According to Smartercomputing, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula on the shore of the Avacha Bay. The city was founded during the wintering of the Second Kamchatka Expedition of Bering and Chirikov (1733-1743). This is the main Far Eastern port.
The Kamchatka Peninsula is 1200 km long and 450 km wide. Mountains stretch from north to south, where there are 29 active and 141 extinct volcanoes. Because of so many volcanoes, there are many thermal springs and acid lakes. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the starting point for tourists. Numerous excursions to the natural attractions of the peninsula are arranged from here.
The most popular excursions are to Avachinsky volcano (2751 m). It is located 30 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. This is one of the most active volcanoes of the peninsula, the last eruption was noted in 1945, and in 1996 it woke up again. Also interesting are the volcanoes Koryaksky (3456 m), Vilyuchinsky (2173 m), Mutnovsky (2324 m), Gorely (1829 m), Khodutka (2090 m), Karymsky (1536 m) and of course the highest volcano in Europe and Asia – Klyuchevskoy (4850 m) with 69 side craters and funnels and the northernmost volcano of Eurasia – Shiveluch (3283 m).
In 1941, a unique natural area was discovered in Kamchatka in the Kronotsky Reserve – the Valley of Geysers.. In the local valley, covered with lush vegetation, there were about 20 large geysers, which, when gushing, were a bewitching sight. However, on June 3, 2007, a powerful mudflow covered about two thirds of the area of the unique natural object, and many geysers were lost. It seemed that the unique natural object was lost forever, but in just a year the nature of the Valley of Geysers was restored, and already on July 1, 2008 it was again open to the public. Most of the geysers have resumed their work, in addition, new outlets of hot springs have formed here, and a picturesque lake has formed on the Geysernaya River. The appearance of the valley has changed a lot, and it will change in the future. Bears returned to the Valley of Geysers, and new landscapes began to attract even more tourists.
It is worth visiting the caldera of the extinct volcano Uzon, the area of which is 150 sq. km. Here you will see mud “volcanoes” and thermal lakes. Of the most famous thermal springs of Kamchatka, it is worth highlighting the Nalychevskiye (chlorite-sodium), Timonovskiye (sulfate-chloride-hydrocarbonate-sodium), Khodutkinskiye (hydrocarbonate-chloride-sodium) and Malkinskiye (hydrocarbonate-chloride-sulfate-sodium) springs. You can swim in these springs right in the open air.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is located on the coast of the Avacha Bay, in the Avacha Bay. Every day, many boats and ships depart from the port for excursions around the bay. While traveling you will see bird markets, all kinds of marine animals, visit the reserve on Starichkov Island, where colonies of waterfowl such as the Bering and red-faced cormorant, Pacific gull, kittiwake, Pacific and spectacled guillemot, thin-billed and thick-billed guillemot, ordinary old man, puffin and ipatka live.
Diving is possible in the coastal waters of Kamchatka. The best time for diving is from May to October. Flounder, halibut, perch, octopuses, crabs, sea urchins, anemones, sponges and sea anemones are found in Avacha Bay, coralline algae, underwater landscapes, canyons and underwater boulders are very beautiful. The diving depth here reaches 30 m, the water temperature on the surface is 10-12 degrees Celsius, at a depth of 20 m – 3-6 degrees Celsius, and the visibility is 12 m. The diving depth in Avachinsky Bay is 70 m, visibility is up to 25 m. You can dive in the Karymsky volcanic lake, where springs that work in a geyser mode are unloaded.
In addition, fishing is very popular in Bechevinskaya Bay and in the area of the Shipunsky Peninsula. From July to August halibut are caught here.
Volcanoes of Kamchatka attract lovers of skiing and heli-skiing extreme sports. The season runs from December to May. The main ski bases of Kamchatka are Moroznaya in the city of Yelizovo, Krasnaya Sopka and Edelweiss in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The Russian Olympic team trains at the Moroznaya base. The length of the slopes is 2100 m, there are 5 in total, the height difference is 523 m, there are 2 ski lifts. The Krasnaya Sopka base is located within the boundaries of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There are trails for both beginners and professionals, the height of the base is 450 m, there are 3 trails up to 1400 m long for tourists to choose from. There is an 800-meter illuminated slope at the Edelweiss base.
