Rocks, sea and lighthouse: Sakhalin through the eyes of an experienced traveler

Rocks, sea and lighthouse: Sakhalin through the eyes of an experienced traveler

Vladimir Vinogradov tells what the edge of the world can surprise tourists with.

President of Pro-Vision, author of Vinogradov.story community

“Sakhalin is the only island region in Russia, cut off from the “big land” not only formally, but also in fact. However, you should not be afraid of tired infrastructure or “wild” service because of the special position of the island – both the first and the second are in good order here. And just looking at the local scenery, thoughts about worldly things retreat to the tenth plan, giving way to emotions and impressions. What to see on Sakhalin in the first place, I will tell you below”.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

It is almost impossible to get to the island without passing Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (or simply Yuzhny): this is where airplanes arrive from the mainland. Trying to get to Sakhalin’s iconic locations as soon as possible, many people prefer to ignore its capital – and for nothing! The city gives a unique opportunity to get to know the region a little closer: to look into the Museum of Local History, a monument of Japanese architecture, to get acquainted with the history of the Ainu and to trace the synergy of cultures – Russian, Japanese and Korean. And at the end of the day to go up on the cable car “Mountain Air” over the slopes of the ski resort of the same name to appreciate the city from the height (and rejoice that a suspiciously gloomy storm cloud covers not your, but the neighboring mountain).

Cape Ptichy

Cape Ptichy on Sakhalin welcomes travelers as its name suggests – the cry of a thousand birds drowning out the sea waves. On these distant shores rest powerful arches-kekurs, here mossy forests descend and endless fogs lie. The road to the cape and back passes by birches and spruces, which were “forbidden” to grow upwards by the strong seaside wind – their branches are strictly parallel to the ground. Ptichiy or Giant abounds with stone giants: grottoes, caves, pillars and arches. In cloudy weather they look a little frightening, but in the sun they cast bizarre shadows, thanks to which the photos made on the cape are not similar to each other.

Silent Cove

Embraced by a mountain range and a cape, Tikhaya Bay is the best place to fulfill a dream and swim at the edge of the earth. Or try your hand at Far East surfing: local waves and shallow depths are quite permissive. The landscapes of Tikhaya remind Scotland – a lot of volcanic rocks, greenery and gloomy views. And on the shore, especially after storms, you can look for cherry-brown amber – Sakhalinite. You certainly won’t find such an exclusive in Scotland.

Lake Busse

To visit Sakhalin and not to taste the gifts of the ocean? How not! In search of delicacies you should go to Busse Lagoon – the gastronomic center of Sakhalin. Oysters and scallops, rapans and crabs – it seems that all the famous mollusks of the Okhotomorye Sea are just waiting for you to see, catch and taste them. If you are very lucky, Busse will give you a very special gift – a pearl as a souvenir of Sakhalin. If the pearl hunting does not work out, you should not be upset: tasting of Sakhalin scallop and other delicacies will brighten up the unfortunate misunderstanding and indulge your inner gourmet.

Aniva Lighthouse

Aniva is a true legend of Sakhalin, a lighthouse that has repeatedly saved the lives of sailors and served as a reliable guide for travelers. Receiving disappointing reports about shipwrecks in dangerous local waters, in the late 1930s the leadership of the Japanese prefecture of Karafuto gave an order to build a signal navigational marker on the Sivuchya rock. Thus began the history of Aniva. As befits a respectable lighthouse, it is located on a hard-to-access rock and jealously protects its solitude. Getting here is not an easy task: you have to leave at four in the morning, spend about two hours in a car and a little more than an hour in a small motorboat in the open sea. But it is worth it: even now, after 80 years of service, the nine-storey tower and the massive extension on a small rock look fantastic and grandiose.