The extraordinary beauty of Kamchatka’s nature (19 photos). The beauty of Kamchatka. What to see for an unprepared tourist Nalychevo Natural Park
Hooray! Now it's time for beauty! It’s impossible not to admit that Kamchatka has incredibly cool, gorgeous nature! All travelers and tourists come to this region, first of all, to look at all this beauty with their own eyes: volcanoes and geysers, hills and the ocean, rivers and lakes, thermal springs and bears. Many come with tents and fly away, leave, go on multi-day hikes, some climb volcanoes, others take surfboards and go to the ocean. But what should those tourists who come here completely unprepared do? Do they have the opportunity to see at least something? natural beauty? This is exactly what I will talk about today.
I’ll start with a small explanation: most of the natural attractions of Kamchatka are located at a fairly serious distance from civilization, and civilization here often ends a few kilometers from settlements. The tourist infrastructure is still poorly developed and to see the most famous and interesting places you have to give away either a lot, a lot of money; or just a lot of money, but also spend a lot of time; or get there on your own, but for this you have to have serious preparation and a lot of time. Not the best better options, Truth? :)
I came here completely unprepared, in the sense that I didn’t even take with me ordinary trekking shoes, in which you can climb to the top of several volcanoes without having any special skills. But I didn’t dare do this in sneakers, and several guides actively dissuaded me from this idea.
Today I’ll give you a few ideas on where you can go for a reasonable price and what you can see if, like me, you come to Kamchatka, but are completely unprepared. I’ll say right away, don’t despair, there’s beauty for you too!
1. The most obvious and simple option is to look at nature in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and its surroundings. For example, you can go to the city beach, which is located on the shore of Avacha Bay 
2. Or you can climb to several observation platforms, of which there are plenty in the city 
3. Issue price - 25 rubles by city bus. 
4. The next option is a little more complicated - go to the ocean. The cheapest, but not very fast option is to get to the nearest village (Zaozerny or Dolinovka) by city bus for the same price 25 rubles, and then 7 km. take a walk to the beach, most the path will have to go through the fields 
There are several more ways to get to Khalaktyrsky Beach:
- Order a taxi, it will cost you from Petrovavlovsk rubles 700-800 one way;
- Try your luck and take advantage to hitchhike, this option will be absolutely free.
We got there on our own (first by bus, and then on foot), but on the way back from the beach we caught a ride, first to the nearest stop, and from there another ride to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky itself. By the way, hitchhiking in Kamchatka is used quite actively; local people do not refuse to pick up tourists, and tourists are interested in chatting with locals. Many thanks to the pleasant and cheerful woman who gave us a ride first, and to the silent man with his family who gave us a ride later!
5. Closer to the beach the beauty will begin. On my offline map in MAPS.ME this rock was marked as Observation deck and was called “broken rock”, you can easily climb onto it along the path from the back side 
6. This is the view from the top. To the right is the Pacific Ocean! 
7. A few more minutes and we will on Khalaktyrsky beach
8. And before us is the Pacific Ocean! Damn the Pacific Ocean! 
9. Before I first found myself on the ocean coast (it was Indian), I thought that it was no different from the sea... No guys, these are completely different things. It's hard to explain, but incredible power comes from the ocean 
10. He looks and sounds completely different. 
11. The beach here is simply huge, stretches for several dozen (!) kilometers, and there are practically no people, very cool! 
12. This is not Photoshop or an optical illusion, the sand is really dark because it is volcanic. 
13. The beach is so cool that even shrimp come out of the sea to take a walk! 
In fact, the fate of the shrimp is sad, it was thrown ashore, where it dried up in the sun, and I arranged a photo shoot for its corpse, I hope the shrimp is not offended.
14. Khalaktyrsky beach is really very cool, here you want to sit for a long time and look at the waves, listen to their noise and bask in the sun, but you don’t want to leave at all, but you have to 
15. Another option that you can see near the capital of Kamchatka - Cape Mayachny
16. Great views from here 
17. On the outskirts of the cape stands Peter and Paul Lighthouse
18. You can also see the rocks from the cape Three brothers
It’s very beautiful, however, there is one thing... It’s very difficult to get here!
You can get to the village of Zavoiko by city bus, and then about 12 km. to walk in one direction, but firstly, it is very long and tiring, and secondly, the locals are afraid that on these 12 km. Sometimes there are bears, it seems very rare, but somehow I didn’t want to tempt fate on myself. You can also try to catch a ride from the village of Zavoiko, but we went on a weekday morning and count on a large number of there were no fellow travelers.
