Before I move on to the story of a vacation in Kamchatka, I think that it is necessary to make a useful post with various tips for those who are just about to go there. For those who do not plan to go there, it is better not to waste time. the post is long and only about the organization of the trip.
So, tips.
PURCHASE OF TOUR AND TRAVEL COMPANY
Firstly, it is not necessary to immediately look for a travel agency in Moscow (St. Petersburg and other cities) and buy a ready-made package tour, because everything can be bought cheaper on the spot. Indeed, when climbing volcanoes, for rafting you must be in a group with an instructor. Even if you can find the right paths yourself, you still need a super passable car to get to the beginning of this very trail, or the raft itself. They go either in good jeeps, or in a tour group on shifts (trucks - Zilakh, Kamaz trucks equipped for transporting people). Renting a private jeep with a driver for yourself is very expensive. Therefore, it is still better to go with a group.
Everyone praises the local Kamchatka company "Traverse Tour" http://www.kamchatkatravers.ru/
They have their own equipment (shifts, rafts, snowmobiles), their guides, instructors, their own house at the foot of Mutnovsky, and many intermediary firms often attach people to their groups.
In general, it's better to fly to P-Kamchatsky and call Tatyana, or her husband Konstantin Abramovich - the owners of the Traverse Tour company, they are very nice people, and really professionals in their field. They are praised by other companies and people who apply to them.
You can not buy a package tour with a program, say for 10 days, but buy all the excursions included in it separately on the spot (there are separate climbs to volcanoes, a separate rafting, a separate boat trip, etc.), focusing on the weather and on your own well-being.
We also had very good instructors, girls Yulia and Arina from another company, with whom we went to Avacha. They plan to hold their own exclusive tours later. I highly recommend them. They are not just guides, but people who love the mountains and the nature of Kamchatka, who know a lot of interesting information. If you want to contact them, then write in a personal, I will give Yulia's phone number, she will help you organize your vacation.
We also had a wonderful jeep driver Volodya, who can drive on the most impassable roads and can also help with the tour. You can also take his phone number from me.
Prices for helicopter tours (to the Valley of Geysers, Tolbachik, Kurile Lake, etc.) are almost the same everywhere, with a difference of 1000 rubles at best. They are also organized mainly by intermediary firms. Guides who accompany tourists directly to the lake from the firm "Kray" tel 8 (415-2) 48 44 61. Helicopter tours are organized by the travel company Vityaz-travel (they own the helicopters) http://vityaz-travel.ru
There are two-week tours for photographers for the bear season to Kuril Lake. It is better to book them in advance, several months in advance, because. all places are cleared.
TRAVEL TIME
The hottest season for a trip to Kamchatka is summer. The most hiking time is from mid-July to mid-August. Bears on the Kuril Lake fish from the end of July until mid-August (when the sockeye fish comes). Most of all birds (golden eagles, sea eagles) are on the Kuril lake in winter, from January to the end of February. In September, it is best to watch volcanoes in the Valley of Geysers (and not only there), because. less fog, good visibility and very beautiful. thickets of shiksha (local berry) become like a fleecy burgundy carpet, and the trees are painted in golden colors. Winter in Kamchatka is also very good. You can go snowmobiling, skiing, snowboarding, skiing and dog sledding.
Ethnographic events:
1. First Saturday of March - Reindeer Herder Festival (takes place in Esso)
2. First Saturday of June - Feast of the First Fish
3. Third Saturday of June - Nurgenek meeting of the Even New Year
4. The last Saturday of September - Itelmen ritual holiday "Alkhalalai" Thanksgiving to nature.
5. The first Saturday of November - the Koryak ritual holiday "Hololo"
Contact information about ethnographic villages, sites, etc. (sorry, it's in English, but it's not in Russian, and there's no time to reprint)
Also a very interesting annual event is the Berengia dog sled race (emphasis on I). The race takes place in March, the exact dates can be found on their website. Usually start in Esso, finish in Ossor.
