Sights of Olkhon: photos, excursions and reviews

Olkhon Island, which belongs to the Pribaikalsky national nature park, is located in the center of 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 one lived is Olkhon. Baikal, whose attractions are known all over the world, "sheltered" the island area of 730 square kilometers (its length - 71.7 km, width - 15 km). The name of the island is associated with the word "oih-hon", which in the Buryat language means "forest" or "slightly wooded". In fact, the forest grows only in the center of Olkhon. The southern and northern margins are predominantly steppe. The island of Olkhon, which is known all over Russia, attracts tourists exactly by them.

The population of the island is no more than 1500 people. The main population was housed in the village of Khuzhir, which is the largest settlement here.

Short description

The island is located next to the lake, where the greatest depth is recorded - 1642 meters. Everyone who has visited here, speak of Olkhon as the heart of Lake Baikal, because even with its form it resembles the main organ of man. Surrounded by the waters of the lake, it has preserved its completely unique world and hospitality that every visitor can discover. Words can not describe his beauty, but it's worth seeing - and your indifference will completely disappear. The incredible and incredible sights of Olkhon not only will make an indelible impression on you, but also help in better knowledge of the beauty of our Motherland. The atmosphere, unlike anything, will help you to transfer conditionally in time to a world not spoiled by civilization, where there is still the opportunity to relax with the soul, heart and, of course, the body. Tours to Olkhon are very popular. Usually they are booked a few months before the trip. Large tourist companies come here to see the main sights of Olkhon.

This is the place where all the diversity of landscapes of the nature of the Baikal coast is concentrated. The highest peak of the island is Mount Jima (Izhmey), the altitude of which is 1274 meters.

Climate of Olkhon

The island has an unusual climate: the summer is the hottest in the Baikal region, the winter is cold; There is less precipitation than anywhere else in the area. Practically for the whole summer period, warm and sunny weather is set here, the water in the bays warms up enough for bathing, and this makes it possible to attract a large number of tourists. 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 to visit Olkhon for tourists is summer, somewhere from the middle of June and until the end of September. Winter for this region is rather mild, little snowy and quite long. Spring and summer come to the island later than to the mainland.

Baikal is famous for very often blowing winds and strong hurricanes, especially in the autumn-spring period. The violent wind Sarma is piling on the island, tearing the soil and vegetation cover and bringing many problems to 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 pedestrian, water, car wanderings, as well as horseback riding and bicycling.

There are no predators dangerous for humans on Olkhon. The same applies to mosquitoes with mosquitoes.

The island is a very peculiar place, it is covered with ancient legends. The island area is dotted with historical and cultural artifacts. Their density per 1 square kilometer is just off scale. This fact has no equivalent in the whole of the Baikal region: 143 archaeological sites are open on the island. This necropolis, burial grounds, ancient remains of stone walls, ancient sites. Rest on Olkhon is especially popular with tourists-lovers of history.

How to get to the island

In summer, passengers can be transported by ferry to the island, plying between the village of Sakhurta and Olkhon throughout the day. However, you should know that you can wait for up to three hours to get on the ferry. The first carriers serve buses and cars of local residents. Irkutsk bus station sends to the island shuttle buses that run all summer long. Approximate travel time can extend 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 a frozen lake.

In the off-season period, there are two ways to get to the island: by plane or by air-cushion ships. Of course, you can choose these methods either for maximum comfort, or if the rest are not available to you, and so you want to see Olkhon's sights as soon as possible.

In summer, the holiday season begins, 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 places and places of interest of Olkhon.

Peninsula Kobylia Head

The last vertex of rock origin on Cape Khorin-Irgi separates from the Kobylya peninsula The head is a steep cleft, 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 resembles the head of a horse. Local rocks attract attention with their icy splashes (sokui), which are formed on the rocks during the freezing of the island. During a strong storm from the edges, blown by the wind, the rocks can be covered with ice, whose height reaches 10-20 meters. In this case, the cleft is effectively enveloped in an intricate frosty decoration.

Due to the splendor and constancy of the annual formation of ice adornments on the rocks at the shore, one can find just one more similar place: the rocks of Sagan-Khushun cape in the north of Olkhon. Near Cape Kobylia Head in the distant October 1901, a strong wind Sarma caused a shipwreck, which resulted in the death of 176 people. On the rocks crashed the sailboat "Potapov".

Zagli Bay

Whence there was such name of a bay, for certain it is not known, probably, it means "a place full of fish". Words with a similar basis exist in the Buryat and Mongolian languages and mean raw, untreated fish. Apparently, the name Zagatuy appeared, which suggests eating raw fish.

The bay is considered the most sunny place in the Irkutsk region. The number of clear days is comparable to those in the resorts of the Caucasus. With what else can you compare the bay, so it is with Kazakhstan, and in particular with its steppes, because there falls out the same amount of precipitation as here. It is perfectly possible to view the bay from the road. Vegetation on the shore, according to tourists, is almost non-existent. A narrow channel connects the bay with Lake Nursky. In summer, the water is picking up an acceptable temperature in order to splash around here.

Lake Hankhoi

Due to the abundance of fish and very warm water, the lake is very popular among tourists, it is also called Elginsky. It was located on the west coast practically in its center. Approximate dimensions are 500 x 800 meters. A steep rocky ridge of great thickness, then descending smoothly to the lake, separates it from the north from Lake Baikal. A picturesque view of the Lesser Sea, the Primorsky Range and the small islands opens from the ridge. The lake connects with Lake Baikal with a narrow channel in the spit in the eastern part. The width of the duct is only 1-2 meters, and the width of the spit varies from 30 to 50 meters. The duct is very shallow, its depth is 15-30 cm, so any boat can be stretched along it only empty. There are cases when it is completely silted with sand. And the channel serves for the passage of fish in the spring.

