Aniva is a quiet town of nearly eight thousand people at the head of the bay that bears its name, on the southern end of Sakhalin. Like much of the south of the island it was Japanese until 1945, and the area still hints at that past in odd corners of its older streets and in the names that lingered for years. The bay in front of it is broad and shallow, ringed by low hills, and the climate is a little milder than the north of the island, with long autumns and plenty of fog in early summer.
For a motorcyclist, Aniva is a practical and pleasant stop on the coastal road between Korsakov and the small villages to the east. The road is usually good asphalt, with light traffic, wide bends and long views over the water, and the surface suffers mostly from frost heave and the occasional pothole. The gradients are mild, and the whole route can be ridden in a relaxed afternoon. Autumn gives the best light, with the hills turning copper and gold, and the sea turning a deep, cold blue.
Being a town of this size, Aniva has fuel, shops, cafes and simple accommodation, and Korsakov, a little over twenty kilometres away, offers a wider choice. Troitskoye, a village of about three thousand people some twenty-five kilometres off, has less. Eat fish while you are here, as the bay is rich in salmon, herring and crab, and the market sells smoked and salted varieties. Do not be surprised if the portions are enormous and the tea comes with a spoonful of jam.
The headland that closes the bay to the south ends at Cape Aniva, where a lighthouse stands on a rock above the sea. The structure, built by the Japanese in the 1930s, is one of the island's best-known landmarks, a squat concrete tower with a light that has guided ships around a dangerous corner for decades. Reaching it takes more time and a rougher road than the main route, so check conditions and give yourself daylight. Even if you only look at it on the map, it tells you something about how important this tiny corner of Russia has been to people who sail.