WHAT TO SEE
It's hard to recommend. everything is interesting. The only thing is that rafting on the Bystraya River is somewhat boring, and if you do not fish, then be prepared for the fact that you are just slowly and meditatively watching the flow of water and a rather monotonous coast for several days. For people with poor health, hiking to volcanoes and climbing them will be difficult, it is better to take helicopter tours to distant volcanoes, or at best a jeep tour to Mutnovsky, there is not a very difficult climb.
EQUIPMENT
For active tours, you need good trekking boots that really (!!!) do not let water through, and you have personally tested this on long hikes. The fact is that you will most likely have to go through snowfields (they are also available in summer) and cross mountain rivers on stones, and sometimes wade. If you have light, wet boots, then do not be stingy and buy yourself rubber boots (you can do it right in P-Kamchatsky), you will walk with happy dry feet.
In general, the air in Kamchatka is very clean, and generally somehow clean, so if you are not going to wet your warm clothes (and dry them on the way), then ONE warm polartec (fleece) jacket is enough for you. Be sure to need a good waterproof and windproof raincoat (waterproof jacket). Light T-shirts for climbing will not be superfluous. Gaiters (“flashlights”) are very needed on volcanoes. sometimes snow, sometimes volcanic dust with small stones, strives to pour into boots. Needed for rafting necessarily rubber boots, or everyday life with wet, frozen feet awaits you, due to the fact that ice water is splashing at the bottom of the raft. For hiking in the forest and for rafting (during stops on the shore), an anti-mosquito hat will not be superfluous.
Light trekking poles are useful, but if not, then the instructors give their own (usually ski poles :)) . Also, you do not need to carry a spoon, cup, etc. (unless expressly agreed), the groups are accompanied by a chef with his own dishes.
In the mountains you need sunscreen (the sun really beats down, even when it's overcast), you also need mosquito cream for forest hikes.
If you are going to ride a boat in Avacha Bay and sometimes you get sick, take care to buy special Dramina tablets in advance.
A warm (minus) sleeping bag on hikes will not be superfluous.
You need to wear a swimsuit with you in your backpack, because. periodically there is an opportunity to bathe in a hot spring, or in the Pacific Ocean.
Don't forget spare batteries for your camera equipment, as in nature there is nowhere to charge the camera, and you will take a lot of pictures.
About maps: we did not find a good topographic map of the south of Kamchatka, in stores there is only a small piece around P-Kamchatsky (price 320 rubles) and there is a good map of the central part from Esso to Ossora (also about 300 rubles), the northern map is also stores are not visible.
There are various hotels in the city, but in general, living in P-Kamchatsky is not cheap. In my opinion, the most budget option is to rent an apartment for a few days, or stay in a hostel. We lived for several days in a very pleasant Milano hostel http://milano-hostel.ru/
Hostess Tatiana tries to make all guests feel at home. Everything is new, modern, there is satellite TV, free tea and coffee. You can use the washing machine for free, there is a refrigerator, a slow cooker, a microwave oven and a lot of other useful equipment, up to a foot massager :) Very convenient location: two minutes from the bus station (firstly, you can get from the city center by almost any bus, during secondly, there is bus number 104, which runs every 10 minutes to Yelizovo airport, so you don't have to take a taxi). The hostel is very clean. Bed 850 rubles. Tatyana gave us a separate room. There is also a large room for the company.
Tatyana also rents apartments, so you can contact her about an apartment.
In addition to hotels in P-Kamchatsky (which you yourself can easily find on the Internet), you can live near hot springs in Paratunka (there are many recreation centers and boarding houses), or in Yelizovo. Buses run there and there from the bus station (it takes about 30 minutes). Buses run very often.
RELAX AT THE SPRINGS
They go to rest in Paratunka, where pools with thermal water are open (in my opinion) until one in the morning. For example, they go to the Pink Flamingo boarding house. They also go to very good sources (including those with radon water) in Zelenkovsky lakes, but the bus does not go there. By taxi 1500 rubles. and we must immediately agree on the way back and wait, because. there is nowhere to get a taxi. Sometimes there are organized inexpensive tours there (350 rubles from the nose). I honestly say that I didn’t go myself. there was no time.
MOVEMENT AND TRANSPORT
Taxi drivers in the city break unimaginable prices (for a fool), it's better to call a taxi by phone. The most popular "turtle": phone 22-22-22. To the airport fare 850 - 1000 rubles.
