Olkhon Island, belonging to the Pribaikalsky national nature park, is located in the center of Lake Baikal - the most beautiful and unique lake on the planet. There are 26 islands on the territory of the reservoir. The largest of them and the only inhabited one is Olkhon. Baikal, whose sights are known all over the world, "sheltered" an island with an area of 730 square kilometers (its length is 71.7 km, its width is 15 km). The name of the island is associated with the word "oy-khon", which in the Buryat language means "forest" or "a little wooded". In fact, the forest grows only in the center of Olkhon. Its southern and northern outskirts are predominantly steppe. Olkhon Island, whose sights are known all over Russia, attracts tourists with them.
Inhabitants of the island, there are no more than 1500 people. The main population settled in the village of Khuzhir, which is the largest settlement here.
Short description
The island is located next to the part of the lake where the greatest depth is recorded - 1642 meters. Everyone who has been here speaks of Olkhon as the heart of Baikal, because even its shape resembles the main human organ. Surrounded by the waters of the lake, he has retained his completely unique world and hospitality, which can open up to everyone of hisvisitor. It is impossible to describe its beauty in words, but it is worth seeing it - and your indifference will completely disappear. The incomprehensible and incredible sights of Olkhon will not only make an indelible impression on you, but will also help you to better understand the beauty of our Motherland. The unique atmosphere will help you conditionally travel back in time to a world not spoiled by civilization, where there is still an opportunity to rest your soul, heart and, of course, your body. Tours to Olkhon are very popular. Usually they are ordered a few months before the trip. Large groups of tourists come here to see the main sights of Olkhon.
This is the place where all the diversity of natural landscapes of the Baikal coast is concentrated. The highest peak of the island is Mount Zhima (Izhimei), whose elevation is 1274 meters.
Olkhon climate
The island has an unusual climate: the summer here is the hottest in the Baikal region, the winter is cold; It has less rainfall than anywhere else in the area. For almost the entire summer period, warm and sunny weather sets in here, the water in the bays warms up enough for swimming, and this makes it possible to attract a large number of tourists here. All of them go to see the sights of the island, Olkhon, Baikal and nearby monuments, interesting excavations.
The hottest months are July and August. The most favorable time for tourists to visit Olkhon is summer, somewhere from mid-June to approximately the end of September. winter forof this region is quite soft, with little snow and rather long. Spring and summer arrive later on the island than on the mainland.
Baikal is famous for its very frequent winds and strong hurricanes, especially in the autumn-spring period. The furious wind of Sarma leans on the island, tearing off the soil and vegetation cover and causing a lot of problems for local fishermen. And despite this, most of the year is favorable for tourism. Climatic and weather conditions provide excellent opportunities for guests of the island to spend a pleasant vacation here. On Olkhon there are also opportunities for walking, water, car wanderings, as well as for horseback and bicycle rides.
There are no predators that pose a danger to humans on Olkhon. The same applies to midges with mosquitoes.
The island is a completely peculiar place, it is covered with ancient legends. The island terrain is dotted with historical and cultural artifacts. Their density per 1 square kilometer just rolls over. This fact has no equivalent in the entire Baikal region: 143 archaeological sites have been discovered on the island. These are necropolises, burial grounds, ancient remains of stone walls, settlements. Holidays on Olkhon are especially popular with history buffs.
How to get to the island
In summer, passengers can be delivered to the island by a ferry that runs between the village of Sakhyurta and Olkhon during the whole daylight hours. However, you should be aware that you can wait up to three hours to get on the ferry. The first carriers serve regular buses and cars of local residents. The Irkutsk bus station sends fixed-route taxis to the island, which run all summer. Estimated travel time can stretch up to 6 hours.
Another way to get to the island is by water. There are several flights: Irkutsk - Olkhon - Severobaikalsk - Nizhneangarsk and Irkutsk - Olkhon - Ust-Barguzin. In winter, you can use the ice road and enjoy the beauty of the frozen lake.
During the off-season, there are two ways to get to the island: by plane or hovercraft. Of course, you can choose such methods either for maximum comfort, or if the others are not available to you, but you really want to see the sights of Olkhon as soon as possible.
The holiday season begins in summer, when a large number of tourists come here for various excursions. Olkhon, like other places with a unique and rich history, is very interesting in this regard. It is incredibly popular with travelers.
