Autumn Iturup

In autumn Iturup is a different island from July: the sun rises later, the sky stays low almost all day, and the Kuril taiga turns to crimson and ochre — alder, stone-birch, Kuril burdock at human height all change colour at once. There are noticeably fewer tourists in September and October: the summer flow is over, the winter one hasn't started, and there are no more than two or three flights to the island a week. Three days — Iturup in its narrow autumn window: the volcano under low cloud, thermal water in fine drizzle, and Belye Skaly in copper light.

Three days gather around three volcanic points on the island:

Baransky Volcano and the thermal springs — day two, a jeep tour across the island. Baransky is an active stratovolcano 1,132 metres high; in autumn there's snow on its summit and crimson stone-birch at its base at the same time. At its foot runs the «Boiling River» — a stream at eighty to ninety degrees, with no seasonality; in fine October drizzle the steam above it stands denser than in summer. Nearby — the «Zharkie Vody» thermal springs: open-air mineral baths fifteen minutes from the roar of the ocean surf.

Kasatka Bay — same day, closer to sunset. A wide bay on the Pacific coast with sea stacks standing in autumn-cold water — a darker shade, almost ink; the few resident Steller sea lions on the reefs come ashore looking for shelter from the storms. Water clarity in October is better than in summer: kelp and sea urchins are visible on the bottom, and on the horizon — the Kuril haze, through which the next island, Urup, occasionally appears.

Yankito lava plateau and Belye Skaly — day three, before the return flight. Yankito is a frozen lava flow ending at the Sea of Okhotsk; black basalt terraces against the autumn green and the rusty slopes read almost as etching. Belye Skaly — a wall of pale pumice about twenty-eight kilometres long; at autumn sunset it doesn't turn honey-pink as in summer but a deep copper with grey; the contrast against the black titanomagnetite beach below is one of the island's most memorable views.

Group of up to six, accommodation at the Kasatka Guesthouse in Kurilsk, jeep transport on the island, border zone permits included. Air ticket and entry fees for Zharkie Vody (₽1,500) and the Boiling River (₽3,000) — separate. Autumn tour season: mid-September to mid-October — when colours peak and weather windows are still frequent enough.

Three autumn days on Iturup are not a shortened summer tour in bad weather but a separate seasonal outing: colours unavailable in high season, empty trails, warm water in springs under cold rain. Guests come back with the kind of pictures you don't get in July. The September–October weather window is narrow and unpredictable; we recommend booking with one buffer day on either side. Email us your dates and we'll plan around the flights.