It is better to travel around the city on comfortable buses. The fare is 18 rubles. The whole city stretched along the coast of Avacha Bay for 15 km. The main route is one main road, which is divided into sections with different street names (Peremogy Ave., Leninskaya, etc.) Along this main road, from one end of the city from the Avtostation stop to the other end of ZhBF (tin and can factory ), with an interval of a couple of minutes, half-empty buses constantly run. Center of the city - stop "Drama Theatre". Locals often measure their city not by street names, but by kilometers. For example, Bus station is the 10th kilometer.
From the bus station you can get to Termalny (via Paratunka), Yelizovo, Milkovo, Atlasovo, Klyuchi, Esso, Oktyabrsky, Ust-Kamchatsk. You can also get to the village of Priozerny (?) and from there take a walk on the dirt road (an hour and a half to walk) to the Pacific coast.
As mentioned above, it is better and cheaper to get to Yelizovo airport (from the airport too) by bus number 104. A ticket costs 40 rubles, a piece of luggage (luggage travels at the bottom of the bus in the luggage compartment) 10 rubles.
Tour operators from the city usually take them to the heliport.
Local flights around Kamchatka are very expensive, tickets for non-locals (locals have their own benefits) cost an average of 20-30 thousand rubles. Tickets are also not always available, it is better to buy in advance, because. there is a real crush at the ticket office before departure. It should be borne in mind that the weather can be non-flying (this often happens). Do not plan departures on extreme dates, always leave a margin of time. It is especially difficult with the Commander Islands, they are most often in fog and sometimes people wait for weeks for a flight there and back the same way. At the airport there is a package of luggage, like 300 rubles each, but I can’t say for sure.
Walking around Avacha Bay and going out to the Pacific Ocean is best done on organized tours (I haven’t heard of anyone taking boat rides), the fact is that, firstly, there can be really big waves and, secondly, there are restrictions on movement, because in the neighboring city of P-Kamchatsky, Vilyuchinsk, there is a submarine base, and when they enter the roadstead, movement of all watercraft is prohibited. If you are taking a sea tour to Russkaya Bay, also stock up on time, because. the weather may deteriorate, and the boat may be delayed in returning (sometimes for several days). It's rare, of course, but it happens.
Car rental is normal, but remember that most of the cars here are right hand drive. Gasoline is expensive. If in Moscow the 92nd at the exit cost 28.3 rubles, then here it cost 36 rubles, and the diesel and the 95th 40 rubles. with pennies.
EAT
In P-Kamchatsky, food is somewhat stupid, there are few cafes, sushi restaurants and fast food that we are used to, mostly some kind of frightening-looking bars, taverns, pubs, taverns, barbecue, billiards and nightclubs with food. In restaurants, food is very expensive (more expensive than in an average Moscow restaurant). It is optimal to have a snack in large shopping centers where there are pizzerias, or some local burgers. McDonald's in P-Kamchatsky, by the way, I have not seen. Maybe it's not there :)
On the way, near the roads, there are all sorts of eateries with pies. Local pies are large “bast shoes” fried in vegetable oil. The dough is not particularly edible, and greasy because of the oil, but there are tasty, unusual fillings for us. For example, pies with apple and honeysuckle, or pies with potatoes and fern. One honeysuckle is not put because. very expensive. Such a bast shoe costs 70 - 80 rubles.
You can also eat local delicious berries (shiksha, honeysuckle, cloudberries, lingonberries) depending on the season. It is better to collect it yourself (near the ocean on the hills there are a lot of shiksha and honeysuckle). Buying locally is expensive.
For evening gatherings, you can recommend the local draft beer "Kamchatskoe", or "Anchor", and to it in stalls and shops around the city they sell delicious smoked flounder (in small vacuum bags), which is made in Yelizovo. Very good!
SOUVENIRS
There are many souvenirs, and this one is mainly made of wood and bone (carved figurines), all sorts of claws and fangs are sold (a small claw of a bear costs more than 1000 rubles). For special fans sell skins and stuffed animals. In general, I’ll write right away that it’s harmful to buy skins and stuffed animals, and not only because of compassion for animals and generally bad energy in the house from such trophies, but you also need to understand that over time, wool (awn) (especially bear hair) crumbles into fine dust, which is very harmful to breath and can cause severe lung disease.
