Tuapse is a port town squeezed between the foothills of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, and its character is shaped by both. The mountains come down steeply here, so the town has been built in a narrow strip along the coast and up the valleys of the little rivers, with houses stacked on the slopes. About sixty thousand people live here. The name comes from the Adyghe language and is often translated as two waters, a reference to the two rivers that flow into the bay, and the area was Circassian land until the mid nineteenth century, when the Russian army conquered the coast and the Circassians were forced to leave.
The port is one of the oldest oil ports on the Black Sea, with a refinery and an oil terminal on the waterfront that give the town an industrial edge. Ships anchor in the bay, and the smell of salt and fuel mixes with the sea breeze. A few kilometres away, the shoreline becomes more attractive, with pebble beaches and rocky headlands. The Kiselyov Rock, a huge sea stack that rises from the water near the beach, is the town's emblem, and an offshore group of rocks is known as the Two Brothers.
For riders, the coast road toward Sochi and toward Gelendzhik is the draw. It twists along the shore, climbing over headlands and dropping into resort villages, with forest-covered mountains on one side and the sea on the other. Surface quality is generally good, but the road is busy in summer with holiday traffic, and queues can be long. Sections have blind bends and trucks crossing the centre line, so overtaking should be avoided.
The climate is subtropical, with mild winters and hot, humid summers. Palm trees and mimosa grow in the town, and the mountains behind catch the clouds, so heavy rain and sudden storms occur. In autumn, the sea is still warm and the crowds thin out, which is the best time to ride. Landslides after storms occasionally block the road.
Tuapse has fuel stations on the main road, supermarkets and many small cafés. The local specialities are fresh fish, grilled or fried, and the seasonal fruit sold at roadside stalls, including grapes, persimmons and plums. Top up your tank here before the coastal sections, which have long stretches without services.