Atyrau

Wide shot of grey clouds over the Ural River in Atyrau.

Atyrau, a bustling city less than 15km from the Caspian Sea’s north coast, sits amid the stark beauty of the Caspian Lowland. Surrounded by sandy deserts, arid scrubland, salt marshes, and rural villages, the riverside metropolis offers a wealth of sights that extend far beyond the city limits. The Founding of Atyrau The origins of […]

Golubaya Bay

A man running along a Caspian Sea shoreline near Golubaya Bay.

On the south-west side of the Tub-Karagan Peninsula is the half-kilometre-long Golubaya Bay (aka Blue Bay), which is sandwiched between the Uzynkuduk and Tulkili Gorges. Less than a kilometre inland is Tulkili Fortress. Isolated stretches of sandy beach and unnamed rocky coves extend either side of the bay. Fifteen kilometres to the south is Cape […]

Tyuleniy Archipelago

Tyuleniy Archipelago seen from space with colourful water and marshes.

Ten kilometres off the north coast of the Tub-Karagan Peninsula is the Tyuleniy Archipelago. Tyulen means ‘seal’ in Russian. The archipelago comprises five named islands. Kulaly and Morskoy are the largest and westernmost islands and measure 20–30km in length. The other three are the arid and inhospitable Novy, Rybachy, and Podgorny. The nearest place to […]