There are leather goods embroidered with beads, made in the local Itelmen and Koryak style.
For me, the main souvenirs were bought in bookstores, books about the nature of Kamchatka. I bought an atlas of plants, a guide to sea birds and animals, books about the birds of Kamchatka. There are many books on the history of Kamchatka, local folklore, collections of Kamchatka fairy tales and myths. Everywhere you can buy beautiful photo albums and postcards. Albums and postcards by S. Gorshkov and I. Shpilenok are especially popular.
Souvenir departments are very common throughout the city. There is a network of specialized shops "Shaman's Shop". One of them is opposite the monument to La Perouse.
Fish, crabs and caviar are also popular souvenirs. I must say right away that these souvenirs are not at all cheap. Their meaning is that when smoking fish, or when salting caviar, preservatives are basically not added here, and in general everything is fresh and tasty, you will not find anything like this here. A kilogram of caviar starts from 1200 rubles. A barrel with a chinook back from 750 rubles, there are cheaper parts of a fish from 450 rubles. per kilogram. Nerka is cheaper. In general, you need to bargain and try. Caviar, if it is without preservatives, should not be bitter. In the markets, caviar is packed in sealed plastic jars, fish can be rolled up in a plastic vacuum bag (packing in it costs 100 rubles). It is better to pack everything tightly so that your things do not stink of fish. Later, after store packaging, we wrapped everything well with cling film. Crabs are sold cut into pieces and stacked in plastic containers. These pieces are frozen. When defrosted, of course, they shrink greatly and give off a lot of water: (A small container costs 500 - 600 rubles. An iron can with crabs costs 500 rubles.
Of course, what if there are acquaintances, etc. you can find everything cheaper, but I'm talking about prices in the regular market. There is a specialized market with products from Kamchatka manufacturers - the Kamchatka Exhibition Center (KVC), it is located on the other side of Lenin Street, right behind the Drama Theater (if you bypass it on the left), like house 58. In any case, you won’t get lost, you can immediately see it. We bought at the city food market in the fish department. I won’t tell you the exact address of the market (there is no house number on the Yandex map), but it seems to be: Prospect 50th Anniversary of October, 16.
Well, it seems that's all. If something is not written - ask. For the phones of the instructor and the driver, please contact through a personal.
This incredible land is often called another planet, which is quite right: stunning landscapes and pristine nature, untouched by man, surprise with truly fabulous views. Perhaps someone does not know, but until 1990 Kamchatka was a closed territory for most Russians. An amazing area with protected areas and a special atmosphere attracts tourists from all over the world to enjoy marvelous places, as if specially created for travel.
"Fiery" peninsula
What are the main attractions of Kamchatka? The first association, of course, will be associated with volcanoes, of which there are about three hundred here, and twenty-nine of them are active. Sometimes the region is called the "fiery" peninsula, and for good reason - some objects erupt to this day.
Excursions are organized on the territory formed by the active activity of volcanoes, and in order to get close to the most curious places, special equipment is used. The peninsula is divided into several zones for the convenience of travelers, each of which contains unique sights of Kamchatka, included in the UNESCO heritage list.
Uzon volcano caldera
A huge depression located in the Kronotsky Reserve was formed more than forty thousand years ago at the site of a volcanic eruption, later destroyed by powerful explosions. In the caldera, a whopping 150 square meters, there are thousands of powerful thermal springs of various shapes and sizes.
Scientists who studied the water in the volcano's basin found a high content of mercury, arsenic and copper, and amazing archaean microorganisms live in such an uninhabitable liquid. They feel great in boiling water, and sulfur replaces oxygen for them.
Uzon is a real phenomenon for all researchers. It is here that modern minerals are born in natural conditions, which are not found anywhere else. Scientists consider this place to be the center of all that mud mini-volcanoes are famous for, tundra full of berries and ... geysers. The latter are the natural sights of Kamchatka, which come to look at from all over the world.
Valley of Geysers
In the same Kronotsky Reserve, there is the Valley of Geysers, known to many, in which an ecological disaster occurred nine years ago. Powerful, destroying all living things in its path, destroyed geothermal springs and basalt rocks, which were restored over time.
