 The Cape Nizhnye Izgolovye, located on the southern extremity of the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula, is an excellent place to view the nearby mountains, to note the meteorological station and the lighthouse on the green hills. Barguzinsky Bay separates the wild northern part of the eastern coast from the populated and developed southeastern coast and is the largest on Baikal, with an area of more than 700 square km. Other notable sites include the islands of Chivyrkuysky Bay, Ongokonskaya Bay, the hot springs, Zmeinaya (Snake) and Nechaevsky and the Kulinye Marsh. Chivyrkuysky Bay is situated on the northern part of the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula. A kayaking paradise from June until late September, it is one of the lake?s most beautiful and picturesque bays. Surrounded by dark blue mountain ridges and thick taiga, it gives an impression of real wilderness. The bay is relatively shallow (18 m), warm, and an abundance of sea grass in the bay?s shallow coves makes it attractive for all kinds of fish such as perch, pike, trout, grayling, white lake fish, and omul. The Zmeinaya Cove, in particular, offers excellent pike and perch fishing. In the past, the main attraction of the cove was the number of grass snakes living around the area?s hot springs. The small settlement of Chivyrkuysky, located in the mouth of the Chivyrkuysky River, serves as a check point for the Zabaikalsky National Park. Kurbulik - the largest settlement on the Chivyrkuysky Bay - has about 20 houses strung along the long sandy beach. The fishing is excellent, and the area is frequented by locals. The Zabaikalsky National Park also has a check point in Kurbulik. The Ongokonsky Inlet and the Fertik Inlet, north of the Chivyrkuysky Bay, are two unique areas. Protected from the fierce Baikal winds, they offer boaters calm water and a good shoreline. The area has also many flowering plants throughout the summer, and ancient petroglyphs cover some of the cape?s rocky cliffs.
Ascending the Svyatoy Nos Plateau is probably the most enjoyable adventure of the Zabaikalsky National Park. A hike to the 1.877 m high peak takes just a couple of days and covers 15 km. The former settlement of Glinky on the shore of Kultuk Bay, connects to Ust-Barguzin via road. This hiking tour follows a route along the Chivyrkuysky Bay and the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula, climbs the highest point on the peninsula, then visits the Zmeinaya, the Ongokonskaya and the Fertic Bays in the North-east. Since the route is within the Zabaikalsky National Park, hikers need a permit from the park administration in Ust-Barguzin or at a check-point on the suburbs of the town. The tour is best taken from July to September. Kayaking along the shore of the Chivyrkuysky Bay is also recommended. The route starts at Glinky Settlement, reached by a bumpy, dirt road, which begins at the edge of Ust-Barguzin, and runs north along the Barguzin Bay.
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Pearls of Russia 