Arenas de Chara, a landscape of the thousand and one nights that you will only find in Russia
In the mountains of Siberia, between forests and ice, there is a magical place. A virgin landscape of sand dunes that few have seen, the Arenas de Chara: the desert of Russia
How can a desert exist in Russia?
It is what many people ask, but if you are a Russian Lover, you will know that Russia always ends up surprising us ...
The sands of Chara is a desert located in the Transbaikalia region in eastern Russia. It is small in size, around 10 kilometers long and 5 wide. It has dunes up to 100 meters high, of fine sand, which is a pleasure to walk ...
It is surprising that there is a desert at such a high latitude but it is not the only wonder that it houses ...
The most impressive thing is that, at only 40 kilometers away, there are the glaciers of Kodar, covered with ice, creating a unique picture in the world.
It is a spectacular vision, the contrast between the heat and the sand with respect to the cold and the mountains that can be seen on the horizon. In the middle of winter, we can even observe how the snow of the glaciers reaches the limit of the sands of the desert, creating an incomparable scene.
On the border with the sands of Chara there are birches, larches and the typical vegetation of the taiga together with frozen water lagoons. It's like a museum of unique rarities and beauties that live together.
A question that many people ask themselves is: How did this desert come about?
According to the Russian Geographical Society, the sands of Chara, they were formed between 100.000 and 50.000 years ago, when the climate changed and a glacier was thawed, it became a lake and then a swamp.
Then during the following 20.000 years, the wind and erosion were drying the area more to turn it into this natural wonder, worthy of a tale of the Arabian Nights.
Today, we can see how the tribe of the Evenki (the native inhabitants of the place) they herd reindeer herds in the desert. Incredible true?
As for the animals, being a desert there is little wildlife but we can find foxes, rodents, even bears! They cross the desert in search of food from more distant places so, if you want to travel in the area, you have to take precautions.
For lovers of history, there is an interior in the desert, Deposit old prehistoric period, with artifacts of stone and ceramics which, gives more charm to the place.
If you have seduced this beautiful landscape and want to visit Chara, it can be done in several ways.
From the Trans-Siberian, stopping in the town of Chara and then driving by car on an unpaved road that goes straight to the desert. Another way to get there is by plane that is taken in the city of Chita, 650 kilometers from the area.
As accommodation, in the village of Chara, there is the Kodar hotel where you can rest comfortably. The address and email of the hotel are as follows: 7 (30261) 75765; hotelkodar@yandex.ru
To enter the desert it is advisable to do it with groups of tourists guided by a specialist. The Kalarski center (http://www.sdauria.ru) is in charge of visiting the Chara sands and the Kodar glaciers.
If you want to go more "adventurous", you can walk the desert on foot but you need experience, good physical condition and adequate equipment.
Wonderful landscapes like those offered by Russia must be visited at least once in a lifetime.
Are you a Russian Lover ?, dare to travel to Russia and discover the Arenas de Chara! You will not regret!
