Awaza

Awaza was built from the late 2000s as a national tourist zone on the Caspian shore west of Turkmenbashi: a strip of marble-faced hotels, a canal, a promenade and beaches along several kilometres of coast, developed as a single planned project. The scale is considerable and the occupancy usually is not. The Caspian here is warm and shallow in summer, and the surrounding country is desert.

Background

Also spelled Avaza, the tourist zone had its official presentation in June 2007, covers 5,000 hectares, and saw building start later that year. It lies 12 km west of downtown Türkmenbaşy. Since July 2013 it has formed a borough of 9660 hectares that also includes Turkmenbashi International Airport, linked to the resort by a 22-kilometer motorway opened in 2010. The Awaza River runs for 7 km, with a width of 50-70 meters and a depth of up to 4 meters, and 28 places to eat line its two shores. As of August 2025 the zone had 18 hotels, 8 recreation and wellness centers and 9 cottage complexes, able to hold over 10,000 visitors at once.

Source: Wikipedia, "Awaza"

The main sights

• The hotel strip - marble-faced buildings along several kilometres of coast.
• The artificial canal - the waterway cut through the resort zone.
• The beaches - the Caspian shore, warm and shallow through the summer.
• The planned scale - a whole resort district built as one project.

When to go

June to September is the beach season when the Caspian is warm. Outside it the zone is largely empty. Winds off the sea are strong in winter.

Things to know

Occupancy is low and much of the zone feels empty even in season. Prices are high relative to what is offered. The surrounding country is bare desert with nothing to do outside the strip.

Nearby

Turkmenbashi is east, and Hazar Nature Reserve is south.

Key facts