Accommodation and seasonal recreation

A report dated February 8, 2026 describes the family recreation center in Turist, with pools for adults and children. It gives May 1 to September 15 as the seasonal operating period. Before your trip, check whether the pool facilities and operating period suit your dates. The same report describes rooms with bathrooms, seasonal cooling, televisions, refrigerators, and internet access. Have these amenity details confirmed before booking as well.

Nature in Samur-Yalama National Park

Samur-Yalama National Park lies in the Caspian coastal zone of the Samur-Shabran Plain within Khachmaz District. Its landscape includes forest and plain and is home to diverse plant and animal life. Its flora includes field maple, Georgian oak, Oriental beech, ash, and alder. Its animals include wild boar and raccoon, as well as bream, kutum, and asp. The nature theme thus ranges from tree species to mammals to fish; this breadth helps avoid reducing the park to a single animal motif.

The park’s Red Book list includes jungle cat, lynx, Caucasian red deer, chamois, and roe deer. The broader list of plants and fauna gives a general overview of species diversity; the Red Book list focuses specifically on five additional animal species. For nature enthusiasts, this clearly distinguishes the broader nature theme from a narrower selection of animal species.

Cultural history in Khachmaz District

More than 60 historical and cultural monuments have been preserved in Khachmaz District. Two mosques anchor this history in specific places: the Shah Abbas Mosque-Madrasa in the village of Qaraqurdlu dates from the 15th to 16th centuries; the Sheikh Yusif Mosque in the village of Shikhlar dates from the 15th century. Both point to the 15th century; the dating of the complex in Qaraqurdlu also extends into the 16th century. The term “madrasa” refers to an Islamic educational institution and adds an educational dimension to the mosque in the name.

Xudat adds a later political chapter. The old fortress city in Khachmaz District became the capital of the Quba Khanate in the early 18th century. While the mosques point to buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries, Xudat’s role as a capital marks a later period.

Khachmaz has an open-air museum of personalities, with monuments to 40 prominent figures from Azerbaijani literature, art, and science. This draws attention not only to architectural and urban history, but also to people from a range of fields.

Carpet weaving is one of the more widespread traditional crafts in Khachmaz District. You can watch master weavers making large and miniature carpets there. The difference in size makes two formats of the same craft comparable and complements the historical themes with a hands-on activity.

These options offer a range of different focuses: the national park combines landscape and species diversity; the mosques and Xudat offer dated architectural and urban history; the museum and carpet weaving bring personalities and craftsmanship to the fore. This lets you decide whether nature or culture should be the main focus of your stay.

Discover more destinations: Bala-Gusar, Zaqatala, Quba, Mingəçevir, Badashkhan, Lerik, Shahdag, Nakhchivan

For the broader travel overview: Azerbaijan.