Aktau City Tour

Despite modern navigation nowadays not a single sailor can imagine his life without a lighthouse. After all, everything that works via satellite is not as reliable as these centuries-old stone towers. But some lighthouses are unique, such as the Melovoi lighthouse installed on the roof of a residential building in the city of Aktau. It is the same age as the city and has been serving well for over 50 years. It was this lighthouse that was officially recognized as the world's first lighthouse, which is installed on the roof of a residential building. Its height is 73 meters. During its existence it became a hero of many urban legends and even suffered in a shootout in the "dashing 90s". One bullet hole is still stored "in memory" in the protective glass of the lighthouse. When the lighthouse turned half a century, it was modernized.

The Mangistau Nuclear Power Plant is the only enterprise in Kazakhstan that reliably and uninterruptedly supplies the city of Aktau, nearby villages and industrial enterprises of the region with drinking and household water, heat and electricity. It should be noted that the plant is quite impressive in size. It employs more than 4,000 workers and specialists, and it consists of three power plants, a distillate preparation plant and industrial heat supply, a reactor installation, a network and substation workshop, as well as a center for radiation technologies and technical diagnostics. Along with production facilities, the plant also develops social facilities.

On the central square of Aktau in front of the city akimat there is a very unusual monument: a bronze copy of the caravel “Santa Maria” of Christopher Columbus. Of all the types of sea vessels, the caravel was not chosen by chance, because it is one of the first and most famous type of ships with which the era of the Great geographical discoveries began.
Local people called the new monument a “ship”. Now it is an original symbol, and one of the business cards of the sea capital of Kazakhstan. “Ship” is really good. All ship attributes are present on it: the inscription “Aktau” on board, anchor and sails. The sun is shown on the largest sail, and the rest are gulls, stars, comets. On a slanting sail - the beauty of the Aktau coast - swans can be seen.

Aktau embankment was renovated a few years ago and is now a favorite place for townspeople and guests of the city. Here, among the most beautiful white rocks and blue sea, a wooden path was built, where you can relax in a rocky cave on a hot summer day, and in the evenings enjoy sounds of surf, music and neon lights. There are many cafes and restaurants, basketball courts, playgrounds for children. On a warm summer evening it is a pleasure to walk here. You can just sit and relax on the benches, or rent bikes and scooters, cars for children. In wintertime swans come, and on the shore you can feed them and take pictures; some lucky people even manage to pet birds.