The Commander Islands form an archipelago of 15 islands of varying sizes in the Bering Sea of the Pacific Ocean. The largest islands are Bering and Medny. The Commander Islands and the surrounding waters are part of the “Komandorsky Islands” National Park.
Commander Islands and National Park
This makes nature the defining theme of Aleutsky District: an island archipelago whose protected area includes both the islands and the surrounding waters. The number 15 refers to the island group as a whole; Bering and Medny are its largest islands. If you are looking for a nature destination, you can base your choice on this combination of islands and sea.
Kamchatka Krai: More nature themes
The broader destination of Kamchatka Krai offers more nature themes to choose from. Seven tourist routes pass through Nalychevo Nature Park, and they are accessible at different times of year. The number of routes and their availability may change, so check the current options before your trip. The park has about 200 thermal springs, which form groups with different hydrochemical, thermal, and balneological properties. In the central part of the park are hot and cold mineral springs with waters containing carbon dioxide, arsenic, and boron, enriched with mineral trace elements. The Nalychevo Valley is surrounded by the volcanoes Zhupanovsky, Avachinsky, Kozelsky, Koryaksky, and Dzenzur. For comparison within the region, Nalychevo is distinguished by seasonally accessible routes, varied thermal springs, and a valley surrounded by volcanoes.
Kamchatka Krai has about 30 active volcanoes and more than 160 extinct ones. The volcanoes around the Nalychevo Valley are a specific landscape feature within the region’s broader volcanic theme. Nalychevo Nature Park is one of the four nature parks in Kamchatka Krai that, together with two federal protected areas, make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Volcanoes of Kamchatka.” This designation brings several protected areas together as a shared natural heritage site. Another geothermal landscape feature in the region is the Verkhnekoshelevskoye Thermal Field in the crater of Mount Valentin, at an elevation of 1,250 to 1,400 meters above sea level.
The South Kamchatka Nature Reserve has several thermal areas and hot springs. It is also home to Kurile Lake, the deepest freshwater lake in Kamchatka. In August and September, brown bears come to its shores to forage. Visitors can observe bears from a purpose-built observation tower, just a few dozen meters away. If you plan to take advantage of this viewing opportunity, check the current visitor arrangements before your trip.
Kronotsky Nature Reserve has snow-covered volcanoes, lakes, hot springs, and fumarole fields. A visit requires advance planning. This makes it possible to weigh the region’s nature themes by their different highlights: seasonally accessible routes in Nalychevo, bears at Kurile Lake in August and September, or the landscape of Kronotsky Nature Reserve.
Discover more destinations: Elizovskiy rayon, Yelizovsky District, Ust-Kamchatsky District, Ust'-Kamchatskiy rayon.
Go to the broader travel overview: Kamchatka Krai.
