Sakhalin + Kunashir. An active tour without backpacks

Early rise, breakfast. 

Today we are waiting for one of the most impressive days of our trip — a boat trip to the Aniva lighthouse. 

We leave for the village of Novikovo to go by boat to the very south of the Tonino-Aniva Peninsula. 

The lighthouse was installed by the Japanese in 1939 on the small Sivuchya rock, near the inaccessible rocky cape Aniva. 

The cold Sea of Okhotsk and the warm Aniva Bay are found here, so fogs and strong winds are not uncommon. 

The height of the lighthouse is 31 meters, the tower has 9 floors. At the moment, the lighthouse is abandoned and does not work. 

After visiting the lighthouse, we will set off on our way back and stop for a snack in the area of Marble Cape. 

During sea crossings, we can meet sea lions, seagulls, seals, dolphins, whales and killer whales. 

We return to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk at about 18:00. 

Dinner at a cafe or hostel.

An interesting and difficult day. 

We go to the Zhdanko ridge in Tikhaya Bay — another significant attraction of Sakhalin. 

Early in the morning we move from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to the foot of the ridge (2-3 hours on the way). 

On the way, we stop at the village of Vzmorye — crab market, the endless Sea of Okhotsk, the remains of an ancient Japanese temple. 

After a short pause, we move on. 

Zhdanko Ridge is a geological monument of nature. It is formed by lava flows and has a length of 13 km. 

Numerous rock ridges, edelweiss, cranberries, redberries and shiksha, and most importantly — stunning views. 

The complete passage of the ridge is technically difficult and requires special training and the use of additional safety equipment from the participants. Therefore, we will not conquer the highest point of the ridge, but will reach the safest point on the route, relax, take pictures, enjoy the views and set off on our way back. 

We will make a hearty snack in Tikhaya Bay — it is really quiet, deserted and incredibly beautiful here. 

We will fly to Kunashir in the morning. 

An hour and a half later, we are on site, after checking the border passes, we move to the Andreevsky cordon of the Kurilsky reserve, where we will spend 3 nights. 

We set up camp, cook lunch. 

After lunch, we'll take a walk along the coast. 

Supper. 

Today, the plan is to travel to the caldera of the Golovnin volcano. 

The transfer will take us to the foot of the volcano, then we will go on foot. 

Along the way, we check in at the cordon, get acquainted with the rules of staying on the territory of the caldera and go to inspect the volcano.

We will climb to the edge of the crater, go to the Boiling lake, swim in warm streams and the Hot Lake. It is obvious why these lakes got such a name — the activity of the volcano is still ongoing. 

Golovnin volcano is low, only 541m, but it is famous for its caldera, with a diameter of almost 5 km! 

At the bottom of the caldera there are 4 small volcanic domes, 2 explosive craters, lakes, hot springs and mud boilers. The volcano last erupted in 1998. 

We'll spend the whole day on the volcano. 

In the evening we return to the cordon. 

Supper. 

Today we will go to another volcano — Mendeleev. The transfer will take us 17 km away. 

The ascent will take about 5 hours. A path through the bamboo thickets awaits us. 

After 2 hours, we find ourselves in a sulfate field, observe powerful gas emissions and loud noise. 

Here are some of the most gigantic fumaroles in the world. 

A little more and we reach the highest point of the Mendeleev volcano (887 meters). 

After breakfast, the transfer will take us to the beginning of the Stolbovskaya ecotrope, from where we will go to the famous Cape Stolbchatogo — this is the business card of Kunashir, protected by UNESCO heritage. 

The cape is composed of layers of basalt lavas of the Mendeleev volcano in the form of 5-6-faceted columns of different sizes. The place is impressive! 

We walk along the cape, take pictures. 

On the way back we will visit Stolbovsky hot springs. 

We go out to the village of Tretyakov, move to the cordon. 

Supper.

The transfer will take us to the main center of Kunashir — Yuzhno-Kurilsk. The village is small, the population is about 8000 inhabitants. 

We will walk along the streets, everyone will be able to visit the museum of local lore, which is secretly recognized as the best museum of the Sakhalin region, along the coast we will reach the Devil's Finger — a huge rocky outcrop. 

We'll have a snack and go to the airport. 

We say goodbye to Kunashir and fly to Sakhalin. 

We check into the hostel.

The day can be adjusted depending on the departure time.

A spare day in case of bad weather and non-departure from Kunashir. 

For everyone, we will organize trekking to Chekhov peak 1045 m — the main home peak, which is located very close to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 

At the time of Karafuto, Chekhov Peak was a sacred mountain, on the top there is still a temple house dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. 

There will be several key points with excellent views on the way to the top. 

From the top there is a stunning panorama of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Susunai Valley and the Aniva Bay. 

If you're lucky, with clear, cloudless weather, you can even see Japan from here. 

If you are already full of impressions by the end of our tour, you can use this day to go to markets and souvenir shops or book any tour at your discretion. 

In the evening we are going to have a final dinner at one of the restaurants in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Saying goodbye to the Far East, flying home. 

If desired, you can stay on Sakhalin for a few more days and see the sights that are not included in our program.