Cape Velikan

Velikan - the Giant - is a stretch of the eastern Sakhalin coast where soft sandstone cliffs have been worked by the Sea of Okhotsk into arches, tunnels, grottoes and columns standing detached in the surf, the largest arch big enough to walk a boat through. There is no proper road: access is along the beach and over rock shelves from the direction of Okhotskoye, drivable only in an off-road vehicle and only around low tide, since the tide covers the passable sections. That awkwardness is why the coast stays empty. The cape has been a regional natural monument of about 39 hectares since 1990, with a seal rookery and a seabird colony that is closed to visitors from 1 May to 1 August. Fog off the Okhotsk is frequent, the water is cold, and bears use the coastal forest and river mouths. Nearby along the same shore are Cape Ostrovnoy and the Beloye and Chernoye stacks. It is one of the more photographed places on Sakhalin and one of the harder ones to reach reliably.

What you'll find

• The arches - sea-cut openings in sandstone, the largest passable by boat.
• The stacks - free-standing pillars detached from the cliff in the surf.
• The tidal access - a route along the beach usable only around low water.
• The emptiness - a coast that stays deserted because of how hard it is to reach.

When to go

June to September. A day. The trip must be timed to low tide, which is what determines whether it happens at all.

Things to know

The rising tide covers the route - timing is not optional and a driver who knows the tide is essential. Fog frequently removes the view. Bears are present along the coast. No facilities of any kind.

Nearby

Okhotskoye is the access point; Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is west across the island.

Key facts