On the shores of the lake, trees do not grow, and there are places where they are partially swamped. Lake Hankhoi is rich in a huge amount of fish, because it is created by nature favorable conditions for its reproduction: almost all the bottom is covered with algae, and the free water surface above them is no more than 20-30 sentiment. Depth marks in the lake do not exceed 4 meters. The water is fairly clear and warm, as travelers say. In places where there are no algae, you can consider the bottom of the lake.

Here live such varieties of fish as soroga, perch and pike. The latter is quite a lot here, and she can gain weight more than 10 kilograms. This is a very good place for fishing. To catch pike for spinning, you need to adjust to drive a spoon at the surface, so as not to confuse the gear in the algae. Local fishermen hunt for pike from the shore. And next to the lake, near the rocks under the rocks (on Baikal), you can try your luck to catch the grayling.

What other attractions did Olkhon miss?

Cape Sagan-Hushun

Sagan-Khushun is the cape of the western shore of Olkhon. It is part of a national park and has the status of a natural monument. From the Buryat language, "Sagan-Khushun" is translated as "White Cape". Also he is known by another name - "Three Brothers". The cape is an array of light marble rocks, steeply reaching the Baikal. When moving away from water, the size of the rocks decreases, but their numbers increase, which makes access to the water area more difficult. The cape stretches for about a kilometer, on its rocks grow red lichen, which diversify the light tone of marble, make 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 to the north of the cove. If you want to enjoy the beauty of the grotto, then you have to use the boat, but the most beautiful is its view in winter, then you can walk inside on ice. Its internal volume is quite capacious: the length reaches eight meters, the width is close to four, and the height reaches three meters - on it you can even make a walk on the boat. On Sagan-Khushun, one can find an ancient moat and a shaft about 800 m long, dated about 5-10 centuries. Also you can find a cave with local inhabitants - seals - in this interesting island sight. Olkhon (Baikal - the place of its refuge) is famous for these diverse finds.

Cape Burkhan

Burkhan is the first thing that many of the tourists who visited Baikal remember. There is a cape in the middle of the western coast of Olkhon, near the settlement of Khuzhir. It is a rock with limestone topography and limestone, marble, densely overgrown with lichen of red color. Before the arrival of Buddhism in those areas, the cape was called Shamansky, and after it was named after the main deity of Lake Baikal. The rock that settled close to the river current, through the cave, in whose womb the shamans in the old days conducted their rituals. Previously, only a servant of the cult could enter it, so for a long time it remained forbidden, the passage was closed to all. But even now women and children are not allowed into it. The cave is still considered sacred and included in the seven holy places. According to legend, the shaman seeped through the rock, which produced a stunning impression on the population who did not suspect the cave.

Cape Burhan is a natural and historical monument. A lot of archaeological finds and artifacts were found on the cape and adjacent territory. Here was found a parking lot of ancient people, several burials dated to the fifth millennium BC, as well as fragments of objects from bone, iron, bronze, stone and ceramics.

Lake Shar-Nur

Shara-Nur in the Buryat language means "Yellow Lake". It is in the mountains, and there are no such people on the island. Even Olkhon himself, the sights, photos of which you can consider in the article, by beauty can not compete with this miracle of nature. From all sides the lake is surrounded by hills and forest, which protect it from winds. Therefore, in summer the water in it quickly warms up and becomes like fresh milk. The lake became very popular due to its curative mud, which treats various diseases well.

The water in the lake also has healing properties. After swimming in this sights of Olkhon, the body becomes red, which is caused by the action of mineral salts dissolved in the water on the skin. And of course, hydrogen sulphide is present here, as evidenced by the corresponding smell. According to the legends, the hunter who chased the wounded game, saw how she, having got into the lake, instantly healed. After that, he was used for healing.

Tadashkin's Tail

Tashkine - the most beautiful perpendicularly crossed valley, called the padyu. It is located in the east of the island and is fringed by the ridges of the mountains, as if descending to the Great Sea.

Rock massifs of various forms cover the lichen shawl, and along the bottom there is a stream, wriggling in the thickets of willow and currant. The main attraction of the valley is a complex of archaeological monuments, consisting of altars and cemeteries from the Iron Age. A number of them you can see in the Local History Museum of the village of Khuzhira. Near to Tashkiney, beside the stream, a small house is built, inside of which there is a stove, a table and poles; 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. At the creek you 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 you are lucky, catch a perch, sorigu and pike. And also in this place a lot of grayling. You can come here by car.

Hostels of Olkhon

If you are going to visit Olkhon, you do not need to take a tent with you, there are enough places on the island where you can spend your time comfortably and relax. Guests are provided with various accommodation options, such as hotels, hostels, 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, near the coast, you can find a mini-hotel "Baikal", there are a cafe and a Russian bath.
• There is also the hotel Baikal View Hotel, which offers a more comfortable accommodation, pool and bar.
• You can also settle in the hotel complex "Baikalov Ostrog".
• Holiday Village "Sunny" is located about half a kilometer from the coastline and offers accommodation in wooden houses with a lower level of improvement.
• The hostel "Aldartai" is a small cozy base, which is located 800 meters from Baikal.
• Manor "Daryana" is adjacent to the above, it is a stand-alone house.
• All in the same place you can stay at the recreation center "Lada", in a quiet and peaceful place.
• If you want to stay away from a large crowd of people and hotels, then you can go to the yurt-camp "Melody Olkhon" in the village of Kharantsi. You will be settled in yurts.

All the hostels of Olkhon offer various excursions and services of their own guides. And also here you can listen to all kinds of beliefs, legends, epics, beliefs. This is the famous literary sights of Irkutsk, Baikalsk. And on Olkhon you have the opportunity to meet them.