The bathhouse always has a supply of heated water; a Russian bathhouse with a steam room and a broom is heated every evening. Route “Hike to Kunashir Island” What to do on the island in the winter months

The Sakhalin region is the only region in Russia located on islands. It includes the island of Sakhalin with the adjacent small islands of Moneron and Tyuleniy, as well as the Kuril Islands. The total area of the Sakhalin region is 87.1 thousand km2. The distance from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Moscow is 10417 km. The time difference between the Sakhalin region and Moscow is 7 hours.

The region is located at eastern shores The Eurasian continent in the transition zone from the continent to the Pacific Ocean. The large extent of the Sakhalin region predetermines a significant diversity of geographical location, natural conditions, resources and economic capabilities of its individual parts. The basis of the region is Sakhalin Island - the first largest island in Russia (76.6 thousand km2), elongated along the meridian for 948 km with a maximum width of 160 km and a minimum width of 26 km.

The island is separated from the mainland by the Tatar Strait of the Sea of Japan, the Nevelskoy Strait (the smallest width is 7.5 km), the Amur Estuary and the Sakhalin Bay. In the south it is separated by the La Perouse Strait (the smallest width is 41 km) from the Japanese island of Hokkaido. From the east it is washed by the Sea of Okhotsk. The Kuril Islands extend from the southern tip of Kamchatka in a southwestern direction to the island of Hokkaido and are the natural border between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean. The Great Kuril Ridge stretches for 1200 km, the largest islands in its composition are Paramushir, Onekotan, Simushir, Urup, Iturup, Kunashir.

Southeast of Kunashir Island, separated by the South Kuril Strait, lies the Lesser Kuril Ridge, about 100 km long. It includes Shikotan Island and a group of small islands. The Sakhalin region has significant and diverse types of more than 50 minerals, including combustibles (coal, oil, gas), raw materials for the chemical and cement industries, etc.In addition, there are placers of titanomagnetite, mineral and thermal waters, manifestations of ore gold, mercury, manganese, tungsten, silver, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, nickel, cobalt, titanium, strontium and other minerals.

Profitable geographical position, the significant natural resource potential of our islands creates favorable conditions for economic development area and business cooperation with companies from many countries of the world. The Sakhalin region is currently a world-famous region, on whose territory the largest investment projects and advanced technical solutions are being implemented. The development of offshore projects has significantly influenced the rate of economic growth in the region as a whole and contributed to the modernization of the island infrastructure and economy.

Group tours to Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands appeared in Russia quite recently - in 2010. The reasons for this are the inaccessibility of the region and the special visiting regime that operates on the Kuril Islands. Citizens of Russia who are not registered in the Sakhalin region must obtain a pass to the border zone to enter the Kuril Islands. When purchasing a tour, the travel agency handles the registration of the pass.

Those wishing to get to the Kuril Islands will have to travel a long way: first 9 hours by plane from Central Russia, then a night on the ship “Igor Farkhutdinov” or “Polaris”. The motor ship is the most reliable means of communication with the Kuril Islands. Planes from Sakhalin fly to the Kuril Islands unsteadily due to frequent fogs on the islands, so in our tour programs to the Kuril Islands we only use a motor ship. Even with the construction of a new airport on Iturup, the problem with flight delays has not been solved, because the climate on the islands has not changed!

The Kuril Islands are a real Far Eastern exotic! Pacific Ocean, crabs, red fish, caviar and volcano peaks on the horizon. Once you get off the road, you end up in a thicket of bamboo. Picturesque bays hide traces of Japanese settlements from view. You can find shards with hieroglyphs and see surviving buildings. True, these buildings are of an industrial nature. The Japanese never lived on the islands permanently, they only set up temporary settlements for fishing with small factories.

The legacy of Soviet times is also impressive. Along the entire perimeter of the islands there are gun turrets and IS-2 tanks dug into the ground. Somewhere, fighter jets with variable wing geometry lie abandoned and rust... But the main thing is nature: picturesque rocks, volcanic lakes and the ocean.

