Stay Fit in the Caucasus

Travel, while exciting, can take its toll on our bodies. Very few of us can say we arrive at a distant destination and step off the plane feeling refreshed and energized. But there are many ways to stay fit in the Caucasus. Urban areas provide exercise areas and many hotels provide workout rooms and often a good-sized swimming pool –or two! In the Caucasus mountains themselves, trekking and skiing are popular pastimes.

The Boulevard in Baku, Azerbaijan is a long strip of waterfront on the Caspian Sea, and it has been developed from an exclusive neighborhood for oil moguls into a public promenade complete with exotic landscaping, all kinds of amusement centers, and the famous Azerbaijan Carpet Museum. But it is also a popular place for jogging, and contains a public exercise area where young people can be seen working out at all hours. 

Ski resorts can be found all through the Caucasus.  In Armenia, the Tsaghkadzor resort was formerly used to prepare skiers competing in the Olympics. Both Georgia, with 4 top notch resort areas and Azerbaiajan with its newly developed and truly palatial Shadag resort have invested heavily in modernizing their facilities. All offer state of the art lifts that offer stunning views of the mountains through all seasons.

If you like trekking, the Caucasus mountains will thrill and challenge you. Trekking is vastly popular throughout the region, and is a well developed industry, wherein you have the choice to carry your own backpack, or climb unencumbered with a mule doing the heavy lifting. These trips also offer an opportunity to meet with local people, visit picturesque villages, all while taking in breathtaking landscapes. It’s another great way to stay fit in the Caucasus!