Kunashir and Shikotan. 10-day tour

Kunashir, which means "Black Island" in Ainu, is the southernmost island of the Great Kuril Ridge.

The island is known for its Russian "Fujiyama", which is what tourists call the mighty Tyat volcano, the splendor of Cape Columnar, the caldera of Golovnin volcano and the Mendeleev volcano. Hot springs located right on the beach.

The island is dotted with red book plants, which you can see on the ecological trail.

09:00 Approach to Yuzhno-Kurilsk (O. Kunashir).

Disembarkation.

Transfer to the hotel.

Accommodation at the hotel.

Breakfast in the cafe.

11:00 Departure for the Mendeleev volcano fumarole field tour (duration 4-5 hours).

An active volcano in the southern part of Kunashir Island. It was named after the outstanding Russian chemist D. I. Mendeleev in 1946. A complex stratovolcano with a central extrusive dome. The height is 886 m (according to other sources — 888 m). The volcano's cone is surrounded by a vast caldera, which was formed as a result of the destruction of the cone of an older volcano. Combined-cycle gas emissions and increased fumarole activity in 1880, 1901, 1946, 1977.

There are many fumaroles and hot springs on the slopes of the volcano, the surface of the slopes is covered with coniferous and deciduous forests with dense undergrowth of Kuril bamboo and cedar. The status of a state monument of nature was awarded to it in 1983.

Arrival at the beginning of the trail.

Exit to the fumarole field on foot.

Despite the difficulty of climbing the field, the path leading to it is very interesting. Then we walk among thickets of tall bamboo, taller than a man. Then we climb steep, protracted ascents, as if on steps, walking along the roots of trees. Then we cross the murmuring streams along the overturned log. Then we will stop, and the guide will point out the insidious mustard gas (a very poisonous plant), and offer to admire the beauty and majesty of the Ayan spruce. Then we will go down into the ravine and cross from one side to the other, gradually rising to the goal of our excursion: a spacious field on which large and small fumaroles "breathe" in pairs here and there!

Arrival at the fumarole field.

Visual inspection.

A walk through the field.

PHOTOSESSION.

Camping snack (tea brewed in nature, vegetable, meat, fish, bread, biscuits, apple).

Exit on the way back from the field to the parking lot.

Departure to the Sour creek (duration 2 hours).

Arrival at the stream.

Climbing the rapids and ripples of the stream.

Swimming in numerous natural baths, a natural water park, where each stream has its own sensations.

Return to the hotel.

Dinner at the cafe.

Attention! In the area of the fumarole field, precautions must be taken, be sure to follow the instructions of the attendant – you can fall into the fumarole, get chemical burns.

Important information! The route is of medium difficulty: 17 km by road from Yuzhno-Kurilsk, 3 km one-way from the road to the fumarole field over rough terrain.

Recommendations: on this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, trekking poles, mosquito repellent, bathing accessories, towels, cotton gloves, in case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and rubber boots.

Breakfast at the cafe.

10:00 Departure for the tour: Boat trip to Rogachev Island (duration 6 hours).

Loading into cars, moving to the Pacific coast of the island, in the area of Cape Devil's Finger.

Loading into a boat, crossing the Pacific Ocean to Rogachev Island (about 30 km).

The Pacific coast of Kunashir Island attracts with the opportunity to take a closer look at the very island that is familiar to everyone who has seen pictures of the Tyat volcano.

The north of the island is rarely visited by tourists due to the lack of a highway, but it is there, in the northern part of the island, that the Good Key tract and the Chaika hot spring are located.

Moving by boat along the coast, you will see the rugged shores of the island, alternating dark coniferous and light green deciduous forests, and many waterfalls. There is a high probability of seeing bears coming out into the open spaces of the coast in search of food, and marine life in the sea – dolphins, porpoises, killer whales, and seals.

Along the route, you will meet many interesting birds: several species of gulls, cormorants, hatchets (sea parrot), puffin rhinoceros, petrel, albatross, etc.

On the way back, swimming in the Chaika hot springs.

Camping snack (tea from a thermos, vegetable, meat, fish, bread, biscuits, apple).

Departure on the way back.

A walk along the coast after returning to the Cape Devil's Finger area.

Sightseeing of the coast, kekura Devil's Finger and Devil's Gate (duration 1 hour).

Dinner at the cafe.

Recommendations: on this route, it is advisable to have bathing suits, slippers, a small backpack for carrying bathing accessories, sunscreen (UV filter), repellent, motion sickness pills, waterproof clothing and shoes.

Breakfast at the cafe.

10:00 Departure to the ecological trail and the Stolbovskiye mud healing thermal springs (duration 2-3 hours).