In the end, we chose the option of a taxi. At first we tried to catch him on the street, but the first taxi driver told us that he physically couldn’t get there in his car, since there was no road on our route. Then we called a taxi through the application, a guy drove up in a Renault Logan, the guy had no idea whether there was a road there or not, whether he could get through or not, but after a few minutes of thought he said: “Okay, let’s try! If I don’t get through, then I won’t get through, Let's go back!" What can I tell you? There really is no road there! There is only a 12-kilometer dirt path with deep potholes and ruts, littered with stones, along which military Kamaz trucks and jeeps with a special high suspension drive. I still don’t understand how we drove there in a regular Renault Logan without getting stuck or puncturing a tire, it’s simply incredible! As a result, we drove one way for 1.5 hours (the return trip, however, was half an hour faster).
19. This whole trip to 1700 rubles
20. The next option for a not very prepared tourist could be an excursion to mountain range Vachkazhets. The excursion takes a whole day, in all travel agencies it costs 6-7 thousand per person, but by some miracle we managed to find it for 2500 rubles per person! The excursion-hike begins with a 2-hour trip on such a Kamaz from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 
I don’t really like organized excursions; I prefer to visit new places on my own, but there was simply no choice here. Although this cannot be called a classic excursion, no one here will tell you instructive stories; rather, this is an ordinary guided hike.
21. The rest of the day there will be a lot of walking, first through the forests 
22. Then along the lakes and mountains 
23. Someone came with a tent, cool! 
24. And we rise a little higher. Next I’ll just show photos from beautiful views, there’s nothing special to describe, we just walked and enjoyed the surrounding nature 
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27. There were living creatures along the way. This rodent is called the European gopher, also known as the American ground squirrel. Here they are already so well fed by tourists that they come running when called and feed from hands, not particularly afraid of people 
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30. Buildings of the ancient Kamchadals :) 
31. The mountains are not very high, but the views are still amazing! 
In the photo above in the right corner there is a very interesting man whom I had the pleasure of meeting. Italian Gino Ambrosio lives in Naples near Mount Vesuvius and works as a postman. He lives like this: he works and saves money for six months, and in the next six months he goes on a trip. Climbing volcanoes in different parts light, takes cool photos, shoots videos, holds exhibitions. In addition to volcanoes, he also tries to study the life and way of life of people who live near these very volcanoes, to compare how such people differ in different countries. In general, a very interesting guy.
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35. In addition to mountains and lakes, on this excursion you will also be taken to several waterfalls 
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38. Photographs, as always, do not convey all the real beauty of these places 
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43. In general, I recommend a hike to Vachkazhets, it’s very beautiful here, and the walk itself is much more enjoyable than it takes energy. No special training is needed here, we wore regular sneakers, there were no problems, there were both elderly and overweight people in our group, no one had any difficulties 
44. And the last option for today for an unprepared tourist in Kamchatka is Boat trip along Avacha Bay. They take you on such a boat, the trip takes 5-6 hours, it’s worth the pleasure 5500 rubles per person. Not cheap, but in Kamchatka prices are generally high 
I was pleasantly surprised by the boat. Before the trip, I expected it to be old and falling apart, but in fact it turned out to be quite decent and more or less new.
45. This excursion is intended for those who do not want to exert much effort at all, here you just float and admire the surrounding views 
46. However, if you have seasickness and get motion sickness on the water, then it is better to refuse this walk. In our group of 8 people, one girl was clearly not feeling very well; she spent almost the entire excursion in the cabin sitting at the table, resting her head on it and trying not to move too much. 
47. Three brothers swam up to the rocks, which I already showed above from a different angle 
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50. During the 5-hour walk we were fed 3 times (!)! At first it was tea/coffee with fruits, sweets, sausages and caviar; then after a while they fed us fish soup that we cooked in front of us; and towards the end of the excursion we were treated to crabs! Mmmm, the crabs were great! 
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52. It’s very beautiful around! 
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54. Birds nest right on the rocks 
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57. Even during the walk, it was suggested to go fishing, but fishing personally took us only 5-10 minutes. We literally cast our fishing rods a couple of times, after which the captain of the vessel said: “There’s no bite today,” and we moved on. Fishermen too for me 
58. Along the way you come across a lot of different living creatures: seals emerge from the water near the boat every now and then, and there are generally a huge number of different birds around 
59. I even had a chance to see a puffin (or maybe it was a hatchet...), a bird from the puffin family. Very cool, with a beautiful beak, it’s a pity I couldn’t take a photo 
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62. It seems like nothing special, you’re just floating, and you also paid a lot of money for it, but it’s beautiful, damn it! 
