The mother of all Odessa's beaches - Arcadia. About a 15 minute cab ride from the center brings you to the largest and most developed beach of Odessa Ukraine. The main entrance is clearly labeled by two pillars holding an Arkadia sign. Behind the sign is a long, shaded boulevard which boasts dozens of entertainment options ranging from karaoke while on a horse to go cart riding. Along this path, you will also notice dozens of cafes, restaurants and kiosks. After about a 200 meter walk you will see a nightclub Ibiza which sits slights before the entrance to the beach. From here you can choose to either go downstairs onto the main Arkadia beach or take a left or a right and choose numerous surrounding stretches of sand that all fall within Arkadia's premises. It is our personal recommendation to walk left until you see large water slides. Here is a full serviced part of Odessa's Arkadia beach, which offers umbrellas and lying chairs for 15hr. There is a bar on this part of the beach, soft music and waiter service. Changing rooms and showers are all included with the price. Other activities you can do on this beach range from Jet Skiing to relaxing massages from wondering masseuses.

Steep walk downhill is required to access most of Odessa beaches. However, this is not the case with Odessa's Otrada which is known for its Soviet Time constructed cable cars. Save yourself the walk and for $1 take one of these cable cars down to the water. Enjoy the beautiful view of coast from atop of the ride. Careful exiting the cars, as they were not built with safety as number one priority. Otrada consists of numerous beaches - almost all of which are fully equipped with bars, waiter service, changing rooms, showers, kid play rooms and various other facilities. Take a walk along the water and see which beach appeals to you most. Some of the more popular beaches here are Riviera and Treasure Island. Both are fully equipped and for $3 you will gain an entrance fee, beach chair and access to all the facilities. It is also possible to gain free access; however, you may not be able to use all the facilities on that basis. This is one of our personal favorite beaches of Odessa. Here you can also try out Wind Surfing or Jet Skiing. Numerous places along Otrada's waters will rent these out as in most other Odessa's beaches. Usual cost of a Jet Ski is $20 for 10 minutes.

Lanzheron is a popular Odessa beach among the locals and tourists alike. Located next to Park Schevchenko, one can enjoy the greenery of the park and take a dip in the warm black sea at the same time. This is the closest beach from Odessa's historical center, about a 15 minute walk from the Opera Theater. Lanzheron stretches over many different beaches, each with its own unique Odessa flavor. Some are fully equipped while others were left alone in their natural state. There are even numerous water slides available for your entertainment along the water, just in case you get bored while in Odessa. If you get bored, you can visit a large newly built Dolphinarium which will also allow you to either watch a show or swim with the dolphins (certain hours). Other popular entertainment options include Jet Ski Rentals, speed boat rides and various other water related activities. Lanzheron is located parallel to park Schevchenko.

Delphin or (Dolphin) beach and Delphin VIP are both located just further south of Lanzheron and Otrada beaches. Delphin VIP beach is marked by a big sign overhanging on Frantsuzky Boulevard as you are driving. Few minute walk down the steep stairs brings to all of Delphin beaches. The best one of course as the name indicates is the VIP beach. The cost is worth it as $3 gets you inside with a chair and umbrella. Plus great waitress / waiter service and a bar nearby for those badly needed pina-coladas on a hot summer day. The sand quality on this beach is one of the better ones in Odessa. Overall clean quality beach and relatively great service make this a recommended summer visit on a hot summer day while in Odessa.

Named after the famous Russian test pilot , this sanatorium has gained notorious reputation that the Soviet Hero never could have predicted. It has for some time been the official nude beach in Odessa. While there are others, this one is located close to the center and usually has a significant presence of beach goers. While both nude and clothed patrons can have equal fun at this Odessa beach be prepared to see most of the male visitors fully nude.

While hawkers should not rush to see, given it is in the norm for most girls at Odessa beaches to be topless. Sanatorium located on the premises of the beach is also something one may consider if looking for a quiet Soviet Style Hotel experience by the Black Sea.

Odessa's Luzanovka is one of the more 'genuine' beaches in the sense that it does not offer the quality and array of services that most central Odessa beaches such as Arkadia and Lanzheron do. While this can be seen in negative light, consider that this Odessa beach is intended for the large population concentration located at an Odessa area called 'Poselek Kotovskovo'.

While Luzanovka has a number of quality restaurants and nightclubs do not expect to receive Western quality service or to find many English speakers as the tourist are virtually entirely absent from this area. However, if looking for a different feel from one of Odessa's less developed beach fronts, this may just be the perfect option. Located just fifteen minutes away from the center, making it easy to get it by way of Taxi or public transportation.

This Odessa beach, which is located just south of Arkadia is a standard beach offering various facilities, and small cafes alongside. Most beaches offer surprisingly good food options along with full bar servings.