My name is Maria, and I recently visited Kunashir as part of a surf group that explored the island from the water and beyond. My uncle grew up in these parts, and he once carelessly said that I was unlikely to make it there. The challenge was accepted!
Now I know for sure that seeing the amazing nature of the Kuril Islands, taking a dip in the healing waters of the open sea, and surfing the waves of the Pacific Ocean is a plan that everyone should consider. I will share with you how to make it a reality.
Contents
- About the island
- Climate
- Safety tips
- How to get there
- Where to stay
- What to see and do
- What and where to try
In short: why go
- Go surfing at Orbita Beach.
- Watch the red fish spawn in the Andreevka River.
- Take a dip in the hot springs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
- Take a photo of the abandoned lighthouse from one of Miyazaki’s movies.
- Walk through the ancient forest and see the yews that remember the dinosaurs.
- Find the “cosmic organ” – Cape Stolbchaty.
- Walk along the boiling caldera on Golovnin Volcano.
- Try fresh Kunashir shrimp.
- Relax after long walks at the Kunashir Resort & Natural Spa.
About the Island
Kunashir is a land of hot springs, boiling fields, and wild plants. Here, I felt a special freedom that you can literally breathe in. The island has four volcanoes, with Mount Tyatya being the main one. There is the Pacific Ocean and several seas around.
Different ethnic groups have left their mark here. For example, the Ainu, the original inhabitants of the island, who gave it the name Kunashir (Black Island). It appears dark due to its harsh forests and volcanic beaches. From the 17th century until the middle of the last century, Kunashir was ruled by Japan, and traces of its culture can still be seen today.
Kunashir is a land of hot springs, boiling fields and wild plants. Photo: Maria Zantsevich
Climate
The climate is moderately humid and maritime. The average daily temperature from July to October is between +15 and +18°C, and it does not drop below -5°C in winter. The best time to visit Kunashir is from August to the end of September. During this period, you can enjoy surfing, trekking, and relaxing in the hot springs.
Winter can also be enjoyable, as it is mild and very snowy. This is a great opportunity to rent snowmobiles and explore the island (with the help of experienced guides, of course).
Reasons to come in the off-season. Many people prefer to fly to Kunashir only in the summer, but the island is beautiful at any time of the year. Here are 5 all-season ideas for your trip.
Safety Tips
The most important thing to remember in Kunashir is that humans are more like guests in this natural kingdom. However, bears are the true masters. Don’t go into forests, volcanoes, or on eco-trails without a guide and protective gear.
The most dangerous local plant is the ypratka, which has a name similar to the poisonous gas due to its properties. The burns caused by the poisonous trifolium are three times more severe than those caused by hogweed. Avoid touching the ypratka, and if you come into contact with it, remove your clothes at home using gloves and wash them in a washing machine.
The most dangerous local plant is the mustard plant. Photo: meunierd/Shutterstock.com
How to get there
First, you need to fly to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. There are direct flights from Moscow to Sakhalin, with a round-trip cost of at least 25,000 rubles.
Then, you can take a ferry or a plane to Kunashir. Direct flights cost about 6,000 rubles, and a cabin on a water transport costs 2,780 rubles.
Where to stay
I have collected several verified options on Ostrovok. Many of them are located in the administrative capital of the island, Yuzhno-Kurilsk.
Kunashir Resort & Natural Spa
If you want to relax in nature with the usual hotel comfort, and the budget allows, I recommend these houses in the coniferous forest. On the territory there is a restaurant of author’s cuisine with an emphasis on Far Eastern products and a spa complex with open-air baths.
Kunashir Resort & Natural Spa.
“Iceberg”
Hotel on Okeanskaya Street. The South Kuril Lighthouse is very close. The owner of the hotel has an impressive collection of kukhtyli, glass floats for fishing nets. He has also visited almost all the world’s major peaks, including Mount Everest.
Flagman
Mini-hotel on Pogranichnaya Street. A cozy and spacious guest house with ocean views.
Berloga Hostel
A budget option on Pionerskaya Street. The hostel is located in the center of Yuzhno-Kurilsk, and it offers a sauna and a kitchen.
Berloga Hostel.
Kunashir Hostel
Another hostel is located on Zavodskaya Street. The environment is simple, but the rooms are clean and have everything you need to get by.