This unique place, one of the largest geyser fields in the world, is considered an anomalous territory due to the unstable microclimate and natural conditions. Tourists are brought to the protected area only by those firms with which an agreement has been concluded at the reserve.
Each visitor gets acquainted with the norms and rules of conduct in the Valley of Geysers so as not to harm the ecosystem of the peninsula. Unfortunately, not everyone can be accepted by Kamchatka. Attractions for tourists who want to come here on their own have been closed since 1967, as “wild” tourism is prohibited here. No more than three thousand people visit the protected area per year, which is very few, but the issue of increasing the quota remains unresolved.
harsh edge
Everyone who goes to the peninsula in winter needs to familiarize themselves with the climate and weather conditions in advance, because the upcoming route will depend on this. January is the coldest month in Kamchatka, and due to raging snowstorms, many roads leading to the sights of the region are covered with snow, so sightseeing tours shorten their program or change direction.
Most inaccessible places can only be reached by helicopter or snowmobile, which increases the cost of excursions, and extremely low temperatures jeopardize long walks.
Kamchatka: attractions in winter
It is in winter that dog sledding tours are organized, which are extremely interesting not only for foreigners.
Descents from steep mountain slopes are an extreme pleasure that increases the level of adrenaline in the blood. In Kamchatka, there are many snow tracks, divided by levels, and it is important to assess yourself correctly so that the downhill does not end in tragedy.
The harsh region will surprise you with bathing in thermal springs, and what could be more pleasant than plunging into hot water, good for health, in a piercing icy wind? Only in winter you can feel the bright contrast between snowdrifts and warm geysers.
Vilyuchinsky waterfall
Picturesque waterfalls are the favorite sights of Kamchatka among tourists, related to natural monuments. Many of them impress with their incredible beauty not only in summer, but also in winter.
Vilyuchinsky waterfall, completely freezing cold sometimes, is adored by tourists from all over the world. This is a favorite place for lovers of unusual photos. A frozen huge snow-white icicle in the sun shimmers with blue hues. Those who have been there in winter note that such an amazing sight is worth it to hit the road even in severe frosts.
It is impossible to describe all the sights of Kamchatka in a short article. The land of truly unearthly beauty will forever remain in the memory of those who were lucky enough to be here. On the peninsula, you admire the grandeur of mother nature, which has created unique picturesque corners that give surprises at any time of the year.
The Kamchatka Peninsula is not only “far from everywhere”. These are also unique natural landscapes, healing springs, hunting, fishing, ancient way of life and customs of local residents...
You can always surprise friends and acquaintances with brought souvenirs, photo and video materials. Kamchatka is unlike any corner of the Earth. But the peninsula is large, its area is 270 thousand square kilometers.
How not to miss the most interesting things in Kamchatka? We will talk about ten places that, in our opinion, any tourist who has visited this far and mysterious corner of Russia should visit.
Valley of Geysers, fantasy reality
It is no coincidence that the legendary Sannikov Land was filmed here in the sci-fi film of the same name. The Valley of Geysers is well known all over the world, but most people know it only from films, photographs, and articles.
Real impressions are most often stunning - a huge mountain valley literally boils, throwing out jets of steam and hot water.
There is no such landscape anywhere on our planet, and if you manage to photograph a hefty bear (they are just like that in Kamchatka) who came to "warm up" - you are guaranteed a reputation as an experienced and courageous traveler for many years to come!
True, you will have to get to the Valley of Geysers by helicopter, but traveling to Mars is not an easy task, is it?
Klyuchevskaya Sopka - a volcano with an unpredictable character
According to travelers, Klyuchevskoy is a volcano with a terrible character. The highest stratovolcano on the Eurasian continent (a cone-shaped volcano) can at any moment spew clouds of smoke, or even lava flows, and flying stones.
So it’s not worth going specially “for an eruption”, having been near Klyuchevskaya Sopka, in any case you have a chance to enjoy an unforgettable sight.
As for climbing to the top, we categorically do not recommend it for unprepared tourists to do it on their own, without a local instructor. And getting to the Klyuchevskoy volcano is not difficult - a bus runs from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the village of Klyuchi.