So, let's start looking at the main memorable places and sights of Olkhon.
Mare's Head Peninsula
The last peak of rocky origin at Cape Khorin-Irgi is separated from the Kobylya Golova peninsula by a steep crevice, the width of which reaches 4 meters. The height of the walls reaching the surface of the water is 10 meters, so from a distance it looks like a horse's head. Local rocks attract attention with their ice splashes (sokuy), which form on the rocks during the freezing period of the island. During a strong storm from the edges, blown by the wind,rocks can be covered with ice, the height of which reaches 10–20 meters. In this case, the crevice is effectively wrapped in intricate frosty decorations.
By the splendor and constancy of the annual formation of ice decorations on the rocks near the coast, you can find only one more similar place - the rocks of Cape Sagan-Khushun in the north of Olkhon. Near Cape Kobylya Golova back in October 1901, the strong Sarma wind caused a shipwreck that resulted in the death of 176 people. The Potapov sea sailboat crashed against the rocks.
Zagli Bay
Where this name of the bay came from is not known for certain, perhaps it means "a place full of fish." Words with a similar stem exist in the Buryat and Mongolian languages and mean raw, unprocessed fish. Apparently, this is how the name Zagatuy appeared, which suggests eating raw fish.
The bay is considered the sunniest place in the Irkutsk region. The number of clear days is comparable to those in the resorts of the Caucasus. What else can be compared with the bay, it is with Kazakhstan, and in particular with its steppes, because the same amount of precipitation falls there as here. You can have a great view of the bay from the road. Vegetation on the coast, according to tourists, is practically absent. A narrow channel connects the bay with Lake Nurskoe. During the summer, the water is warm enough to splash around here.
Hanghoi Lake
Thanks to the abundance of fish and very warm water, the lake enjoysvery popular with tourists, it is also called Yelginsky. It is located on the west coast almost in its center. Approximate dimensions are 500 x 800 meters. A steep rocky ridge of great thickness, then smoothly descending to the lake, separates it from the north from Baikal. A picturesque view of the Small Sea, the Primorsky Range and the Malomorsky Islands opens from the ridge. The lake is connected to Baikal by a narrow channel in the spit in the eastern part. The width of the channel is only 1–2 meters, and the width of the spit ranges from 30 to 50 meters. The channel is very shallow, its depth is 15-30 cm, so any boat can only be pulled through it empty. There are times when it is completely silted with sand. And the channel is used for the passage of fish in the spring.
Trees do not grow on the shores of the lake, and there are places where they are partially swamped. Lake Khankhoi is rich in a huge number of fish, because nature has created favorable conditions for its reproduction in it: almost the entire bottom is covered with algae, and the free water surface above them is no more than 20-30 centimeters. Depth marks in the lake do not exceed 4 meters. The water is quite clear and warm, as travelers say. In places where there are no algae, you can see the bottom of the lake.
Such species of fish as horned, perch and pike live here. There are quite a lot of the latter here, and she can gain more than 10 kilograms in weight. This is a very good place for fishing. To catch pike on a spinning rod, you need to get used to lure near the surface,so as not to tangle the gear in the algae. Local fishermen hunt for pike from the shore. And next to the lake, near the stones under the rocks (on Baikal), you can try your luck to catch grayling.
What other sights of Olkhon have we missed?
Cape Sagan-Khushun
Sagan-Khushun is a cape on the western coast of Olkhon. It is part of the national park and has the status of a natural monument. From the Buryat language "Sagan-Khushun" is translated as "White Cape". He is also known by another name - "Three Brothers". The cape is an array of light marble rocks steeply escaping into Baikal. When moving away from the water, the size of the rocks decreases, but their number increases, which makes it difficult to access the water area. The cape stretches for about a kilometer, red lichens grow on its rocks, which diversify the light colors of marble, making them more attractive.
At the level of the surf in the rocks, you can find shining cavities - grottoes, the largest of which is located under the Middle Brother, a little north of the cramped bay. If you want to enjoy the beauties of the grotto, then you will have to use a boat, but its view is most beautiful in winter, then you can walk inside on the ice. Its internal volume is quite capacious: the length reaches eight meters, the width approaches four, and the height reaches three meters - you can even take a boat trip along it. On Sagan-Khushun, you can find an ancient moat and rampart about 800 m long, dated approximately to the 5th-10th centuries. You can also discover a cave withlocal inhabitants - seals - in this interesting sight of the island. Olkhon (Baikal - the place of his refuge) is famous for these various finds.
