Poronaysk is the main town of the middle part of Sakhalin's east coast, with nearly seventeen thousand people spread along the Poronay River where it meets the wide, shallow Terpeniya Bay on the Sea of Okhotsk. Like the south of the island it was Japanese territory until 1945, when it was called Shisuka, and a paper mill built in that period shaped the town for years. Today it is a modest, windy place, but it is the best-equipped stop for a long way in either direction, which is what counts on this coast.
The road that brings you here along the east coast has a rough, unfinished feel that many riders enjoy. It runs through flat country of larch, spruce and bog, with long straights, occasional river crossings and wide views over the sea. The surface varies from reasonable asphalt to patched or gravel sections, and traffic is mostly local, with lorries and the odd fishing truck. Fog is frequent in early summer, and winter brings heavy snow and wind. The best period is July to September, when the grass is green and the sea is calm.
You can count on fuel, shops, cafes and a few places to sleep in Poronaysk, which makes it a natural place to restock before heading further. The villages of Gastello and Leonidovo, with a thousand people or so each, are smaller and less reliable, so fill up here. Salmon and other fish are the food of the region, often smoked or salted, and in summer the markets overflow with them.
Nature is the reason to look beyond the town. The Poronaysky Nature Reserve, on the shores of the bay, protects wetlands, forests and coastline that are crucial for migratory birds, from swans and geese to sandpipers and gulls, and in autumn the sky can be full of them. Brown bears are common on Sakhalin, and while you will rarely see one, they leave their marks along the rivers when the salmon run. The bay has an open, lonely beauty, with low light and a huge sky, and an hour on the shore here can feel like a quiet reward for the long road.