Via ferrata is a phenomenon that has long been known in mountain tourism and is becoming increasingly widespread every year. Currently, it is increasingly developing in Russia, and its popularity is actively growing. Via ferrata is a professional term. It marks a section of the rock route equipped with special metal structures. These devices on a difficult rocky area can significantly speed up passing along the route and save energy costs to overcome it. The purpose of the study is to develop a project that includes the development of this type of sports tourism in the Black Sea regions of Russia. The objectives of the study are to study the history and recreational potential of via ferrata, as well as to develop a project and justify its effectiveness. The subject of the study, as an example, is the designed via ferrata route along a natural formation on the eastern wall of the Ai-Petri rock massif in Crimea. The scientific and practical significance of this study lies in the development of a potentially interesting project from a recreational point of view, using a natural object of the Crimean mountain forest nature reserve, as well as the presence of a technical justification for it, which can subsequently be proposed for the project implementation.