The popularity of the Nalychevo Nature Park was brought by thermal springs, the water of which contains silver, cobalt, silicon oxide and a host of other substances useful to humans.
In some sources (griffins) the water temperature reaches +75C.
And, importantly, these springs are located in incredibly beautiful, typically Kamchatka, places, which can be easily seen from the observation tower.
You can get to Nalychevo by helicopter from the main Kamchatka airport, Yelizovo. In winter, you can make an interesting hike on a snowmobile here.
Avachinskaya Sopka - a volcano in the accessibility zone
Avachinsky volcano has a completely different character than Klyuchevskoy described above.
Residents of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky call this volcano "home", in good weather you can admire it right from the city. But it is more interesting, of course, to climb to the top, especially since such an ascent is accessible to people with almost any physical fitness and does not require special skills.
At the end of a five- or six-hour hike, you will find yourself at an altitude of 2741 meters. Agree, the opportunity to look into the mouth of an active volcano, which last erupted not so long ago, in 1991, is worth the effort spent on climbing.
We must warn you right away - you are unlikely to be able to swim on this beach, the waves of the Pacific Ocean are too strong and cold, and the currents are life-threatening.
But the very sight of the mighty and ancient ocean, framed by unusual black volcanic sand, is an unforgettable sight.
You can get to Khalaktyrsky beach from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky both by bus and by taxi, but experienced people advise to overcome the distance of several kilometers from the city to the beach on foot and gain indelible impressions of Kamchatka nature along the way.
And your body and soul will be able to get such a rest in just an hour's drive from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The tourist infrastructure of the Paratunsky springs is well developed: there are several boarding houses and hotels, you can enjoy hot baths for as long as you like. But even one bath is enough to feel a surge of energy and mental strength.
Kurile Lake was formed eight thousand years ago, at the site of a volcanic eruption, and fit perfectly into the unusual Kamchatka landscape.
From April to November, the most delicious fish of the salmon family, sockeye salmon, spawns here, millions of fish are sent here from the ocean to spawn and die. Naturally, such a quantity of delicious food attracts Kamchatka bears to the lake.
These brown giants demonstrate amazing dexterity during their fishing. Fans of photography and video filming have a chance to take unique shots on Kuril Lake. But only with the use of long-focus optics - it is better not to come close to bears during fishing (and indeed in general).
Mutnovsky volcano, on skis - into the crater!
Kamchatka provides unique opportunities for lovers of skiing and the thrills associated with this sport.
You can go skiing right into the crater of the active (!) Mutnovsky volcano, 80 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
And the whole peninsula in winter is a paradise for skiers. It's hard to imagine this anywhere else on our planet: skiing down from the top of an active volcano right to the ocean shore!
While traveling through such an interesting land as Kamchatka, tourists have a lot of impressions, and in order to systematize them and better understand what they saw, we recommend visiting the Regional Museum in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Experienced guides will tell you about the life of the indigenous peoples of the peninsula - the Koryaks and Itelmens, about the history of the development of Kamchatka.
There are many unique exhibits here, such as a sundial with a compass that once belonged to Admiral Wrangel, or chess pieces carved from whalebone.
In this Karyak village, you will receive the warmest welcome, literally - almost all the buildings here are heated with thermal waters.
People come to Esso to get medical treatment and get acquainted with the history and life of the indigenous population of Kamchatka.
The Bystrinsky Ethnographic Museum is located here. You will have the opportunity to visit a real yaranga and visit a real deer camp.
Of course, you can also try the delicious reindeer meat.
Kamchatka is the outskirts of the Russian land. I’ll tell you why you should want to come here, how to visit volcanoes for free, get paid for it, not be afraid of bears and be a good fellow.
If you have not heard anything about the peninsula of volcanoes, and the word Kamchatka evokes in you the inaccessible beauty of wild places, then you simply have not seen these photos and have not come across practical notes of good travelers on the Internet.
In fact, everything is extremely simple (however, as in any business), and in the case of Kamchatka, it can turn out to be pleasantly cheap and as accessible as possible.