Arrival at the beginning of the trail.

Exit to the trail.

The flora of the island is rich and includes species distributed from the subtropics to the northern latitudes.

Along the forest path, there are thick hedges of white and stone birches, gray trunks of velvet trees, mountain ash, Sakhalin fir with whitish trunks. The Ayanskaya spruce glows with blue needles up the slope.

The gaze stops at the trunk with a red stripe drawn by a caring human hand. This is a warning: beware of the magnolia tree! You will be lucky if you come in June, you will be able to see how it blooms, and the fragrance of its large white flowers fills everything around!

Along the trail we descend to a tangle of streams of different temperatures. The water from the streams is mixed in a depression in the ground, where you can take a warm sodium chloride mineral bath.

Nearby, a larger depression is filled with hot mineral mud. The place is called Stolbovsky thermal springs.

It is necessary to soak up the thermal mud lake and rinse with the mineral water of the stream! It will take away all the fatigue of the past few days.

The approach to thermal springs.

Bathing.

12:00-14:00 Departure to Cape Columnar along the seashore (duration 5-6 hours).

Cape Columnar is a unique place where the natural paving stones of the "Red Square" are replaced by views of stone pencils weighing 40 tons and deep-sea fjords.

The bizarre cliffs where you can hear the sound of organ music are true thousand-year-old monuments.… After all, they were the first pieces of land that emerged from the depths of the ocean, and they have been preserved almost in their original form to our era.

The approach to the clamp.

The passage of the clamp on the rock or over the rock from above along the path.

Cape Columnar tour: "Organ", "Turtle", "Paving stone". PHOTOSESSION.

Exit along the seashore to the lunch place.

Lunch of fresh Kuril delicacies by the sea.

Relaxing by the sea. Those who wish can swim!

Boarding vehicles.

Transfer to Yuzhno-Kurilsk.

Return to the hotel.

Dinner at the cafe.

Important information! Take vehicles to the exit point of the route, then walk 3 km along the trail downhill. Next, going ashore, 30 minutes along the coastline, then crossing the cliff or crossing the cliff along the path, first up the cliff, then down to Cape Columnar. From Cape Columnar, walk along the seashore for about 40 minutes to a place of rest and lunch. Return by road to Yuzhno-Kurilsk.

Recommendations: on this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, rubber slippers for walking on a rocky bottom in water, mosquito repellent, bathing accessories, a towel, in case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and rubber boots.

Breakfast at the cafe.

10:30 Transfer to the port.

11:00 Boarding the ship.

13:00 Departure from Kunashir Island (Igor Farkhutdinov train station). Travel time ~ 4 hours.

17:00 Approach to Shikotan island.

Disembarkation.

Transfer to the motel.

17:30 Check-in at the motel.

18:00 Departure to Khromova Bay.

Dinner on the shore of the Sea of Okhotsk.

Locals call the bay False. Either because Soviet fishermen, sometimes not very sober, mistakenly "steered" into Khromov Bay instead of Malokurilskaya Bay in the fog. Either because several false defensive dummies were installed in the bay: tank turrets with cannons without armored tank hulls, to create the appearance of a defensive line from the alleged enemy advancing from the sea into Malokurilskaya Bay through Khromova Bay.

After visiting the bay, you will see the remains of tank turrets, rusted by time, but still attractive as an entourage to create spectacular photos!

Birdsong, quiet sea surf, beautiful multicolored sunset are the most preferable end to the day after a long road trip! The accompanying guide will share all the secrets and mysteries of the bay.

After dinner, return to the hotel.

Important information:

1. Meals on the ship are paid additionally.
2. Stock up on drinking water and snacks for the trip. Drinks can be purchased on the ship, but they are much more expensive.
3. Card payment is accepted on the ship, but communication may be "suspended", so always have cash with you.

Attention! When approaching Shikotan Island, prepare documents in advance for disembarkation from the ship: a passport and documents allowing you to stay in the border area (a pass or a contract).

Attention! If the weather conditions make it impossible to have dinner outdoors, dinner will be provided at the motel.

09:00 Breakfast at the motel cafe.

10:00 Departure to Snezhkova Bay (duration 8-9 hours). Shikotan Island is an ideal place for lovers of hiking tours.

Snezhkova Bay is located far from highways. To see the beauty of the bay, you need to walk for about two hours in one direction. But the path leading to the sea is also beautiful with its views.

A low-growing stone-birch forest with bizarrely curved tree branches. An open hilly landscape that looks plush because of the green and yellow stunted bamboo.

There are islands of juniper thickets, and you just want to lie down in the very middle and breathe in plenty of useful aromas! So unnoticed, we will reach the top of the hill, from which a breathtaking panorama will open, covering the entire southeastern coast of the island.

