Sitka cruise guide: bears, raptors and the town America bought for $7.2m

Sitka is quietly becoming Alaska’s fourth great cruise port. It still runs behind Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway in passenger numbers, but a brand-new two-ship terminal — the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal — means this Baranof Island town is now on far more itineraries than it used to be.

The first thing to know: the terminal sits about six miles northwest of downtown, and free shuttle buses cover the gap. Peak days can mean long lines, though — Sitka now asks cruise passengers to reserve their shuttle into town in advance. The return trip needs no booking.

Once ashore, the draw is wildlife. The Alaska Raptor Center, a 30-minute walk from downtown, rehabs injured eagles, owls and other birds. Fortress of the Bear, opened in 2007, cares for orphaned bear cubs, and on many Alaska cruises it is the only guaranteed chance to see a bear. Both sell out fast when two ships are in, so book shore excursions ahead.

The town where Alaska changed hands

Sitka has a side the other southeast Alaska ports don’t. It was under Russian control from 1799 to 1867, when it was called New Archangel, and the Alaska Purchase was completed here on October 18, 1867 — the U.S. paid $7.2 million for the territory. Today the town blends Tlingit history, Russian-Orthodox architecture and Americana, with St. Michael’s Orthodox Church still standing downtown.

For food, try the pizza at Harbor Mountain Brewing Company (a 30-minute stroll past Sitka National Historic Park), or Sitka Pel’Meni for Russian dumplings. Seafood and salmon chowder are the local default. Shopping runs along Lincoln Street, home to Old Harbor Books and Tlingit-focused galleries.

You don’t need a rental car here — downtown is walkable and car rentals are scarce. A taxi is worth booking in advance, and bike or e-bike shops cover the rest. For an active day, kayak the calm passages of the Siginaka Islands or book the Wildlife Quest to Fin Island Lodge, where whales, sea otters and a crab-and-prime-rib lunch are all on the menu.