(Source: http://amur.shamora.info/club)

Alekseeva Bay, Pogranichnaya Bay and Stark Strait are the most suitable places for beach rest and swimming on the island of Popov. One of the most convenient places for rest on the island is the beach of Pogranichnaya Bay (locals call it “French beach”). The beach includes 2 kilometers of white sand, warm clear sea, a grassy slope and a beautiful view of the neighboring islands of Peter the Great Gulf.

The “French” beach is an ideal place to relax with children, for it is shallow and the water there warms up quickly. Alekseeva Bay is remarkable for its pebble beach, clear water, there you can admire mussels, sea stars, sea urchins and other marine fauna even without a mask.

The island has excellent opportunities for fishing, underwater hunting, diving. Those who wish to cook sea delicacies by themselves have such an opportunity. You can walk around the island on foot or swim around it on a boat or a motor boat. The settlement of Popov has two bars, a disco, several shops, a pharmacy, a hospital, and a playground. The prices are about the same as in Vladivostok. They also offer horseback riding and hiking in the surroundings.

Popov Island

Popov Island a favorite place for spending vacation for the residents of Vladivostok and the Primorsky Territory. It is also often visited by tourists from other regions of Russia.

The island is located 20 kilometers to south-west of Vladivostok, in the Peter the Great Gulf. The island was discovered in 1850 by the sailors from the French “Caprice” corvette. They named the whole range of islands in the gulf “the archipelago of the Empress Eugénie”, in honor of Eugénie de Montijo, the wife of Napoleon III.

Russian ships that first entered the waters of the Peter the Great Gulf included the “Pallada” frigate under the command of Lieutenant-Captain Ivan Unkovsky that came here in 1854. In 1858 the archipelago was investigated by the Russian seamen from the corvette corps “Rynda” and “Griden”, as well as and the “Oprichnik” clipper under the general command of Captain of I rank Andrei Popov.

Then the island got its first name – Rynda - in honor of the corvette. In 1862 the island got its current name, it was given in honor of the Russian naval commander, ship builder, Admiral Andrei Aleksandrovich Popov (1821-1898).

Several tourist centres and recreation centres operate on the island; tent camps are installed there every summer. The location of the island is very beneficial, for it is constantly washed with clean waters of the Sea of Japan.

A ferry (there may be problems in winter), boats and a passenger ship run between the city and the island. The museum of the State Far Eastern Marine Reserve has been opened on the island. It is located at the address: Primorsky Territory, Vladivostok, Popova Island, Olkhovaya Str., h. 11. The museum will familiarize its visitors with the inhabitants of the seas, with the consequences of pollution of the marine environment, with the possibilities of cleaning the World Ocean. There is an open-air pool where you can see the marine fauna.

The best time to relax is from July to the end of September, when the water warms up to 22 ° C. The weather is usually warm and sunny during this period, although cyclones are possible sometimes. The most comfortable period for having rest is in August-September. People come to the island, in order to, among other things, engage in diving. The swimming season, as a rule, is closed on October 5-15, when the water temperature drops below + 17 °C. It is better for fishing fans to come in June-July, for underwater hunters - in July-September.