The world’s most unusual beach is a glacier in Russia’s Kingdom of Permafrost

Today the Buluus glacier is as packed with visitors as the only official beach in Yakutsk, the world’s largest city built on permafrost. 

A hidden gem of Yakutia, it lies in a deep valley some 100km from Yakutsk, surrounded by pristine pine forests and lush green meadows. 

The glacier covers over 1000 hectares, and thanks to dozens of metres of permafrost underneath it, the ice doesn’t melt - even during exceptionally hot summers. 

‘This is for real, your eyes are not failing you, it’s ice,’ wrote local woman Zhanna Myasnikova as she shared pictures of herself enjoying the refreshing day at the glacier. 

‘The Buluus glacier is a fantastic place to be in the middle of summer when the air heats to over 30C. 

‘By the end of summer the ice melts a bit, but comes winter and it gains strength again. 

‘This is a thousand-year long fight between ice and fire.’

Today the Buluus glacier is as packed with visitors as the only official beach in Yakutsk, the world’s largest city built on permafrost

Summers are short but can be hot, as locals are experiencing now.

Indeed today at +32C, Yakutsk is hotter than Yemen! 

A hot summer day on a city beach in Yakutsk

The traditionally coldest part of Siberia is also hotter than leading Spanish holiday hot spots such as Majorca and Marbella.

‘Where else would you find a place with so many contrasts? The feeling of breathing cold air, touching chilling cold ice and drinking amazingly tasty cold water from the glacier on such a hot day is unforgettable’, said another local resident Aitalina.

Many around the world know Yakutia as the world’s Kingdom of Cold, and locals would jokingly add that on an average winter day it is a lot warmer to sit inside a freezer than to be outdoors.

Yet few know about scorchingly hot summers in this part of Russia, when air temperatures can touch +35C in heatwaves. 

The glacier covers over 1000 hectares, and thanks to dozens of metres of permafrost underneath it, the ice doesn’t melt - even during exceptionally hot summers

On a day like today the city beach in Yakutsk on the Lena River is also packed full. 

‘I wish I could teleport to Buluus glacier on one of those hot days, to enjoy its relaxing cooling’, moaned one of the locals resting on the beach. 

The heatwave in set to last for several more days, with air temperature dropping to a milder +16C by 24 July.