Cape Burkhan
Burkhan is the first thing many tourists who visit Baikal remember. The cape is located in the middle of the western coast of Olkhon, near the settlement of Khuzhir. It is a rock with a forked top made of limestone and marble, densely overgrown with red lichen. Before the arrival of Buddhism in these areas, the cape was called Shamansky, and after it was named after the main deity of Baikal. The rock, which is located closer to the river current, was pierced through by a cave, in the belly of which shamans performed their rituals in the old days. Previously, only a clergyman could enter it, so for a long time it remained banned, the passage was closed to everyone. But even now women and children are not allowed into it. The cave is still considered sacred and is included in the seven shrines. According to legend, the shaman seeped through the rock, which made a stunning impression on the population, who were unaware of the cave.
Cape Burkhan is a natural and historical monument. Many archaeological finds and artifacts have been found on the cape and the surrounding area. A site of ancient people, several burials dating back to the fifth millennium BC, as well as fragments of objects made of bone, iron, bronze, stone and ceramics were discovered here.
Lake Shara-Nur
Shara-Nur in the Buryat language means "Yellow Lake". It is in the mountains, and nolike him on the island. Even Olkhon itself, the sights, photos of which you can see in the article, cannot compete with this miracle of nature in beauty. On all sides, the lake is surrounded by hills and forests, which protect it from the winds. Therefore, in summer, the water in it quickly warms up and becomes like fresh milk. The lake gained great popularity due to the presence of healing mud in it, which treats various diseases well.
The water in the lake also has healing properties. After swimming in this landmark of Olkhon, the body turns red, which is due to the effect on the skin of mineral s alts dissolved in water. And of course, hydrogen sulfide is present here, as evidenced by the corresponding smell. According to the legends, a hunter who was chasing a wounded game saw how it, having fallen into the lake, was instantly cured. After that, it was used for healing.
Pad Tashkinei
Tashkinei is the most beautiful perpendicularly intersected valley, which is called padya. It is located in the east of the island and bordered by mountain ranges, as if descending to the Big Sea.
Rocky massifs of various shapes are covered with a shawl of lichen, and a stream flows along the bottom, meandering in thickets of willow and currant. The main attraction of the valley is a complex of archaeological sites, consisting of altars and cemeteries from the Iron Age. Some of them you can see in the Museum of Local Lore. Khuzhir village. Near the Tashkinei pad, next to the stream, a small house was built, inside of which there is a stove, a table and pole benches; the windows of the house are covered with foil. The room can accommodate no more than eight people. The house is the remains of an ancient Buryat settlement. According to the legends, the dwelling was the possession of a hermit. By the stream, one can also observe the remains of a water mill, which served to grind grain to anyone who turned to the elder for help. Here tourists can go fishing, and if they're lucky, they can catch perch, roach and pike. And also in this place a lot of grayling. You can come here by car.
Olkhon campsites
If you are going to visit Olkhon, it is not necessary to take a tent with you, there are enough places on the island where you can comfortably spend time and relax. Guests are provided with various accommodation options, such as hotels, camp sites, campsites, there is also the possibility of private accommodation. It all depends on what level of comfort you want to get and in which part of the island to stay.
- In the village of Khuzhir, not far from the coast, you can find a mini-hotel "Baikal" with a cafe and a Russian bath.
- The Baikal View Hotel is also located there, which offers more comfortable accommodation, a pool and a bar.
- You can also settle in the hotel complex "Baikalov Ostrog".
- The Solnechnaya recreation center is located about half a kilometer from the coastline and offers accommodation in wooden houses with a lower level of amenities.
- Aldartai camp site - a small cozy base, which is located 800meters from Lake Baikal.
- The estate "Daryana" is adjacent to the above, is a detached house.
- In the same place you can stay at the Lada recreation center, in a quiet and peaceful place.
- If you want to settle away from a large crowd of people and hotels, then the Melodiya Olkhon yurt camping in the village of Kharantsy will suit you. You will be accommodated in yurts.
All Olkhon camp sites offer various excursions and services of their own guides. And also here you can listen to all kinds of beliefs, legends, epics, beliefs. These are the famous literary sights of Irkutsk and Baikalsk. And on Olkhon you have the opportunity to meet them.
