words Al Woods
For travelers out there looking to visit places that they’ve never been or even heard of before, this may be the perfect place for you. If you’re tired of crowded beaches and typical tourist destinations, this stunning island is exactly what you need.
Introducing—Dzharylhach Island. Ukraine’s largest island is perfect for adventures. Dzharylhach Island is located in Karkinit Bay, a bay of the Black Sea.
The island’s climate is a mild temperate continental, providing favorable conditions for recreation. An impressive sight of the island is the Dzharylhach lighthouse, designed by Gustave Eiffel—yes, the same Gustave Eiffel of the Eiffel Tower.
This uninhabited island provides you with lots of recreational activities to do during your visit. Some of these are wildlife photo hunting, swimming with the dolphins, sunset watching, camping, hiking excursions, and eating unique delicacies.
To guide you, here are some tips below when visiting Dzharylhach Island.
Travel light
You probably heard this tip a lot of times, but this is actually helpful, especially when traveling to a camping destination like Dzharylhach Island. You don’t want to be dragging lots of big backpacks around as you’re walking into the wild, searching for the perfect spot to set up your tent. Remember that this island doesn’t have a luxurious hotel or resort to deposit your things. You should only bring the essentials with you.
Don’t be on time, be there before the time
You need to know how to visit Dzharylhach island in Ukraine before making your plans so that you can allot time appropriately. Be aware that even if a boat or bus is scheduled to leave at a specific time, most times the vehicle arrives 5–10 minutes early and picks up its passengers then, and you want to be able to get a good spot. For the ferry, you should be 30–45 minutes early so that you’ll have plenty of time to buy your ticket and line up at the pier before boarding.
Have a camera with you
There are plenty of things to do in Kherson, including camping at Dzharylhach Island—you won’t want to miss a photo of these moments. Wildlife photo hunting is a popular activity as the island is a habitat for several unique and rare species of animals.
Some of the wildlife includes deer, fallow deer, mouflon, wild boar, hares, and foxes. Dzharylhach is also a nesting place for migrating birds—swans, ducks, geese, and more—that gather during the winter.
As for sea life, Dzharylhach Island is blessed with exquisite and rare inhabitants such as at least twenty-four species of crabs, grass and stone shrimp, and stellate and sterlet sturgeon. Marsh turtles can also be seen close to freshwater bodies. In the bay, you can often see Black Sea bottlenose dolphins, white-sided dolphins, and porpoises.
Wear sunscreen and sunglasses
Dzharylhach Island is gifted with a white-sand beach, so expect it to be hot and sunny during the day. Stay hydrated and protect yourself from the sun while enjoying yourself on the beach. Always wear ample amounts of sunscreen to protect your skin, and use sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun.
Bring warm clothes too
After making the most of your time during the day, don’t go home just yet—another activity you shouldn’t miss out on is overnight camping. Since the island doesn’t have hotels or cottage rentals, you may set up your tent anywhere you want. You may camp close to the pier if you want to be surrounded by lots of people or camp further if you want to isolate yourself.
Because there is no city and light pollution near the island, the night sky is so bright, and you can take amazing night photos. However, the nights get pretty cold, so prepare to wrap yourself up.
Join the excursion
Locals also organize excursions for tourists around the island. Since there are no marked routes around the island, it’s a good idea to join a tour. Don’t venture out on your own to prevent getting lost as Dzharylhach is a big island, after all.
Don’t miss out on their exotic delicacies
After you’ve done all the possible adventures you can do, it’s time to fill your food cravings. The island’s specialty is stingray dishes. You must try it before leaving back to the city, or else you may regret missing out on their grilled stingray or stingray soup.
Enjoy!
The most important tip is to enjoy. Dzharylhach Island is like no other. Savor its unique wildlife and sea life experience. Forget about updating your Instagram feeds on the spot—instead, take a pause and unwind.
Wrapping Up
Dzharylhach is a beautiful island, but it may not be for everyone. It is a wild destination to visit, and there are no luxuries of civilization. However, if you can overcome the discomfort, and are enthused by the prospect of the island’s wildlife and serenity, Dzharylhach Island would be an amazing experience for you.
