Tokarevsky Lighthouse

Токаревский маяк

A small white lighthouse at the southernmost tip of the peninsula, reached by a narrow stone causeway at low tide. Watch the sunset and the Russky Bridge, and in winter you may even see seals.

Tokarevsky Lighthouse (locally nicknamed 'Tokarevskaya Koshka', the 'Tokarevsky Cat') stands at the southernmost tip of Egersheld Peninsula, southwest of the city centre. Established in 1876, the current tower was built in 1910. It is 12 metres high, and its white round tower still guides ships entering and leaving the Eastern Bosphorus Strait. The lighthouse sits at the end of a natural sand-and-stone causeway about 750 metres long. At low tide the causeway rises above the water and you can walk to the foot of the tower. At high tide some sections are submerged, so you need to take off your shoes and wade through about 20 cm of water, which is why you should check the tide tables before setting out. This is the city's top spot for watching the sunset. The sun sinks into Amur Bay, with the silhouette of the Russky Bridge on the right and cargo ships and warships passing through the strait on the left. In January and February the sea is frozen, and you can walk around the tower on the ice. If you're lucky, you may see spotted seals sunbathing on the ice. The lighthouse itself is not open for climbing, but there are several cafés and seafood restaurants nearby. Admission is free. Getting there: take bus 59, 60 or 81 from the city centre to the terminus at Mayak stop (about 30 minutes), then walk 15 minutes. A taxi costs about 300–400 roubles. Note: the stone causeway is slippery with no railings, and waves wash over it in strong wind. In winter, the ice near the shore is thin, so do not wander far from the crowds on your own. Temperatures drop sharply after sunset, so bring a jacket. Mobile phone signal is unstable here.

Tokarevsky Lighthouse

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Places to eat nearby