How to spend holidays with children in Aktau

How to spend a vacation with children in Aktau

The best year-round entertainment for both adults and children in the large industrial city of Aktauisto spend time on the Caspian Sea and its shores. One can walk or cycle along the new promenade or book an excursion on catamarans to enjoy an amazing view of the city from the sea.

Aktau was built in the desert in the late 60s of the XX century, thanks to oil and gas deposits discovered in the region. There is no drinking water in wildlife; it is taken from the Caspian Sea and desalinated. Despite lack of water, there are a lot of trees in the city. You can walk in a large park with shady alleys in the very center of Aktau. The park is certainly man-made and is maintained by the city authorities. Here you can see the obelisk - a monument to Kazakhstani border guards, various sculptures and even a miniature model of the Eiffel Tower. There is also a children’s railway.

Be sure to take yourkids to the local attraction - the lighthouse. It was built on the roof of a residential building to indicate the direction to the seaport for the ships. On one of the central squares, take a picture near the monument shaped like a caravel.

In the warmer months take your kids to the "Ak Bota" amusement park.

There is practically no snow in winter in Aktau, so there are no ice rinks. If you really want to skate, visit a small ice rink in a shopping center. Birdwatching is another winter entertainment. Residents and guests of the city have been feeding swans and other waterfowls for many years. And outside the city on Lake Karakol you can even see flamingos.

Hiking

Walking along the seashore is the most pleasant pastime in Aktau. The embankment is a hallmark of the city. Most of it including beautiful stairs was built in Soviet times. There are many comfortable benches, so you can rest and admire the Caspian sunsets and picturesque cliffs.

The new embankment has been under construction for the last few years. In August 2018 the amphitheater was opened. There is no descent to water so it is impossible to swim here. But here you can visit a quaint cave that will definitely impress your children! 

If you go further along the shore, you will find a hotel where floodlights are installed, illuminating rocks at night. The view is impressive!

One can not only walk along the embankments, but also ride bicycles and kick scooters on specially equipped bicycle paths.

Boat trips

A boat trip will certainly leave the most vivid impressions! To find a boat station and rent a catamaran, go down to the pier on the embankment of the 14th microdistrict (locals call this place Swan Cape). There are no age restrictions!

• Our route covers the central part of the embankment from the 14th microdistrict and reaches the famous hotel complex, built literally in the rocks, which makes it a local attraction,” says Natalya Vorozheykina.
• On a catamaran’s deck tourists can enjoy views of the main attractions of the city from the sea. In the dark the rocks are illuminated. Then a catamaran makes a circle and returns to the pier in the 14th microdistrict. As a rule, in summer our catamarans run until 3-4 am. In winter - until sunset, until about 8 pm. We have two types of catamarans. There are slow-moving ones, here during the voyage tourists can move around the deck and take pictures. And there is a speed boat for fans of extreme sports. It accelerates to 80 km per hour. There is an age limit: 5+ years. For passengers, we have a short audio guide about the history of the city in three languages. 

The public yacht club Breeze has been working in Aktau for more than 50 years. Here one can learn the basics of seafaring. In addition, you can simply watch yachtsmen, wakeboarders, and windsurfers. Perhaps you will be able to witness some competition. For example, international sailing regatta “Golden Binnacle”, which has been held here for more than forty years.

Also in Aktau, various travel agencies rent out yachts. It is quite affordable: prices start from 30 thousand tenge per hour, a yacht accommodates 15 people.

Where to swim?

Significant part of the city’s coastal strip is strewn with huge stones. It is comfortable to sunbathe here, but almost impossible to swim. However, in the city, according to information from open sources, there are seven sandy beaches, five of them are private. Private beaches are more comfortable for vacationers. There are tents, pools, trampolines, and inflatable attractions. They also offer boats and scooters for rent.

Photos provided by GunaAktau