Sakhalin: Cape Velikan
Cape Velikan (means “Giant” in Russian) is located on the southeastern shore of Sakhalin and getting there is part of an adventure. The roads seemingly and actually haven’t been repaired since the Japanese worked on them in 1930s, and it requires a 4×4 with a skillful driver to navigate this insanity, as you pass over multiple mountain ridges. The cape is a national monument and protects vertical coastal cliffs and many spectacular rock formations offshore – the Finger, the Warrior, the Elephant, the Arch, and more. You can hike on top of the cliffs for some views from above and then hike on the beach for some upclose looks. It’s rugged, desolate, and spectacularly untouched landscape largely thanks to its inaccessibility and bad roads – a silver lining.
