Azerbaijan spends its summers stretched between two very different rhythms.
Along the Caspian coast, Baku’s shoreline is filled with music and water sports, plus long lazy afternoons by the pool.
Inland, the country turns quiet and green, dotted with alpaca pastures and mountain retreats, with a scatter of centuries-old towns beyond that.
Add a headline concert and a Formula 1 weekend into the mix, and the whole country starts to feel like one long open-air season.
Coastal Leisure on the Caspian
Sea Breeze Resort
Sea Breeze Resort brings much of Baku’s coastal energy into one sprawling complex, a convenient choice for visitors who want everything within easy reach.
The private beaches here are the main draw, with a side of pools for anyone who prefers calm, still water to wave.
Those looking to up their heart rate can try the available water sports, from paddling out past the shore break to simply renting gear for an hour. Nearby beach clubs brighten up the afternoon with music and shaded loungers, drawing a chill crowd that drifts between sun and shade until dusk.
Away from the water, the resort’s wellness and spa facilities offer massages and treatments, while a fitness area and tennis courts provide more active options. Families are also well catered for, with small rides and arcade-style entertainment keeping younger guests occupied as parents relax nearby.
With so many options close together, guests can move easily from a morning spa treatment to an evening game of tennis.
That lively atmosphere continues with concerts and festivals throughout the season, as well as shopping areas and art spaces to explore between meals.
Settled in for a quieter evening? You can watch the sunset from the seaside zones before the boardwalk lights come on.
Ramada by Wyndham Baku
A short distance away, Ramada by Wyndham Baku offers a quieter take on the same coastline. Set along Shikhov, the hotel has a private beach and several swimming pools, allowing guests to switch easily between the sea and calmer water.
Relaxation is central to the experience, with loungers and shaded areas set up by the water. Shikhov is also quieter than busier stretches of the coast, making it a good fit for both couples and families.
Guests who want to stay active can use the wellness facilities, fitness area, and tennis courts. The main draw, however, is Shikhov’s range of water sports: kitesurfing and windsurfing are popular on breezier afternoons, while jet skiing and paddleboarding offer other ways to enjoy the Caspian.
Together, the pools and open water suit both active mornings and slower days. The calmer Shikhov stretch also makes paddleboarding an approachable starting point for beginners before they move on to faster activities.
Outdoor Family Adventures Beyond the City
Shamakhi’s Alpaca Farm
West of Baku, Shamakhi is home to an alpaca farm that offers an unusual family outing. The animals graze close to visitors and are calm enough to be fed and photographed, making the experience suitable for younger children.
It is a low-key stop, better suited to a gentle morning than a packed itinerary. The setting itself, rolling farmland with the Shamakhi hills as a backdrop, adds to the sense of having escaped the city for a few hours.
Capybara Azerbaijan
Capybara Azerbaijan offers another close-up animal encounter, this time centered on the world’s largest and perhaps most adorable rodent.
True to their popular characterisation, the capybaras here are famously unbothered by people, padding around their enclosure at their own pace while visitors crouch down for photos.
Families can watch the capybaras rest in the shade or move into shallow water. Because the visit is easy to manage with children, it pairs well with the alpaca farm on the same day.
Gabala’s Tufandag
Farther north, Tufandag in Gabala shifts the focus to outdoor activities.
The mountain resort keeps its cable cars running through summer, taking visitors into cooler air and offering wide views over the surrounding valley.
Hiking trails and zip-lining stay open right through summer, giving active travelers a proper reason to head into the hills, while the drop in temperature alone makes Tufandag a rewarding detour after a few hot days on the coast.
The village at the base has grown up around the resort, so a meal or a slow coffee before heading back down is easy to fit in without any real planning.
Guba’s Shahdag
Shahdag, Guba’s own mountain resort, swaps winter snow for summer trails, and the surrounding scenery, all sharp peaks and green slopes, justifies the drive on its own.
Cable car rides carry visitors up for views that stretch out over the valley below, and short hikes near the base suit travelers who want fresh air without committing to a full trek.
Even in the warmest months, patches of shadow linger under the ridgeline, keeping the trails pleasant to walk even at midday.
Shaki
Shaki is all about getting a glimpse into the region’s past heritage.
The Shaki History and Ethnography Museum covers the city’s old trade routes and local craft traditions, while the nearby historical park offers a verdant space to continue exploring afterward.
An afternoon in Shaki feels closer to stepping into an old chapter of the country than ticking off a sight of it.
Narrow lanes connect the museum grounds to the wider town, and it is worth wandering a little past the main square, where old caravanserai buildings still line the route merchants once used.