63. As you can see, even unprepared tourist there is something to do in Kamchatka, there are options to see interesting places and there are quite a lot of these options 
Although I, of course, screwed up a lot and later regretted that I didn’t take at least normal shoes with me, I really wanted to climb to the top of some volcano. If you are planning to someday visit Kamchatka, then still do not make my mistake and, if possible, prepare for the trip better than I did.
On this note, I finish sharing my impressions of this region. Goodbye Kamchatka! Or maybe goodbye, who knows! Thank you for attention!
My other stories from that trip:
Kamchatka. On the approach to the Tolbachik volcano. Helicopter photography / Photo: Anton Agarkov
And yet, the flow of people for whom “Kamchatka” is not just a word from Tsoi’s song has never been interrupted. Because people usually divide their lives into eras - before they saw Kamchatka and after. Direct flight from Moscow - 9 hours (exactly as in the other direction - up to New York). And these nine hours can change the idea of what our country has. As one of my friends says, who travels to all the mountains of the world where you can ski - from Chile to Switzerland: “I have never seen such large-scale beauty.”
2. Kamchatka. Volcano Shiveluch
She, beauty, will be revealed to you immediately when the plane lands from Avachinsky Bay: the ocean, three volcanoes - Kozelsky, Avachinsky, Koryaksky. If it will be good weather, then from your chair you will see several more volcanoes, the names of which you still won’t remember.
3. Kamchatka. Crater of the Plosky Tolbachik volcano
4. Kamchatka. On approach to Tolbachik volcano. Snow covered with ash. Helicopter photography / Photo: Anton Agarkov
The key word is "weather". Because all of Kamchatka is surrounded by seas and oceans; if you need some stable weather, go somewhere to Atalasovo, far from Petropavlovsk, deep into the peninsula. This is probably the only place in Kamchatka, where the snow can fall as smoothly as a thread. The rest of the territory changes its appearance - from sun to fog and rain - much faster than a chameleon on the hunt.
5. Kamchatka. View of Avachinsky and Vilyuchinsky volcanoes
But regardless of the weather in Kamchatka there is always something to do. And what gives you unbearable pleasure.
6. Kamchatka / Photo: Khlopova Anastasia
An ordinary walk around the city will give a person burdened with knowledge of history an amazing feeling - how small the world is in essence and how our ancestors knew how to navigate and travel in it. In the center of Petropavlovsk there is a monument to the English navigator Clark - the same one who led Cook’s expedition after his death, and this small territory still belongs to Britain. And the guns of the Maksutov battery will remind you that both the French and the British got here. There will also be traces of the great Russian navigator Bering (a Dane from small town Horsens, who graduated from the cadet corps in Amsterdam). He is buried on Bering Island in the Bering Sea. What threw people all over the world in the complete absence of airplanes and satellite communications? What attracted you to places like Kamchatka?
7. Kamchatka / Photo: Khlopova Anastasia
8. Kamchatka. Koryaksky Volcano and Camel Mountain
Now this is one of the best places for skiers, snowboarders, hunters, fishermen, climbers, especially from those countries that are tormented by comfort. The latest trend is surfing. No matter what, the wave in Kamchatka is all right. If you want it lower, here is Avachinskaya Bay. If you want a real open ocean, please - Khalaktyrsky beach. Not far from it is the Khalaktyrsky airport, which has always been used as a heliport. And this is a real gateway to the treasures of nature; helicopters of geologists, volcanologists and all those who urgently need to look into the crater fly from here. And the only active volcanoes in Kamchatka cost forty. Klyuchevskoy erupts, Bezymianny erupts, even Avacha, the volcano closest to the city, erupts. And any volcanic eruption is a super show.
9. Eruption of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano / Photo: Ivan Dementievsky
10. Kamchatka / Photo: Khlopova Anastasia
The city may seem strange to some. Essentially, this is one long street - from final stop“Ship repair shipyard” (once “named after Lenin”) to the “10th kilometer” bus station. There are, of course, branches from this highway, but they do not make a difference. The traveler needs to know where the center is, where the Avacha hotel is, where to eat and where the buses to Paratunka leave from. This is a minimal tour package for those who do not like to bother themselves with skiing. Although Mount Moroznaya (the longest route on it is three and a half kilometers), one of the best for skiing, is located in the same place, on the other side of the Avacha Bay. And it is considered the height of hedonism after skiing on Moroznaya to go to the hydrogen sulfide or radon springs of Paratunka.
11. Kamchatka / Photo: Khlopova Anastasia
That is, for those who are based in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, all modern types of “outdoors activities” are right under their noses.