Although the Kuril Islands seem similar to Kamchatka, the sensations from visiting them are completely different. Kamchatka is more contrasting. This is the realm where ice and fire meet. The Kuril Islands are softer in perception. There are no glaciers here. Wherever you go, the sea will be on the horizon. There are no difficult mountain climbs in the tour programs to the Kuril Islands. On Kunashir Island you can stay in a hotel for the entire tour and visit all the main attractions. In Kamchatka you have to choose: either comfortable hotel accommodation and a minimum of interesting places, or exploring all the most interesting things at the expense of comfort. In Kamchatka, tour programs focus on volcanoes, on the Kuril Islands - on picturesque bays, cliffs and lakes. There is no good river fishing in the Kuril Islands, but sea fishing is possible. And you will also be haunted everywhere by the feeling that you are somewhere far away, on the very edge of the Earth, in some unknown state, not quite in Russia, because around you are not birch forests and fields, but the ocean, hills and bamboo. And for people permanently residing in the Kuril Islands, Russia is exactly like that.

Currently there are tours to the islands of Iturup, Kunashir and Shikotan. In addition to the sights of these islands, the program includes visits to the most interesting sights of Sakhalin Island - Cape Velikan, the observation deck at the Mountain Air ski resort and others. But you shouldn’t stay long on Sakhalin. All the most interesting things are in the Kuril Islands.

Each of the Kuril Islands, where a trip as part of an organized group is possible, is unique in its own way. Iturup is brighter and more contrasting, but there is no good hotel here. Tourists are offered accommodation in a permanent tent camp with an electric generator, a cook, a toilet and other amenities of civilization. On Kunashir there is a hotel and the famous Cape Stolbchaty, for which it is definitely worth visiting this island. Both islands have volcanoes, hot springs and picturesque bays.

Shikotan is not a big island. The program of his visit lasts 3 days and is combined with a visit to Kunashir. Hotel accommodation.

The season for visiting the Kuril Islands is short: from early July to mid-September. Best time to visit the islands - the second half of August - the first half of September. This is due to the fact that the climatic summer in the south of the Russian Far East is shifted one month ahead relative to the calendar summer. Those. Summer weather in the Kuril Islands is in July, August and September, and the warmest days and weather for swimming occur between August 20 and September 10.

Our managers will be happy to help you choose the best tour for you and understand the intricacies of preparing for the trip.

Welcome to tours to Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands!

In the Nevelsky district in the village of Yasnomorsky, located only 6 km away. southwest of Nevelsk, there is an excellent camp site owned by the Sakhalin diving club. wonderful vacation spot on Sakhalin, where you can relax with your family, friends and colleagues. The water in the sea is warmer than in other places on the Sakhalin coast. In summer, thanks to the influence of the Tsushima Current, it warms up to 20 degrees.

Resting-place

The Sakhalin diving club offers one-day tours around the waters of the Nevelsk port, including a visit to Moneron Island, which is clearly visible from the hills surrounding Nevelsk. You can go around it by boat in half an hour, but being on the island itself provides enormous food for impressions.

The main wealth of Moneron is under water. It is no coincidence that the natural park received the status of a marine park. The diversity of the underwater landscape, combined with the warming effect of the Tsushima Current branch, gives life to subtropical species of marine animals: abalone, sea cucumber, rare-spined sea urchins, multi-rayed starfish. The dive site is excellent because the water clarity around Maneron Island is very high.

In the waters of the island you can also meet sea lions and seals, which have chosen the coastal area for their rookeries. Seasonal migrations of sea animals begin in April. At this time, you can get close to these mammals and observe their life in the wild.

Diving tours are organized jointly with the Moneron Island natural park with the full support of the Administration of the Sakhalin Region.