Ganja
Ganja is also best explored at a slower pace.
A city walk can begin at the Nizami Mausoleum, built for the poet closely associated with Ganja, before continuing along Javad Khan Street, a busy and walkable stretch lined with shops and shaded benches.
From Javad Khan Street, visitors can continue to the nearby Shah Abbas Mosque and its old stonework.
Later in the day, the Heydar Aliyev Park Complex offers wide green spaces, fountains, and broad paths, while Khan Garden provides a quieter place to rest.
Since Ganja is compact, these stops can be linked on foot without following a strict order.
Goygol National Park
Goygol National Park, east of Ganja, is arranged around two lakes formed by an earthquake more than a century ago, when a landslide dammed a mountain river and created a pair of still, forest-ringed pools.
Goygol itself is the larger and more visited of the two, popular for short walks along the shore and the kind of view that earns a pause.
Maralgol lies deeper in the park and takes more effort to reach, but offers a quieter part of the same forest. Both lakes remain cool in summer, creating a refreshing contrast after your time on the coast.
Where to Eat
Restaurants
Back in Baku, five restaurants stand out for very different reasons.
Myaso centers its menu on Texas-style barbecue, with a smoker producing grilled meat dishes with bold flavors.
Giardino, meanwhile, specializes in Italian pizza and pasta, making it better suited for a slower sit-down meal.
For a taste of Azerbaijan’s local cuisine, Vətən offers a lively, family-friendly atmosphere with live music and hearty favourites such as kebabs, tandir-cooked meats, and plov across several Baku locations.
Another alternative is Şüşəbənd, near Nizami Ganjavi Park in White City, where beloved national dishes are served in a more polished, contemporary setting.
Asmat moves in a more international direction. Its current menu ranges from roast-beef pizza with tonnato sauce to duck confit with plum sauce and celeriac purée.
Notes Gastro takes a creative, European-inspired approach, pairing familiar flavors with dishes such as its lamb-and-purslane Notes pizza and salmon with vegetable caponata and rosemary smoke. Its careful presentation makes the meal feel like part of the evening rather than simply a break in it.
Whichever restaurant visitors choose, booking ahead is worthwhile, especially on weekends when Baku’s dinner crowd is busiest.
Cafes and Quick Bites
For something quicker between meals, Baku has plenty of cafes to choose from.
Pims and Drinkit both work well for a fast coffee or a light bite, handy stops to duck into between sights without losing much time.
Those after lighter choices can head to a local cafe or a nearby organic cafe, both built around simpler dishes and fresher ingredients than a typical menu, a good pick for a quick reset before the next stop.
For a longer stay, Nomad has a sit-and-linger atmosphere that rewards slowing down.
Ananas on the boulevard pairs a good coffee with casual people-watching as the day drifts by.
Tea drinkers may prefer Teayoume, which leans toward a slower, tea-first pace, while Coffebar rounds things out as a dependable spot for espresso in a hushed corner, away from the busier boulevard crowds.
The Next Highly Anticipated Events
The Evgeny Grinko concert
Evgeny Grinko brings his minimalist, cinematic sound to Baku’s Heydar Aliyev Palace on 26 September 2026. The self-taught pianist and composer is best known for “Valse,” the piece that introduced his quietly emotional style to listeners around the world.
The full program has not yet been announced, but visitors can expect an intimate evening shaped by piano-led contemporary classical music.
Date: 26 September 2026
Venue: Heydar Aliyev Palace
Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Concerts and After-Parties
The Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix brings more than racing to Baku.
From 24 to 26 September 2026, the event’s tenth-anniversary programme will turn the capital into a three-night celebration of pop and electronic music.
Calvin Harris opens the official entertainment programme on Thursday, 24 September, performing after the day’s practice sessions.
On Friday, 25 September, Katy Perry takes over the stage after qualifying. Her performance is expected to be one of the weekend’s main attractions, bringing the festival-sized pop spectacle behind songs such as “Firework,” “Roar,” and “Teenage Dream” to thousands of racegoers.
The music continues away from the circuit with APEX After Dark, a separate open-air series presented with Baku City Circuit and iTicket Production.
Amsterdam duo ANOTR opens the series on 24 September with a mix of house, disco, funk, soul, and jazz influences.
Jamie Jones follows on 25 September, bringing the house and tech-house sound associated with his Hot Creations label and Paradise events. Mahmut Orhan closes the series on 26 September.
The official Grand Prix concerts are included with eligible race-weekend tickets, while APEX tickets are sold through iTicket.AZ.
Dates: 24–26 September 2026
Venue for APEX: FOMO Baku Open Air, Flag Square