You can't do without an escort: you won't turn off the path, and you'll find out that that shrub in the form of a Christmas tree is a juniper tree (not every city dweller knows this), and it will tell you which hill a miracle awaits us.

Camping lunch (lunch box) in the bay.

Return to the village.

Dinner at the motel cafe.

Important information! The route starts from the village of Krabozavodskoye. It is difficult because of the hilly terrain. The distance there and back is ~20 km. The travel time there is ~2 – 2.40, and the return time is up to 3 hours. It will be much easier to walk along the trail with trekking poles.

Recommendations: On this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, mosquito repellent, in case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and raincoats for shoes or rubber boots.

09:00 Breakfast at the motel cafe.

10:00 Departure to Cape Edge of the world (duration 8-9 hours).

Perhaps the most popular place on the island of Shikotan. It is a rocky outcrop extending far into the sea and ending in 40-meter walls. When you get here, the meaning of the name immediately becomes clear. From above, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean, and you can't help but think that you are really on the edge of the earth!

At a distance of just over 1 km to the southeast of the legendary Cape Edge of the World is Cape Crab, which got its name because of its external similarity to the arthropod of the same name. In September 1943, the Spanberg Lighthouse was built on this cape, named after the captain who discovered more than three dozen Kuril islands in the 18th century, including Shikotan. It became the last lighthouse built by the Japanese on the Kuril Islands.

Camping lunch (lunch box) in the bay.

There is an unnamed bay not far from cape "Edge of the World". According to many eyewitnesses, this bay is the most beautiful natural place on the island due to the scattering of islands located inside the bay. It was there that the film "The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" starring Leonid Kuravlev was shot in 1972.

In the bay you will see the famous log that Robinson Crusoe chopped. Our escorts will show you the most successful angles for creating photos.

Return to the village.

19:00 Dinner at the motel cafe.

The distance of about 24 km there and back is covered by transport, the passage between the bays up to 4 km is planned on foot.

Recommendations: on this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, those who use trekking poles, mosquito repellent, in case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat, wear waterproof shoes.

09:00 Breakfast at the motel cafe.

Check-in of the rooms before departure for the tour.

10:00 Guided tour of Mount Shikotan (duration 4 hours).

The highest mountain on the island of Shikotan is 412 meters. It is located near the village of Malokurilskoye. At the time of Karafuto, a Japanese sea observation post was located on the mountain, and later, during the Soviet era, military locators, which are currently abandoned.

Most of the island is visible from the mountain. The rift is clearly visible at the foot of the mountain. In clear weather, the islands of Kunashir and Iturup are visible.

Camping lunch (lunchbox).

Departure to Dimitrov Bay. Airfield Bay (duration 3-4 hours).

Dimitrov Bay is the largest bay on the Pacific side of Shikotan. It is also uniquely beautiful, like all the shores of the island. But it has its own story! During the Japanese occupation of Shikotan Island, the bay was called "Inemosiri". It housed a farm of three Japanese fishing families engaged in catching and drying cod.

To this day, a Japanese cemetery has been preserved — a trace of the Japanese living in the bay. In Soviet times, in the 60-80-ies, the bay was closed to our fellow citizens and a border zone was organized, where Japanese schooners could enter without passing through customs formalities during storms for raid or minor repairs of the vessel.

The border checkpoint was equipped with a stable, dogs, and all-terrain vehicles to protect the borders from unauthorized crossing.

From Dimitrov Bay, you can walk along the path towards the neighboring bay – Aerodromnaya, which is also picturesque.

Return to the village.

19:00 Dinner at the motel cafe.

19:30 Transfer to the port.

Boarding the ship.

22:00 Departure to Sakhalin Island (t/x Admiral Nevelskoy or t/x Pavel Leonov). Travel time is ~ 22 hours.

Important information: the tour day takes place by car. Access to pedestrian crossings upon arrival at the sightseeing locations.

Recommendations: on this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes. Those who use trekking poles, mosquito repellent, and in case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and wear waterproof shoes.

Important information:

1. Meals on the ship are paid additionally.
2. Stock up on drinks and snacks for the trip. Drinks can be purchased on the ship, but they are much more expensive.
3. Card payment is accepted on the ship, but communication may be "suspended", so always have cash with you.

20:00 Arrival at the seaport of Korsakov.

20:30 Meeting of the group at the arrival area.

21:00 Transfer to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

22:00 Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Probable landing sites:

• Megapalas Hotel;
• The Belka Hotel;
• the site of the historical park "Russia – my history" (St. Hilarion Troitskiy St., 4).