfast of kings from Sukhum”. A group of 7 people travels in an off-road vehicle for 10-12 hours, departing from a specified city. The program includes, among other things: a walk on the suspension bridge over Bzyb, a visit to the apiary, winery and cheese dairy with tasting, swimming in the sea on the White Cliffs. At the end of the vacationers have lunch at the restaurant “Gagripsh” in Gagra. Price – 2,000-2,200 rubles per 1 tourist.
3. Individual excursions “Fishing in the mountain rivers of Abkhazia” and “Divine Ritsa. The first costs 8,500 rubles, the second costs 12,000 rubles. The customer builds the route himself and chooses what sights to visit.

In Pitsunda tour “Pearl of the Caucasus Mountains” is in great demand. It involves a 7-hour journey by bus for 850 rubles per person.

The program includes catamaran rides on the Ritsa, tastings and visits to viewing platforms at the Bird’s Beak and Milk Falls. The first has a height of 12 m and a width of 20 m, the second is multi-cascade.

Popular tour “Alpine Meadows of Abkhazia” by jeep. The mini-group goes up into the mountains above the Ritza to the Piv Pass. Vacationers will get acquainted with the mountaineers, who never go down, ride horses. Cost – from 1 800 to 2 700 rubles per person, depending on the intensity of the program.

Parking lots near the lake for recreation on a private car

A beech forest grows on the eastern shore of the lake. It has a paid parking lot for personal vehicles of holidaymakers. There is free parking near each cafe, but only for visitors to the institution.

Rent a hotel near the attraction

Right on the shore of the lake there is a 16-bed hotel called “Log Cabin on the Ritz”. It is located on the territory of the Stalin’s Dacha complex. This hotel is not available on Booking website, for reservations please call: +7(940)925-83-15 and +7(940)961-20-49. To rent a bed for a night will cost 750 rubles, a room – from 1,500 to 3,100 rubles.

At 16 km from the lake there is a balneological resort Auadhara. It is often settled here by those who came to Ritza by car. The resort has a small town of cozy wooden houses with electricity and hot water.

All rooms are 2-bed rooms, costing 2500 and 3000 rubles per day. There is a healing mineral spring in Awhadhara. For reservations, please call: +7(918)100-55-18 and +7(938)508-43-54.

In 30 km from Ritza on the shore of the river Bzyb located hotel “Grass” and recreation center “Tefia”.