Akhun is the highest point close to the coast in Sochi, a forested mountain that rises to 663 metres just inland from the Black Sea, and on its summit stands a stone observation tower built in the 1930s in a vaguely medieval style. Climb the stairs to the top and the whole coast is laid out below you: Sochi and its suburbs stretching along the shore, the sea glittering to the horizon, and inland, ridge upon ridge of forested hills rising to the snowy peaks of the Caucasus. On a clear day the view is enormous.
The mountain was sacred long before the tower. Akhyn was the name of a deity of the Ubykh and Circassian peoples who lived on this coast until the Russian conquest of the 1860s, when most were expelled to the Ottoman Empire. The forest on its slopes is dense and subtropical, with oak, beech, chestnut, boxwood and yew, and the Khosta grove of ancient yew and boxwood lies nearby. In the gorges below, the Agura River tumbles over a series of waterfalls, with cliffs known as the Eagle Rocks above them, linked in legend to Prometheus.
The road up Akhun is a short, steep serpentine, climbing through the forest with tight hairpins, narrow sections and a surface that can be slippery when wet or covered in leaves. It is a fun ride on a light bike, but be careful of cars and buses coming down, and watch for pedestrians and cyclists. Go early in the morning, when the air is clear and the light soft, or late afternoon, when the sun goes down over the sea. Summer haze can spoil the view, and the mountain is often covered in cloud in winter.
At the summit there is a cafe, though opening times vary, and a small entry fee for the tower. Fuel and other services are easy to find in nearby Khosta and Sochi. Bring water, especially in summer, and take time to wander the forest paths around the top. The air smells of resin and damp earth, and the view from the tower is one of the best on the whole Black Sea coast.