12. Kamchatka region. South Kamchatka Nature Reserve. Kuril Lake. Bear family / Photo: Sergey Krasnoshchekov
But actually, the real Kamchatka is not Petropavlovsk. It is quite difficult to imagine how far the peninsula actually extends, resting its base on Chukotka. From Cape Lopatka to the north - 1200 kilometers. And the Kamchatka region itself also lies on the mainland, and there it is also endless. The whole of Kamchatka cannot be recognized even in many years. Not only because such places in Russia have rather poor infrastructure and a complete lack of roads, but also because Kamchatka is amazingly different.
13. Kamchatka region. Kronotsky Nature Reserve. Valley of Geysers / Photo: Vyacheslav Batashov
14. Kamchatka. Shore Pacific Ocean/ Photo: Anton Agarkov
After all, there is also the city of Ust-Kamchatsk, from where you can travel to the Commander Islands. There is the city of Palana, which stands in the vast tundra and where you will understand how the peoples of the North live in reality. There is a village called Esso, which is called Kamchatka Switzerland.
15. Kamchatka. Pacific Coast / Photo: Anton Agarkov
16. Avacha Bay / Photo: Sergey Krasnoshchekov
There is a lot of things here - it is no coincidence that cheerful German hunters who have bought bear licenses get off the plane; even the Scots come here to catch salmon, of which they themselves have plenty. Well, Americans should fly from Anchorage to Yelizovo airport ( official airport Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky) just over four hours. Which they enjoy using, especially in the summer.
17. Kamchatka. Eruption of Karymsky volcano (2004) / Photo: Alexander Belousov
However, Kamchatka residents (whom many people inaccurately call Kamchadals, since “Kamchadals” are an ethnic group) also use these flights to get to the capital of Alaska, where about the same number of people live as in Petropavlovsk - that is, a rather large town. Today this is the shortest route from Russia to America. And even local musicians go to Anchorage to record their albums - to well-equipped studios.
18. Kamchatka region. Acid lake in the crater of the Maly Semyachik volcano / Photo: Sputnik Mania
Gastronomy lovers will only understand the difference between Norwegian salmon, which can be bought anywhere in the country, and real fish. The best salmon is, of course, chinook (in the USA it is called “Chinook” - it is also a model of a helicopter), sockeye salmon (also known as “krasnitsa”), and chum salmon (also known as “white”). No one here considers pink salmon to be salmon.
20. Kamchatka region. South Kamchatka Nature Reserve. Kuril Lake. Sockeye salmon spawning / Photo: Igor Shpilenok
21. Kamchatka. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Avacha Bay / Photo: Natalia Sudets
But there is also Kamchatka crab, which, with skill and dexterity, you can catch on your own in May in the area of the Icha River, on the Okhotsk coast of Kamchatka. And there is little in the world that can compare with the taste of freshly caught Kamchatka crab meat (by the way, remember: unlike the European tradition of eating crabs, the head of Kamchatka crab is not eaten).
22. Kamchatka. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky / Photo: Pavel Pelevin
23. Kamchatka. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky / Photo: Anton Agarkov
The old-timers regret one thing - that captured German airliners were scrapped under new names like “ Soviet Union" and "Rus", which went regularly to Vladivostok. After all, many families took the journey of a lifetime - from Moscow by train to Vladivostok and from there on the “Soviet Union” to Petropavlovsk. After such a trip, any person began to understand how huge our country is and that it has almost everything.
If you think that Kamchatka and tourism are incompatible things, you will be completely wrong. This amazing region, which has preserved its unique pristine state, amazes with its special natural color, delightful landscapes and unusual reserved atmosphere. The main attractions of Kamchatka are its volcanoes, of which there are more than three hundred, and geysers. The peninsula was formed under their active activity, and today the volcanoes of the Kamchatka region are a UNESCO heritage.
Sights of Kamchatka - description and photographs.
Volcano Avachinskaya Sopka.
The Avachinskaya Sopka volcano is famous all over the world. This active volcano has the shape of a perfectly smooth cone, above the top of which boiling white steam is always visible.
Karymsky Volcano.
Another volcano, Karymsky, is considered the most active among all currently active. Numerous people strive to visit it every year. tourist groups, it is also interesting for seismologists.
Volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka.
Kamchatka Mountain () is famous far beyond the borders of this region and all of Russia. Vulcan is the most high point throughout the Trans-Ural region: the height of Klyuchevskaya Sopka is 4 thousand 750 meters.
Commander Islands.
Kamchatka is rich in protected areas; attractions called the Commander Islands are proof of this. They are part of the Commander Nature Reserve, replete with numerous protected species of plants, birds and animals, in particular, long-eared fur seals.
