Travel Guide Îles Kouriles

56 islands forming a 1,676 km umbilical cord linking the Kamchatka Peninsula in Japan (Hokkaido). They are volcanic, of a rare beauty, refuge of a wild nature. Seismic activity is intense, eruptions are frequent and the ocean crashes against these cliffs, sometimes in the form of tsunamis. 10,500 km2 of land inhabited by only 20,787 people spread over 4 islands: Paramouchir, Shikotan, Itouroup and Kounachir. At the heart of a conflict between Russia and Japan, the archipelago constitutes an advantageous eastern military-strategic position. Very little visited, it is an exceptional trip.