Services

Accommodation:

The Yasnomorsky diving center is located just 500 m from the sea. Guests can enjoy 10 double rooms, 2 VIP rooms, a large cozy lounge with a fireplace, karaoke, satellite TV, as well as a bath complex with showers, a swimming pool, a bathhouse and a sauna. Guests of the recreation center have at their disposal a TV, satellite TV, karaoke, DVD. So you won’t be bored, because in the large hall, designed in the style of a hunting hut, you can have a karaoke party and just sit by the fireplace drinking a cup of coffee and watching good films.

In addition, at the Yasnomorskaya base there is a Russian bath, a sauna, a swimming pool, a relaxation room, and showers. The bathhouse complex is a detached 2-story wooden cottage, the interior decoration is made of linden and aspen, the sauna is heated only with wood, the deep pool is filled with spring water. On the second floor there is a relaxation room and a glazed circular attic, which offers stunning views of the sea and forest.

The Ayurveda Tour company will select interesting diving tours depending on your needs. Individual approach will provide unique diving spots to suit the wishes of each client. There you will be able to observe beauty that few have seen before. The tour operator's list includes such famous trips to the coral islands as Baa, Dhaalu, Male, Faafu, Lhaviani, Ari. One thing special about these islands is that every year they organize a free diving festival. It includes free immersion, training and obtaining an appropriate educational certificate. In addition, you can enjoy the wonderful beauty of the underwater world for free. Diving tour – price = quality!

Advantages of a tour operator

By ordering tours with Ayurveda Tour you get the maximum number of benefits at affordable prices:

Booking tours on the website for convenience and saving time.
You can be calm when paying your bill, we have been on the market for 14 years.
Our representative office is located in Moscow and St. Petersburg
The website shows current prices.
We quickly and without failure confirm the selected hotels.
We are the official tour operator in such holiday destinations as Sri Lanka, Bali, Maldives, India.
The price of the tour includes transport to the hotel and back to the airport.
Promotional offers for trips reserved in advance.

Variety of holidays provided

We can offer you diving tours to the Maldives in such popular hotels as:

These hotels are most suitable for the novice diver tourist.

Filitheyo Island Resort Hotel offers a secluded getaway. It has a spa center, a gym, and you can take diving lessons and book trips to neighboring islands. An evening disco will help complete your day's relaxation. Far from the bustle of the city, you can enjoy the beauty of nature.

Hotel PER AQUUM Huvafen Fushi will allow you to see untouched nature. The presence of extreme sports will not let you get bored (canoeing or catamarans, all types of surfing). Cuisine that will satisfy even the pickiest gourmet.

Dusit Thani Maldives Hotel will captivate you with its diversity of wildlife, you can see whale sharks and sea turtles. It is surrounded by white sandy beaches and you will be able to see the magnificence of the blue lagoon and coral reefs.

Hotel Anantara Dhigu- an excellent place to relax. You can enjoy the nature around you, watch the puffer fish or try extreme water sports. This hotel is considered the most comfortable of all, has many restaurants and bars for evening relaxation, and spa salons for relaxation.

Atmosphere Kanifushi Hotel has five stars and provides visitors with magnificent villas located on the shores of the blue lagoon. They are notable for their luxury and sophistication. A varied cuisine that will make you get gastronomic pleasure. The all-inclusive hotel will not leave you indifferent, the staff will fulfill your every wish.

The Ayurveda Tour company also offers a beach holiday with diving, which will give you the opportunity to enjoy the white soft sand and spend active time with diving. We offer a diving tour, the price of which will satisfy everyone. Our clients are completely satisfied with the service provided. You can buy a tour from the tour operator “Ayurveda Tour” both on the website and in our office.

The Sakhalin region is the only completely “island” federal subject of Russia. Most of the people living here live in the cities of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Korsakov, Kholmsk and Okha. The exotic rich nature and varied landscapes attract many travelers to the largest Russian island - from lovers of a relaxing holiday to fans of extreme sports. And holidays at thermal springs, river rafting, mountain climbing, sea kayaking and fishing are especially popular.