Kuril Lake.
One of the largest salmon spawning lakes – – most beautiful place in Kamchatka, located in a basin and surrounded by hills of harsh volcanoes. Kamchatka bears often roam along its shores in search of catch. From a special tower, tourists enjoy watching this fascinating spectacle.
Blue Lakes.
At an altitude of 600 meters, near the town of Elizovo, there are Blue Lakes. A truly unique place in beauty: the absolutely transparent water and the ice-covered bottom of the lake reflect sunlight, coloring everything around with purple and blue hues.
Nalychevo Natural Park.
You can’t ignore the Nalychevo Natural Park. Its thermal springs with hot mineral water practically all year round visited by tourists.
Dead forest.
An unusual attraction for the Kamchatka Peninsula is the Dead Forest. The picture, it must be said, is quite strange and a little terrifying: scorched and buried under solidified lava and a multi-meter layer of ash, forests, dried up river beds and empty lake quarries are reminiscent of scenes from disaster movies.
Acid lakes.
Kamchatka is large and multifaceted, its interesting places are unusual creations of nature. One such place is the Acid Lakes. Formed in the craters of “dead” volcanoes, they conceal in their depths a lot of interesting things for both scientists and ordinary travelers.
Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka.
An incredibly breathtakingly beautiful place in Kamchatka -. The only field of active geysers and thermal springs on the territory of Eurasia.
Vilyuchinsky waterfall.
Kamchatka attractions include popular place For excursion programs– Vilyuchinsky waterfall. Originating in a glacier, it drops its waters from a height of more than 40 meters, forming a small lake in the lowland.
Aquarium tract.
A picturesque corner of Kamchatka nature, which gives you the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the landscapes and watch the animals - the Aquarium tract.
Kamchatka, whose attractions give tourists many surprises, is a very interesting, beautiful and unusual region. In a word, tourism and Kamchatka are an ideal combination for those who value a virgin and untouched area by civilization. Below you can find other interesting places Kamchatka.
The weather turned bad again, but this time it seemed like it was just in time; at least for us, it didn’t stop us from filming the already popular Snow Caves.
Photos and text by Denis Budkov
1. Every year, depending on the time, they look different. This time, when descending into a large cave, it was clear that not long ago the lower layer had peeled off and collapsed. And this is a different perspective. 
3. And just a month ago, the entrance to it was blocked with snow, and with difficulty we were able to get inside the cave through a narrow crack in the snow wall. This is a place of unprecedented fabulous beauty!!! 
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5. Since the weather was still in the same rainy mood, as if blessing us to find new caves, we decided to explore other snowfields, and luck smiled on us. 
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7. The newly discovered cave turned out to be about 300 meters long, although its height was less than the previous large one. But something new always impresses in a special way. 
8. A day later the rains stopped, but clouds still enveloped the crater of the Mutnovsky volcano. There was nothing to do, we decided to go... Another adventure to add to the collection of impressions from the entire trip. 
In the crater, visibility was almost zero and light rain was falling. We were constantly haunted by a hydrogen sulfide cloud. 
9. And what can you imagine in such conditions: either some kind of monster made of mud, or a giant turtle. With such weather conditions imagination can play a cruel joke. It all depends on your personal abilities. 
10. Or what’s worse - you’ll fall into some glacial crevice with water in the fog - and glug-glug... The nature of Kamchatka is as beautiful as it can be dangerous! Everything is real - genuine extreme.
"Bul-bul": 
11. After wandering around the fumaroles for about a couple of hours and receiving another dose of hydrogen sulfide, we returned to the camp. 
12. But on the way to it we looked into the Opasny Canyon, where the largest waterfall in Kamchatka is located.
Canyon Dangerous 
13. Yes, and smaller waterfalls were not ignored. 
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15. As is customary in the changeable Kamchatka weather, the sun came out on the very last day of the trip! In its light, marmots crawled out of their holes, the population of which had significantly decreased in the area due to hunting. 
16. Still, it’s great when nature in all its manifestations greets you! It’s great that the sun is shining, that sometimes it rains like a wall, how great that on the land of Kamchatka is my family and home!
17. Mutnovsky Volcano. 
18. Vilyuchinsky Volcano. 
19. This was one of best travel in Kamchatka, which has come to its logical conclusion. It did not leave a single participant disappointed, but on the contrary, it filled them with impressions and strong emotions, which photographs can only partially convey. They say it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times. And this is true, with a small correction - with my own eyes!!! Kamchatka is worth seeing with your own eyes at least once in your life, but to really get to know it, you need to be with it...