Partenit

Partenit is a seaside townlet in the southern part of Crimea, Ukraine. The name has its origins in the Greek "Parthenon." Lying just east of a mountain which Turkish speakers named Ayu Dag . Partenit is on a fairly flat coastal plot of land, although the elevation quickly rises the further away one goes from the sea. Much of the architecture of the city is in the Soviet realist style. The current permanent-resident population is largely Ukrainian, with a significant influx of Tatars and Armenians.

Partenit has two beaches. One is the public beach which is free. The other is on the property of the military resort and much bigger. Most tourists rent an apartment from a local renter, and the going rate in recent years has been about $20/day for an apartment within a 10 minute walk of the beach.

There are several businesses offering excursions, set up for tourists between the bazaar and the beach, to different parts of Crimea, including to Massandra and Livadia, as well as waterfalls. A local tour goes through Ayu Dag, tracing its history through earthquakes and past ruins of ancient churches of the Goths. One of the first national parks in Ukraine was established to protect Ayu Dag.