A little pleasantness: tickets from Vladivostok and from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are sold at the same price, despite the huge difference in distance, and if you buy at least two weeks in advance, you can find it for 12 thousand rubles one way. I don't think it's a lot.
What I saw flying over Kamchatka cannot be compared with any Indonesia ... whole complexes of volcanoes, colored lakes, rivers, hills, forests .., I didn’t even think that this happens, not even somewhere there, but in native Russia! If you are wondering if it is worth it or not, then you can rest assured that this is definitely YES!
Where to stay
There are hotels, apartments for rent and recreation centers in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the main tourist points. You can find recreation centers through a search engine or on the spot, and a hotel in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky can be selected and booked in advance according to reviews and ratings:
How to travel around Kamchatka
Season for traveling around Kamchatka- from July to September. But all year round here you can take commercial tours and excursions, travel to volcanoes on your own, or get a job in a travel company and earn money by visiting volcanoes - you choose which side to be.
The cost of tours in Kamchatka is high, and visiting all territories is free, that is, permits have not yet been introduced here.
Tours and excursions in Kamchatka
If you have money and you just came to relax, then a huge number of tourist organizations are at your service, choose any trips and excursions upon arrival on the spot or through sites that offer tours.
Hitchhiking and buses in Kamchatka
You can also take the position of a tramp who is not interested in money and the company, open maps.me maps and boldly go on trips along the indicated paths, as I do, for example.
Hitchhiking in Kamchatka very pleasant, locals are kind, relaxed, they are always interested in who you are, where you are from, how things are on the mainland ..
Bus Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Ust-Kamchatsk costs 3000 rubles and this is the farthest distance, therefore all other routes are within this amount.
In Kamchatka in a rented car
In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, you can rent a car for independent trips. The cost, depending on the season and the brand of the car, is 2-4 thousand rubles per day (on average). Gasoline in Kamchatka costs around 44 rubles / liter. You can go around a lot of steep places, with the exception of some, where only a snowmobile or ZIL will pass, or peaks and volcanoes, where you can only climb with legs.
Work in Kamchatka and travel for a salary
If you are ready to work, but it seems to you that you don’t know anything special, then know that you know more than enough.
Who is required? Actual among those required: a cook (cook food on hikes, fishing trips, rafting), a porter (to carry backpacks for pampered tourists), a guide assistant, or the guide himself (we download routes, read literature and lead a group, with the appropriate experience, of course), or translator (very relevant).
Salary an average of five thousand a day, trips an average of a week, the most season is July, August, half of September. If you know languages other than English, then they are paid quite nicely.
About prices in Kamchatka
In general, prices in Kamchatka are not as exorbitant as it is commonly thought, if you do not take into account fruits and dairy products.
Half a liter of kefir is 70 rubles, in principle, you can magically live with this, especially if you earn money here. A loaf of bread is 30 rubles, canned food is the same as in any town on the mainland.
Otherwise, everything is like everywhere else: there are billiards, saunas, cafes and taxis.
Hiking and rafting cost differently, visiting the territories themselves is free, and prices for hikes and excursions are crazy, so be wiser, download maps to your phones and go on a journey yourself. You will definitely fall in love with the peninsula of volcanoes, there is no other way.
What to see in Kamchatka
There are only two cities in Kamchatka: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (PK) and Yelizovo, all interchanges, road and public, are tied around them. First of all, we get into the PC and from it we are already moving further on a rented car or hitchhiking - whoever is good for anything.
Sopka Mishennaya
The first thing everyone should visit is the observation hill in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Mishennaya hill, stop "6 km"), from there there is a cool view of the city, the bay, the ocean and two main volcanoes on the horizon.
View of the city from the Mishennaya Hill. Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoes are on the horizon. Volcanoes of Kamchatka
All volcanoes are located in separate groups, and some of them can be reached by road, sometimes even paved. Some territories are protected areas (the region of Kronotsky Lake, district) and get there only by helicopter and for a lot of money.
You can, of course, walk on foot in good weather in a couple of days, but if you get caught, then for the lack of permission they will get into the administration at best (I personally raised an uprising on a hike, but snow and common sense stopped us).
You can get a job there as a volunteer - it's no problem, just airstop no one has canceled it yet, it also works (by agreeing with the pilot, you can fly for free).