Natural resources of the island

The nature of Sakhalin is very different from the mainland - the vegetation on the island is very lush. The seas washing this region and the Tsushima Current, as well as the large extent of the island itself, have an impact.

It is noteworthy that 9.7% of the Sakhalin region is given over to protected natural areas. There is a nature reserve, several nature reserves and 51 natural monuments - real treasure troves of rare and endangered species of plants and animals. All protected areas willingly welcome travelers and have become real centers of ecotourism on the island.

The Poronaisky Nature Reserve is located on two territories of 57 hectares. And a quarter of all its areas are occupied by low-lying swamps with areas of permafrost. These lands are unique for their extensive bird colonies. On rocky ledges, along the sea coast, there are a huge number of nests of guillemots, Pacific whales, warblers and black-tailed gulls. In addition to them, the reserve is home to rare species of eagles and osprey - a real paradise for ornithology lovers! But in addition to the Poronaisky Nature Reserve, bird watching enthusiasts also make trips to the largest lake on the island, Lake Tuinacha, located 45 km from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

People come to the Nogliki Nature Reserve to see large populations of wild reindeer. At the beginning of autumn, local reindeer herders hold a spectacular reindeer racing festival here. You should definitely attend such races! This is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the culture of the indigenous inhabitants of the island, see exhibitions of folk crafts and buy excellent souvenirs.

The Krasnogorsk yew forest has also become a unique natural monument of Sakhalin. It is 170 km away from the capital of the island. And this is the only place on Sakhalin where old yew trees grow. The height of some trees in the forest reaches more than 15 m, and their age exceeds 100 years.

Active recreation on Sakhalin in the summer season

During the warm season, hiking tours to Mount Vaida, one of the highest points of the island, are popular on Sakhalin. In the area of this mountain range you can see many Red Book plants, and a rare mammal, the Sakhalin musk deer, lives here. Vaida is distinguished by pronounced karst landforms, and the local caves with beautiful stalactites are very interesting as objects of speleology.

Vaidin caves

Popular walking routes They also pass through capes - Crillon, Lamanon and Velikan, which are surrounded by picturesque rocks, streams and waterfalls, as well as along the Zhdanko mountain range, which stretches for 13 km. Some tourists go to the upper reaches of the Chekhovka River, where the most beautiful waterfall on the island, Shuisky, is located, the height of which reaches about 30 m. This waterfall is unusual, as it has two powerful water streams, the distance between which is 20 m.

Many people come to Sakhalin for exciting sea diving. The underwater flora and fauna of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan is amazingly beautiful. Therefore, divers can take individual and group tours - underwater safaris and sightseeing during excursions along the seabed. Particularly popular are dives near capes Kuznetsov and Mramorny, the village of Prigorodnoye, the village of Pervaya Pad, the city of Nevelsk, as well as near Moneron Island.

Relatively new, but very popular type active rest on Sakhalin - sea kayaking, the history of which began in 2006. Its enthusiasts make short one- to three-day and long-term expeditions along the sea coast in small kayaks adapted for sailing on rough sea surfaces.

Sea kayaking

Water tourism began to develop on Sakhalin a very long time ago. And the most popular rivers among travelers, along which most rafting trips on the island now take place, are Naiba, Tiabut, Lutoga, Tym and Val. Water trips provide an opportunity not only to be alone with nature, to see the untouched taiga, but also to have excellent fishing. On Sakhalin rivers there is excellent fishing for taimen, char, masu salmon, pink salmon, kunja and coho salmon. In total, more than 20 species of fish live in island reservoirs, and the weight of taimen can reach up to 30 kg. But there is also excellent sea fishing for cod and flounder!

Things to do on the island in the winter months

Winter on the island is quite mild and snowy, and the coldest month is February, when the temperature drops to -10-15ºС. Therefore, the Sakhalin ski season pleases ski lovers from December to the very end of April.

