Olkhon's northern fang: cliffs dropping into Baikal, the Maiden rock with its legend of a woman turned to stone by the tengri, and multi-voiced echo between the walls.
Khoboy Cape
Khoboy is the northern tip of Olkhon island; in Buryat 'khoboy' means 'fang': here the rocks drop sharply into the water like teeth. Seen from the water, the main rock resembles a female figure — hence its second name, the Maiden. A Buryat legend tells of a woman who, out of envy, asked the tengri for a palace like her husband's — and received the answer: 'While evil and envy remain on Earth, you will be stone.' The cape is famous for its multi-voiced echo rolling between the sheer walls, and for the panorama: on a clear day the eastern shore of Baikal is visible from here. It is the island's farthest point from Khuzhir — the road takes half a day — but Olkhon's north opens here in all its wild beauty: bare rocks, dwarf pine, wind and water on every side. In winter people drive here over the ice — Khoboy in ice splashes is perhaps even more striking.
How to get there
From Khuzhir by UAZ with a local driver (the island's standard) or on foot and by bike along the eastern shore; the last kilometres run over rocky plateau.
Best season
June to September by land; February–March — the legendary ice trips.
Travel tips & stories
The wind on the cape is constant and sharp: a jacket even in the heat.
Try the echo in the grotto under the Maiden rock: shout at least once.
After sunset look west at the wave-painted Baikal: a rare light.
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Local guides
- TR
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