Kuril Guest House
According to travelers, this is one of the most hospitable places on the island.
Kuril Guest House.
There are also many hotels, apartments, guest houses, and hostels in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Ostrovok. It is often necessary to spend a night in Sakhalin before or after a trip to Kunashir.
Sakhalin was also the subject of my story. Read the full guide to the island in the O!Blog.
What to see and do
Orbita Beach: Surfing in the Pacific Ocean
The most popular surfing spot is Orbita Beach. It offers excellent conditions for beginners and advanced surfers. There are also secret surf spots on Kunashir, which can be found by asking locals.
Вячеслав Эгле. Founder of the Snow Surf Project surf school.
Founder of the Snow Surf Project surf school Vyacheslav Egle: “Mostly, people here surf on beachbreaks, spots with sand at the bottom. The only animal neighbors are seals and dolphins, but they are friendly. However, I do not recommend entering the water on your own. It is important to know the bottom relief, understand the nature of the waves, and have basic safety and surf etiquette skills (behavior on the line-up).
The Devil’s Finger: Set Up a Photo Shoot
From here, it is possible to climb the nearby Sukev Cape. The steep path up seems impassable, but it is worth the risk (we managed to climb it in 20 minutes). From there, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the entire coast and Mount Tyatya. Buried in the sand near the shore are the so-called tears of Karafuto. Karafuto is the Japanese name for Kunashir, and its tears are fragments of porcelain sets that were left behind or broken by the Japanese who were forced to relocate.
Devil’s Finger — kekur, or rock in the form of a pillar. Photo: Shchipkova Elena/Shutterstock.com
Andreevka River: Watch the Red Fish Spawning
During the spawning season, the river sparkles with silver.The water is dotted with the backs of numerous fish. In August, it is usually pink salmon, followed by chum salmon. Red-listed Japanese herons and cranes often visit the area.
The Sernovodsk tract and Peschanoye Lake are located nearby. If you draw a parallel line from one shore to the other, it will be the narrowest part of the island. On one side is the Pacific Ocean, and on the other is the Sea of Okhotsk.
Red-listed Japanese herons and cranes often fly to the river. Photo: Shchipkova Elena/Shutterstock.com
Cape Stolbchaty: see the “cosmic organ”
The pillars of the cape are layers of basalt lava. About 50 million years ago, it froze in the ocean, came to the surface, and formed steep cliffs. The light gray massif is made up of compressed polyhedrons. It reminded me of a huge organ or the towers of other planets, like the Harkonnen Palace from Dune or the skyscrapers from Guardians of the Galaxy.
Watch your step — the surface looks like dragon skin in some places.
Note. There’s a lot of jasper on the beach on the way to Stolbchaty. You’ll recognize the stone by its emerald or terracotta hue, often speckled with black.
The pillars of the cape are layers of basalt lava. Photo: Maria Zantsevich
Mendeleev Volcano: Getting to the Fumaroles
From a distance, the volcano resembles a girl lying on her back, which is why it is popularly known as Sleeping Beauty. This active volcano is approximately 900 meters high.
Dense bamboo forests lead to its crater. Climbing to the very top is not necessary (here the bamboo is replaced by rocks) – many travelers stop at the fumarole field. It is visible from afar: a red slope with white and yellow spots stands out through the canvas of greenery. Fumarol – a hole from which hot vapors come out. Everything here boils, smokes. Nearby – hot springs of the Sour Brook, where you can swim.
Fumarole field: a red slope with white and yellow spots stands out through a canvas of greenery. Photo: Evgeny Haritonov/Shutterstock.com
Ecotrail “Stolbovskaya”: Walk through the Ancient Forest
The local nature has survived more than one glaciation, and some of the plants have inherited a tendency to gigantism. The trail leads through several climatic zones. Be sure to look around — you will see wild magnolia, Ayan spruce, and Kunashir yew, which grow only on Kunashir. The latter grows very slowly, and if you meet a tall giant, know that it remembers dinosaurs.
Usually, people walk to or from Cape Stolbchaty via the Stolbovskaya trail. Along the way, you can swim in hot springs and eat actinidia (which tastes like kiwi and strawberries). A special quest is to spot an acid-green pigeon, which is common but rarely seen. Edible grapes, mountain ash, rose hips, and other berries grow in the meadow near the sea.