For fans of skiing and snowboarding, 3 km from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk there is a large modern sports and tourist complex, from the slopes of which there is an excellent view of the city quarters. For location and beautiful nature Sakhalin residents gave this recreation center the name “Mountain Air”. Connoisseurs consider it the most comfortable place for skiing in the Far East, where price and quality have the optimal ratio.

Ski resort Mountain Air

The ski resort has 10 trails of varying difficulty levels. And their total length exceeds 23 km. The slopes are divided into three zones - for beginners (green), experienced skiers (red) and professionals (black). They all have artificial lighting for riding in the dark. The main conditions for those who come to Mountain Air are to adequately assess their strengths and not risk their health.

For beginners who have started skiing for the first time, the resort has a special training slope. Those interested can also take advantage of the ski cross track and the excellent snowboard park. Don't be afraid that there won't be enough snow. In case of weather vagaries, Mountain Air employees always use an artificial snowmaking system for the slopes.

In winter, as in summer, there are many fishermen on Sakhalin. The winter fishing season here lasts from December to April. During active biting, which takes place on the first ice, you can catch almost any fish. But then, until mid-March, Sakhalin fishing moves to the sea, where you can catch catfish, navaga and smelt.

Fishing

Relaxation at thermal springs

The volcanic belt, which includes Sakhalin Island, is the reason that there are hot mineral springs here. The famous Daginsky baths are unique in their composition, which is determined by deep-lying oil-bearing rocks. Warm water with a high content of silicic acid comes to the surface here all year round and has long been used by local residents as a healing remedy for many diseases.

Thermal baths are used especially effectively to treat problems with the skeletal system and joints. Dagin water can also cure many skin diseases. Now, near the springs, in the village of Goryachiye Klyuchi, there is a sanatorium “Dagi-Oasis”, with baths, a swimming pool and comfortable hotel rooms.

Sinegorsk thermal springs are located 21 km from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. They are highly mineralized and are used to treat metabolic disorders, diseases nervous system and to improve immunity. A balneological resort has been created around these springs, with four wells.

Excursions around Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and its surroundings

The life of the island at the end of the 19th century was described in detail by the Russian writer A.P. Chekhov. His “Sakhalin Island” has become a real encyclopedia of island life - the life of ordinary people and the features of local nature. It is noteworthy that an entire museum in the city is dedicated to this book, which is still interesting to read today, located on Kurilskaya Street, 42. Its employees carefully preserve and popularize Chekhov’s heritage. After all, it was thanks to Chekhov’s texts that Russia learned about the hopeless situation of Sakhalin convicts and settlers.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

In addition to the Chekhov Museum, in the capital of the island there are art, local history and geological museums, a museum of the history of the Sakhalin Railway, an educational archaeological museum and even a bear museum. The city also houses a large exhibition hall and a park named after. Yu.A. Gagarin, botanical garden and zoo, where the whole family can have a good time.

Fans of active recreation can make interesting one-day walking excursions from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 3 km from the city along the slopes of Mount Lysaya (520 m) there is a 7.5 km ecological trail “Mountain Spring”, on which there are several picturesque observation platforms. You can climb to the beginning of this trail by taking the lift of the Mountain Air sports complex, and descending along it to the foot of the mountain takes 2.5-3 hours.

A little further, 20 km southeast of the city, near the village of Vestochka, there is a very interesting natural attraction - the rocky outcrop “Frog”. In addition to geological and landscape features, this natural monument is known among Sakhalin residents as a place that fulfills wishes. And in former times, the stone was worshiped by the indigenous inhabitants of these places - the Ainu.

Rock outcrop "Frog"

At the same distance from the city, but in the northwest direction, there is an unusual natural monument - the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsky mud volcano - a manifestation of the island’s tectonic activity. The convex mud field, which has a diameter of about 200 m, erupts liquid mud and gases from several active small craters.

You can also climb Chekhov Peak, which is 10 km away from the city. The route is not very difficult and takes almost the whole day. It is difficult to get lost here, since on weekends many Sakhalin residents climb the peak, and you can always meet fellow travelers.