The resorts on the Caspian Sea are shared amongst the five coastal states – Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Each country is developing its own resort infrastructure, according to the news website Turkmenportal.

In Turkmenistan, the main resort remains the ‘Awaza’ National Tourist Zone near Turkmenbashi. The area features hotels, health resorts and water parks, and the length of its well-maintained beaches reaches around 25 kilometres. The zone is aimed, amongst others, at foreign tourists.

In Kazakhstan, holidaymakers are welcomed by Aktau, with its high-class hotels and well-equipped beaches, as well as the Kenderli resort area south of Zhanaozen, with its sandy beaches and warm summer climate.

In Russia, resort life on the Caspian Sea is centred in Dagestan – in Makhachkala, Kaspiysk and Derbent. In the Astrakhan Region, tourists are drawn not to beach holidays but to nature-based holidays: fishing and holiday camps in the Volga Delta.

In Azerbaijan, the beaches of the Absheron Peninsula – Bilgah, Nardaran and Shuvalan – are popular, as are the resorts further south, in the Lankaran area, where the coastline meets the foothills of the Talysh Mountains.

In Iran, the resort area covers the provinces of Mazandaran and Gilan. In Mazandaran, tourists are welcomed by Ramsar and Noshahr, whilst in Gilan it is the port town of Anzali. These regions are renowned for their green landscapes and mild climate.

Each of the five Caspian countries is developing its own model of tourism – ranging from large-scale resort areas to eco-tourism and fishing holidays.