Makhachkala is a surprise: a Caspian port, a city of half a million, and the capital of the most diverse republic in Russia. Dagestan has more than thirty languages, and mountain villages a few kilometres apart can speak entirely different tongues. The city sits on a narrow coastal plain between the sea and the Tarki-Too ridge, a long limestone hill that rises right behind the town, and its streets mix Soviet blocks, new towers and old courtyards, with a lively market and a busy waterfront.
The coast road toward Derbent is the usual start for a ride. It runs south along the Caspian with flat, open views of the shore, and then into Derbent, a city that has stood for about two thousand years and is often called the oldest in Russia. Its citadel, built by the Persians, with massive walls running from hills to the sea, is a World Heritage site. To the north and west, the road climbs into the mountains, to the Sulak Canyon, one of the deepest in Europe, with sheer walls dropping to a turquoise river. Beyond lie Gimry, the birthplace of the imam Shamil, who led the resistance against Russian conquest in the nineteenth century, and Gunib, where he finally surrendered in 1859.
The riding in the mountains is demanding. Roads twist up through gorges, with tunnels, blind bends and rockfalls, and local drivers are fast and bold. The surface varies from good to broken, and weather in the high country can change quickly. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, since summer on the coast is very hot. Tarki, just next door, has an old mosque and a hillside view over the sea.
Fuel, food and repairs are easy in Makhachkala, but services thin out in the mountains, so fill up before leaving. Local specialities include khinkal, dumplings with meat, and chudu, thin stuffed flatbreads. Foreign riders should check current official advice and the rules for travel in this region before making any plans.