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Kunashir and Shikotan are neighbor-islands separated by the South Kuril Strait. Despite the fact that they are so close to each other these islands are very different. That is why the travel over Kunashir and Shikotan islands will impress you with diverse and astonishing beauty: somewhere it’s severe and brutal, but somewhere it’s in a feminine way charming and soft.
Sakhalin Island
Sakhalin – the wonderful place with amazing capes, quiet bays and mysterious lighthouses. Taste sea delicacies and conquer mountain peaks. Everybody would be able to accomplish a feat or make a discovery here.
The uniqueness of Sakhalin is, first of all, its remoteness from central regions of Russia, thus visiting Sakhalin is quite an achievement.
This is hard to find someone who was disappointed after meeting this enchanting piece of land. The island is famous for its huge variety of plants, rare animals, birds and fish. Not mentioning the especial charming atmosphere that is impossible to be captured even with the best and brightest photos and videos.
Sakhalin – mysterious and unpredictable world
During the travel tourists will find about Japanese period in the life of Sakhalin people and military events that took place on its territory. The guests will also see the main attractions of the island.
Tikhaya (quiet) Bay, which shores are covered with rare herbs and flowers, was named Tikhaya by famous seaman Ivan Fyodorovich Kruzenshtern. This is a rocky inaccessible island, inhabited primarily by loud sea gulls. Only their calls break a drowsy silence of this corner of paradise.
Velikan (Giant) Cape and Ptichiy (Bird) Cape are known not only by their unusual names. The nature created the whole natural assembly out of these two magnificent “brothers”. The majority of stone sculptures with unique view appeared due to the efforts of the strong winds and sea waves. Unusual laced rock arcs and pillars became a place for living for colonies of birds. The huge rock, that looks like a bogatyr (hero of folk Russian legends) from afar, is the pride of this composition. You will absotively make amazing photos of Sakhalin nature!
Kunashir Island
In order to find more about Kunashir Island, you need to get acquinted with its main attractions.
Stolbchatiy Cape. It is impossible to leave the island without visiting this amazing place. Its name bears the meaning that it consists of columns ("stolby" in Russian), which stand close to each other and form vertical walls. The most wonderful thing is that these columns are formed with solidified basaltic lava as a result of volcano eruption.
Caldera of Golovnin volcano. The volcano was named after brave russian traveller, who was digesting the Kuril Islands at the beginning of the XIX century and made 2 trips around the world. His name was Vasiliy Golovnin. The Caldera looks like a cavity with 4 km diameter, which has formed as a result of volcano's collapse at the bottom of the ocean. Two lakes appeared inside the cavity and gas, wet steam and hot water erupt from them.
Fumarole field of Mendeleev volcano. Fumaroles are cracks, through which volcano gases get to the surface with loud pops. They consist of sulfur, which crystallizes and forms yellow lacelike patterns. Incredible and spectaculare view, which is hard to stop looking at!
Shikotan
Bezimyannaya bay. Since 1972, when the film “The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” was shot, the bay has been called Robinson's Bay. However, this name is not popular, because the name Bezimyannaya (“Nameless”) has already taken root. According to many eyewitnesses, this bay is the most beautiful natural place on the island, along with the Tserkovnaya bay.
Krai Sveta cape (“Edge of the World”) is high, wavy and long, like a rolled scarf. Take a short walk to see the Pacific Ocean opens up in front of you. That's it, this is the end of the territory of Russia. Further, after 8 thousand km of water, there is only America. Underfoot, at the bottom of a sheer fifty-meter abyss, heavy waves beat against the stones. Strong wind makes its presence felt by almost tearing you off the place and charge you with the energy of this place.
Each bay of Shikotan Island has its own energy. No one knows the origin of the name of Snezhkov Bay. But this place is charming because of its views and the road leading to it. The opening spaces of velvet hills with overlaid embroidery from thickets of juniper attract and beckon. You can lie on a juniper “sofa” for hours, inhaling the delicate and invigorating aroma of healing pine needles and enjoying the exquisite view of the bay. But we continue our way to the bay, where we will brew the tea with wild rosemary leaves and feel like experienced travelers.
Dimitrov Bay and the peninsula of the same name got their name in honor of Dimitrov Georgy Mikhailovich, an outstanding figure of the Bulgarian labor movement and the founder of the Bulgarian People's Republic. At first sight, Dimitrov Bay doesn’t make a vivid impression. But our way lies along the bay of the Dimitrov Peninsula. The Pacific Ocean, breaking its formidable waves against the stone gates, which look like the giants of the peninsula, and the quiet harbor of the bay form an unforgettable contrast. Rugged, steep rocky shores together with a cozy smooth surface of a small lagoon, that separates the Dimitrov Peninsula and Dalniy Island, are not just impressions, but a whole palette of feelings that will stay with you forever.
