The largest island of the Baikal – Olkhon is situated in the middle part of the lake, nearby the western coast. Its length reaches 71km, a maximal width is 15km, and the area is about 700km2.

The strait between the island and the continental coast is named Maloye More (Small Sea) and is water space with its unique rainless microclimate. The southwestern end of Olkhon is separated from the coast by the strait Olkhonskiye Vorota (Doors of Olkhon), through which a train ferry is realized.  

There are several versions of name origin, but according to the most popular the name derives from the word “oikhon”, it means “woody” from the Buryat language. And actually in spite of rainless climate the most part of the island is covered with pine and larch forests.      

The western coast of the island is sloping, for the most part covered with steppes. There are frequent deep bays in the island limited by beautiful rocky capes. The most famous from them is Burkhan situated near the settlement Khuzhir, is thought to be a sacred place, the “residence” of Baikal spirits. Rituals of shamans and sacred pageants take place namely in this place in the ancient time. Capes Kobylya Golova, Sagan-Khushin made of white marble and covered with red lichen, Budun with its deep canyon and outlets of rare minerals, are also widely known. All main localities including the central settlement Khuzhir are situated on the western coast. One more interesting place to visit is Pestchanka, the bay with sandy beaches and dunes, the place where the settlements of the Stalin era are conserved.     

The northern end of the island – the cape Khoboy with the Maiden Rock situated on it. Khoboy is translated from the Buryat language as “canine” and actually has the form of tooth if you look at it from the coast. This Amazingly beautiful cape is the place of tourist pilgrimage.

The eastern coast is on the contrary steep, rocky and covered with forest. There is a summit of the island – a sacred mountain Zhima (1274m) on the eastern coast. Its slopes are covered with relict spruce forest. There are no deep bays here hence there are no settlements too. The only place where people live constantly is weather station in the tract of Uzury.  

Olkhon is large enough to have its own lakes, the most famous of them are salt lake Shara-Nur in the central part of the island and Nurskoe interflowing with the Zagli bay. There are no rivers on the island but there are streams coming up to Lake Baikal, for example, near the village Kharantsy and in honeydew Tashkiney.

As mentioned above the climate on the island is rainless, annual quantity of precipitation here is no less than 200mm. The warmest months in Olkhon are July and August, spring and summer here come later than on the continent. Rains in Olkhon are rare and short, but sometimes an incessant bad weather can happen.

Tribes of nomads and cattle-breeders inhabited Olkhon since olden times. The Kurykans were predecessors of the Buryats who nowadays in general inhabit the island. Olkhon is the only habitable island on the Baikal. The principal occupation of the population is fishing and cattle-breeding.

Flora of the Olkhon island is not so rich due to the climate peculiarities but is unique and inimitable. There is a lot of rare, protected and endemic species here.

Fauna numbers 135 species of birds (silvery seagull, wood grouse, lapwing, jackdaw, osprey, hobby), mammals (roe, maral, polecat, suslik, hare, weasel, nerpa), reptiles (copperhead snake, whip snake) and one species of amphibians – Mongolian toads. There are no bears on the Olkhon island.