Kunashir Island. On the edge of the planet

Seeing the black ash remaining after the volcanic eruption, the people of the ancient Ainu decided to name the island - Kunashir (translated as "Black Island"), because the name has not changed. Many of the unique creatures of the island's nature are unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. The variety and amount of plants listed in the Red Book allows you to say with certainty that Kunashir - a botanical dream. This article will help present the entire travel image to the amazing and amazing natural beauty of the island.

You can get Kunashir in two ways:

Method 1 - terrestrial and marine. From the departure point by train to Vladivostok to Vanino port, from there go ferry to Kholmsk, ferry schedule can be found on the Internet without much difficulty.

Arriving at Kholmsk, you need to take a regular bus that goes to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, where you have to switch to the bus that follows the port of Korsakov, we need the terminal directly. Here it is necessary to say that due to unstable weather conditions, the ship may be delayed. The ship can go directly to Kunashir island, and to the islands (Shikotan, Iturup and only then Kunashir).

If you are very lucky, during the trip, the captain in the speakerphone will announce the whale that accompanies the ship and, going to the deck, you will be able to enjoy the marvelous marine animal scenery. Until Kunashir the ship sailed about 18 hours.

Method 2 - exclusively by air. It is advisable to take a plane ticket first, via the Internet, and get right there and back. "Aeroflot" flies. At Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk airport, as in the case of the ship, there may be a delay, if the flight is delayed, the hotel is very close.

So, behind a long flight or long journey. If you have chosen an airplane, then after landing you will be at Mendeleevo village airport, and will need to get to the island administration center, Yuzhno-Kurilsk. The first thing you need to do is provide your own home.

On the island there are several hotels, the road to which the islanders will definitely ask, you can also rent an apartment for rent. If your flight or journey lasts longer, you should be familiar with the Sakhalin region time zone, try not to fall asleep during the day, so in a short time you will rebuild your body to the local time. Also, try to rest well, because there are many interesting places, but it is difficult to access the places you will visit.

On the island, there are places you will definitely remember for a lifetime, like Cape Pier, which consists of hexagonal stone columns, you can also visit the fumaroles from Mendeleev volcano or swim in the tub with natural volcanic acid from the river, but first thing first.

Cape "Column" - a unique place, washed by Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Listed on the UNESCO list. This is formed due to volcanic activity, after the lava eruption began to freeze and crack with hexagonal columns are very striking, whose length sometimes reaches 50 meters. Some places of cape seem to be cut with special precision, and in this section one can distinguish how small hexagonal columns form large columns, but they are already pentagonal.

Fumarol from Mendeleyev volcano. From South Kurilsk, the scenery of a volcano resembles a girl lying on its side, hence the popular name - "the beauty of sleep". Fumarol is the place where the glow of the volcano's abdomen comes out with a cone-shaped formation composed of sulfur. They are in a place called the solfatar field, where nothing grows, so it looks like the surface of the Moon or the lifeless Mars.

The road there is very heavy, about three hours above, along the path, through a boiling river and bamboo grove. It is helpful to warn about small fumaroles, whose partners are barely visible, but the temperature is very high, so if you want to break a piece of sulfur in your memory, be careful.

Golovnin Volcano is located 43 km from Yuzhno-Kurilsk and is located in the reserve area of ​​Kuril. This place is amazing for two lakes, boiling and hot, their composition and temperature are not suitable for life. The edges of boiling lake are formed from mud, which is considered curative. It should be noted that Boiling Lake is very dangerous because hot water and fumaroles with liquid sulfur, without better conductors do not go there, but you can swim in Goryachy.

The ninth kilometer. Nine kilometers from Yuzhno-Kurilsk there is a small holiday village in some houses, nearby there are two rivers, one cold and fresh, but other water is acidic and slightly warm, it starts from Mendeleev volcano from a height of 900 meters. Slightly higher along the volcanic river channel is a small waterfall in the form of steps, on each water for years has been washing so-called "baths", a practical depth with human growth.

The uniqueness of this waterfall is also that the water falling into the tub raises thousands of air bubbles from below and the bathing person gets great pleasure. In the winter, the river does not get cold, so you can swim in the winter.

On the island of Kunashir there are many interesting places, such as "lightning" and "ghost gates" near Joy village, go there best at low tide, then open up a huge plateau and you can see the bottom opened from the sea with all the wildlife and plants. There is hot water, "seagulls", "hot beach" river "Rosinka", mud, and very eager to travel and live impressions can be offered up to the third beauty, after Mount Vesuvius and Mount Fuji, Daddy volcano.