Location / sakhalin

ISLAND

SAKHALIN

Sakhalin is Russia's largest island, washed by the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, separated from the Asian coast by the Tatar Strait.
Visiting the natural resources of this unspoiled land, you can enjoy volcanoes, thermal springs and caves, pristine rivers and more than 16,000 lakes, unique flora and fauna, as well as the taiga covering the ⅔ island.
The local forests are home to more than 2,000 brown bears, which are often found on roads or near populated areas.
Reindeer inhabit the north of the island, and whales, beluga whales, and harbor seals and many others inhabit the sea.

Sakhalin Island

WHAT TO SEE ON SAKHALIN

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is one of the most beautiful and green cities in the Far East. In the city you can visit such significant in its history and interesting places as the Local History Museum, the "Victory" Memorial Complex, the Church of the Nativity of Christ, which is decorated with the world's largest outdoor mosaic and the "Mountain Air" viewing platform, where an incredible panorama of the regional capital opens from a bird's-eye view.

MAYAK ANIVA

The Aniva lighthouse is a calling card of Sakhalin. Built in 1939, the lighthouse is located on a high 9-meter rock with the unusual name Sivuchya. This guiding star is separated from the land of hard-to-reach rocky Cape Aniva by a narrow 10-meter strait. The giant concrete tower is 31 meters high, and its lights are 40 meters above the sea level and are visible from several tens of kilometers away. It is possible to reach the beautiful and inaccessible lighthouse only by water transport - the way to which is about 2 hours from the village of Novikovo.

THE BRIDGE OF CURSES AND THE BRIDGE OF WITCHES

One of the most famous sights on Sakhalin Island are the Devil's Bridge and the Witches' Bridge, located on the Nikolaychuk-Chaplanovo narrow-gauge railroad line abandoned by the Japanese. Photography lovers can take unique pictures of abandoned locations with an amazing atmosphere here. In the past, the 84-kilometer-long Japanese railroad through the mountains had 35 bridges and 15 tunnels in 1921-28 with the enormous efforts of forced labor of Korean workers. In the 2000s, the government stopped funding this facility and most of the railroad was abandoned, leaving only small sections of this branch line to workers.

MYS EUSTAFIA

Cape Eustafia is one of the most famous landmarks of southern Sakhalin. Located on the shore of the Sea of Okhotsk, the cape is especially famous for its unusual shape: almost the entire island's rock goes into the sea, and only a narrow isthmus seems to keep it tied to the shore. After spending a whole day watching the sunset on the seashore and observing all the beauty of this place, travelers are filled with energy and feel the fullness of life.

BUSSE LAKE

On the way to Cape Eustafia, travelers can stop by one of the island's most amazing lakes, Busse. It is one of the three places in the Far East of Russia that host plantations of Anfeltia, an algae that produces the natural thickener agar-agar. The lagoon with the area of almost 40 sq. km is a specially protected territory and a natural monument of the regional importance. Lovers of sea delicacies will be able to taste oysters here.

CAPE GIANT AND CAPE BIRD

Cape Velikan and Ptichy are located on the southeastern coast of Sakhalin. This is a natural monument of regional significance and one of the most popular tourist routes for visitors and residents of the island. Along the whole coast from Ptichy Cape to Velikan Cape there are a lot of grottos created by wind and sea waves, standing directly in the sea caves, arches and pillars, on which colonies of birds are located. This wonderful and amazing place is sure to please bird watchers in particular.

Tikhaya Bay

Tikhaya Bay is a stunning bay, sheltered from cold winds from the north and northeast sides. Incomparable silence, amazing views, pleasing to the eye, the unique beauty of nature - all this is the Tikhaya Bay. According to numerous surveys the bay is one of the five most attractive beaches in Russia. The bay is a rocky island "Notable" with a flat top and a wide base, which has become a haven for many thousands of noisy seagulls. A little north of the bay is one of the most beautiful waterfalls of Sakhalin - Klokovsky, a visit to which you definitely will not remain indifferent.

KLOCK FALLS

There are more than 230 waterfalls on Sakhalin. The largest waterfall on the island, Klokovsky Falls, attracts hikers with its powerful flow, impressive size, and scenic views of the surrounding area. Hiking to Klokowski Falls is a great route for active travelers, although the nature trails, quite passable even for people without special physical training and children. You can rest from the road on the benches that are placed in a small clearing near the Klokowski Waterfall.

FROG'S REMNANT

The frog is a natural monument that is 70 million years old. With its outline, the eight-meter rock really resembles a frog sitting on the ground. The rocky remnant is not just a beautiful rock, but also an unusual place of energy. There are many mysterious phenomena that scientists are trying to explain. We invite you to visit this place so you can see for yourself.

SEA LION ROOKERY

A unique natural phenomenon - a rookery of sea lions - can be observed in only three cities in the world: in Nevelsk (Sakhalin, Russia), Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Russia) and San Francisco (USA). In Nevelsk there is the first in Russia observation deck for sea lions. To see the graceful sea animals, which annually arrive in Nevelsk and settle down on the local brevet, will be interesting both for children (age of participants from 6 years old) and adults.