The nearest group of volcanoes can be reached in two hours from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Just open the maps.me map, find the Avachinskaya Sopka volcano, see where the path leads from it, and go to that point. If you hitchhike, then you will need to overcome another 16 kilometers from the track along the path (if you have cars, of course, you will be given a lift), and boldly set up a tent camp in the bushes at the foot.
Way to the volcano Avachinskaya Sopka Avachinskaya Sopka
This is the easiest volcano from where you can see incredible beauty with minimal effort. In the summer this is the level of a simple walk, and we went in bad weather in the snow and in strong winds, this was my most difficult climb (and I went a lot). The volcano is active and periodically vibrates and makes buzzing sounds, sometimes stones fly out of the crater, stones fly out, but this does not bother anyone. The rock on the volcano is red, the fumaroles are doing their job, the steam flows in two streams, the top is quite hot, having descended into the crater, you can hide from the wind and drink tea with chocolate!
Koryakskaya Sopka
Opposite Avachinsky is the volcano Koryakskaya Sopka (3456 meters). All the locals say that only equipped professional climbers go to it and the routes to it are not registered at the base. We found route 1 B on the Internet and conquered it the next day after Avachinsky. We were incredibly lucky with the weather, the sun was shining and it was absolutely windless.
Descent from the Koryaksky volcano The most beautiful landscapes of this group can be observed from the Kozelsky volcano, the path to it leads through Avachinsky.
Group of volcanoes Gorely and Mutnovsky
From Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky you can take a bus to the Termalny village (95 rubles) and turn to the Mutnovskaya GeoPP, this is the road to another group of volcanoes, which is famous for its cosmic landscapes.
I went to the Gorely volcano in the evening and spent the night with a tent in the forest, not having reached 35 kilometers. I put up a tent at the campsite and decided that I didn’t want to meet bears. Foxes came at night, but before I understood it, I remembered everything colorful that was in my life, and exhaled, realizing that these were not bears.
A few words about bears in Kamchatka
The most kind and shy (well, or I have good karma).
These are not polar bears, they are not at all interested in destroying everything in their path, and people are not at all a delicacy for them. Especially in September, when the bear is already full and picking berries.
The only thing to watch out for is cubs, because somewhere near them there is definitely a big mother who will definitely suspect you of a threat to her babies.
Undoubtedly, about a dozen people die from bears every year, and the remaining five thousand who were lucky enough to see them close up remained alive and satisfied, I think this is a good statistic. It turns out that it is much more logical to be afraid of car accidents than bears, they are much more often. And of course, to remove garbage from nature, because a baited bear is always not good.
Erupting volcanoes of Kamchatka
The craziest adventure was my trip to the village of Klyuchi, where the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano is now erupting. Before that, I thought that the eruption is some kind of lava ejection process, like a lightning phenomenon .. Here, lava has been flowing along the slopes since April, and gathers huge crowds of tourists from all over the world.
During the day it is not visible, it is black and inconspicuous, but at night ... This is the most unrealistic thing I have ever seen! Lava splashes out in a hundred-meter fountain and scatters along the slope of a tall mountain.
It seems that these are just embers flying at the speed of a feather, but you realize that these are huge blocks, and they fly very quickly, just the height is huge, what a force pushes them out of there !! Insanely sticky and cosmic spectacle, indescribable delight.
They even try to climb it, but basically everyone flies in ashes and people descend. One of them was hit on the helmet by a piece of hot stone, one got lost and wandered for four days along the bed of a dry river, going down ...
The other day, another volcano from that group began erupting. He just threw kilometers of ash into the air and a few centimeters of mud fell on the cars, and continued to fall for some time, not to say that it was a harmless contraption. In general, you will not get bored here.
Other places
I almost forgot, the city of Ust-Kamchatsk! Rows of Khrushchevs, dilapidated wooden houses, landscapes of the consequences of the apocalypse, garbage dumps with rotting fish and bears, all this on the ocean with a cemetery of sunken ships and ultra-modern windmills.
However, getting here is already a whole adventure, the hitchhiking is good, but the gaps between the cars are filled with specific romance. .