Some people compare the scenery to scenes from Miyazaki’s cartoons, while others compare it to the setting of Jurassic Park. Photo: Evgeny Haritonov/Shutterstock.com
Hot Spring Chaika: Take a Natural Bath with a View of the Ocean
Golovnin Cliff: Experience the Longest Waves
The History of the Name. There are several places named after Vasily Golovnin in Kunashir. The Russian vice admiral, a researcher of the Pacific Ocean and a navigator, made two trips around the world, compiled an extremely accurate and unique map describing Kamchatka and the Southern Kuriles at the time.
Golovnin Cliff is a cliff with a long layered wall that stretches for 22 km. Photo: Lev Trubach/Yandex.Maps
Golovnin Volcano: A Walk Through the Boiling Caldera
Caldera is Spanish for “cup.” The cup-shaped valley was formed by the explosion of a volcano and hides hot springs, mud pots, fumaroles, and two mineralized lakes: Kipyashcheye and Goryacheye. You shouldn’t climb into either of them: the water in the coastal parts of the Boiling Lake reaches +90…+95 °C, and the Hot Lake is uninhabited except for the rowing bug. The fumarole field near the Boiling Lake constantly changes colors, making it feel like you’re entering a new location every time.
Golovnin Bay: Take a Photo of the Abandoned Lighthouse
The abandoned tower near the cliff seems to have come straight out of a Miyazaki movie. It’s easy to get here: the lighthouse is only a couple of kilometers from the center of Yuzhno-Kurilsk.
A few meters from the abandoned building, there’s a descent to an uninhabited beach. If you stay on the hill, you’ll have an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean. On your way back, stop by the Yuzhno-Kurilsk Local History Museum, where you’ll be greeted by a Kunashir sphinx at the entrance. The guides will provide valuable insights into the history of Japanese-Russian relations and the island’s flora and fauna.
More beautiful lighthouses in Russia are in the O!Blog article.
The abandoned cliff tower looks like something out of Miyazaki’s fairy tales. Photo: Authentic travel/Shutterstock.com
Beach in Tretyakovo: get tougher
Hot springs with radon water are located in the Tretyakovo dacha settlement. The bathhouse is kept clean by the residents of the neighboring houses. There is a cold stream nearby: dive into it for a contrast of temperatures. The locals will gladly throw a bucket of cool, tingling water at you — just ask.
Don’t miss it. If you turn left at the fork leading to the baths, you’ll reach the beach. There, you’ll find a Japanese steamship that was wrecked in the late 1970s. Watching the waves crash against the rusted stern and shoot out a fan of bristling foam is a romantic sight. Ahead lies Hokkaido.
What and Where to Try
The Dining Room at the Russian-Japanese House of Friendship
The most popular local dining room. Chum salmon cutlets, baked halibut, fish soup, veal with kimchi, and other homemade specialties at an affordable price.
The dining room in the Russian-Japanese House of Friendship. Photo: Olga & Olga/Yandex.Maps
Gastrocluster on Okeanskaya Street
The Fruit Tycoon shop with reasonable prices for fruits, cafes serving Russian, Korean, and Oriental cuisine, grocery stores, and the Khlebnoe Mesto bakery. At the risk of my waist, I tried an indecently large number, and here is my top: a cherry puff, a mini-pie of shortcrust pastry with blueberries and cottage cheese cream, a nut and cinnamon pretzel, a poppy snail and a fantastic croissant with melon. The coffee is also pleasant, and the cup can be taken as a memento – an island is drawn on the cardboard.
Chulya’s Treat Shop
The best pastries, fresh baked goods, and desserts like “Ant Hill” and creamy delights like tiramisu.
Pit Stop Burger
Come here if you’re craving rolls and street food.
“Pit stop burger”. Photo: Olga A./Yandex.Maps
Angara
Go here for seafood: there is fresh Kunashir shrimp.
Primorye
Another place with seafood. Blue-eyed halibut is available.
Kunashir doesn’t let go: many locals leave, but then return. They say, “The island holds on.” Almost everyone here has light blue eyes. I think it’s because they’re in love with the ocean. I bet you share this passion too.
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Cover photo: Liudmila Kotvitckaia/Shutterstock.com
