The Kuroshio Route

Miyako Island is 300 km south of Okinawa island, and is famous for its beaches, said to be Japan’s most beautiful. Maehama beach is for swimmers, while Yoshino has great coral reefs for snorkelers and the white-sand Sunayama has dramatic rock formations. Cape Higashi-Hennazaki is a long, narrow cape with the picturesque lighthouse at the end. The city’s Botanical Garden boasts over 1600 tropical varieties. Nakasone Tuyumya was an important leader of Miyako and the Okinawan people in the 16th century. Near the port in Hirara is memorial to him and his descendants, a designated national cultural asset. At the island’s north end, the graceful Ikema Ohashi bridge leads to the small Ikema Island.

Explore Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan from the base of Hakodate or fall in love with the city itself.

Dramatically sited on hills and surrounded by majestic, snow-blanketed volcanoes and distant snowcapped mountains, Petropavlovsk is itself a rather plain, workaday Soviet-styled city. But the Kamchatka Peninsula on which it sits is one of the most fascinating geographical features in the world. No roads lead to Kamchatka, a domain still largely given over to unbridled natural forces. Get a handle on the region at the half-timbered Museum of Regional Studies, which covers both natural and human history. Climb the forested slopes of Nikolskaya Hill, passing the gold-domed Monument of Glory honoring the heroes who resisted the Franco-British assault in 1854, for panoramic views back over the city and the shining Avacha Bay. The new Vulkanarium explains the seismically active area and its numerous active and dormant peaks. In the city center, a heroic statue of Lenin still inspires with a sweeping gesture. Several nearby volcanoes beckon those wishing to climb: Koryaksky, Mutnovsky and Gorely. For indoor pursuits, the Alexander Nevsky Chapel, the Gold-domed Trinity Cathedtral or the Salmon Museum offer interesting material.

The port of Kodiak is located on the Chiniak Bay on the north-eastern coast of Kodiak Island, Alaska. Also known as the fishing port, Kodiak is famous for its fresh fish as well as its flora and fauna where the Alaskan brown bear, wild eagles and moose live.

Designated as an International World Heritage Site in 1992, Glacier Bay is also a National Monument, a National Park and a designated Biosphere Reserve. Over millennia, Glacier Bay has experienced many major advances of its glaciers. When first surveyed in 1794 by a team under the command of British captain George Vancouver on HMS Discovery, its vast glaciers extended well beyond present-day margins of the bay. Temperate, coniferous rainforest dominates its southern shores. Black and brown bears, wolves, moose, eagles and ravens all go about their daily routines, while harbor seals and whales frolic within the bay waters. Glacier Bay has two major arms, East and West, and over fifty named glaciers, some of which push forward at three to six feet per day. Combined with Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Canada’s Kluane National Park and Alsek-Tatshenshini Park, Glacier Bay encompasses the largest protected wilderness area on earth. This is a truly a place of awe-inspiring beauty and an icon of wild Alaska. VIEW CRUISES Skip Footer Content About Us

A stroll through the streets and National Historic Park of Sitka is a glimpse into its unique and colorful past. A blend of Tlingit and Russian cultures defines this first capital of Alaska. Although fish canning and gold mining were the initial catalysts for growth in Sitka, the construction of an air base during World War II truly paved the way for Sitka to come into its own. One of Sitka's most intriguing structures is the Cathedral of Saint Michael, built in 1848 to honor a Russian Orthodox bishop. Sitka’s history begins thousands of years ago with the Tlingit people and their use of the land for sustenance and spirituality. Old Sitka, located just north of the present-day settlement, was founded by Russian-American Company trader Alexander Baranov in 1799. Originally named Novo-Arkhangelsk (New Archangel) under Russian rule, its name was changed to Sitka after Alaska was purchased by the United States in 1867. Sitka is a Tlingit word meaning 'by the sea.’

One of the thousands of islands of the Alexander Archipelago, Wrangell Island sits at the heart of the Tongass National Rain Forest and receives approximately 80” (203 cm) of rain per year. The city of Wrangell, a true Alaskan frontier town, sits at the northern end of the island, a short distance from the mouth of the mighty Stikine River. The history of Wrangell is deeply rooted in the Tlingit people, the fur trade and the gold rush. The Stikine River trade route brought the Tlingit people here thousands of years ago, evidenced by some forty petroglyphs at Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site and Totem Park. The Stikine River, Shakes Glacier and Anan Creek Bear Observatory are highlights in the region. Anan Creek boasts the largest pink salmon run of the Inside Passage, attracting brown and black bears in great numbers. Wrangell was named for Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel, a Russian explorer and administrator of the Russian-America Company during the mid-1800's.

Super-scenic Ketchikan sits on the edge of Revillagigedo Island, surrounded by the verdant Tongass National Forest. Its waters are rich with Pacific salmon, a fact which drew native Tlingit and industrial fishermen here, not to mention an abundance of wildlife. Black bears can often be seen catching fish from passing streams, while birds of prey soar over glacial mountains.

Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful spots on earth, it’s no wonder that Vancouver is a popular spot for tourists looking to enjoy some fresh air and vibrant Canadian culture.