Natural Lakes To Visit In Türkiye (Turkey)

With its long, exquisite coastlines on the Black, Aegean, and Mediterranean Seas, lakes in Türkiye (Turkey) can end up being overlooked. But visitors to Türkiye (Turkey) overlook them to their own detriment.

That’s because the top natural lakes to visit in Türkiye (Turkey) are rimmed by lofty mountain peaks, rolling hills, and forest. They are dotted with historical structures, from centuries-old churches to ancient fortresses. And they are ringed by communities, often unchanged for decades.

The charms of the best lakes in Türkiye (Turkey) are sure to leave you spellbound. These underrated treasures offer no shortage of activities either, from picnics packed with the freshest of Turkish produce to hiking, camping, swimming, and water sports.

Here are the most popular natural lakes in Türkiye (Turkey)!

What is Türkiye’s (Turkey) largest lake?

With an area of 3,755 square kilometres and a depth edging 500 m, Lake Van (Van Gölü in Turkish) is the largest lake in the country. It’s also undoubtedly Türkiye (Turkey)’s most impressive body of water.

Formed by runoff from the mountains of the Armenian highlands, it sits in the far east of Türkiye (Turkey). This makes Pegasus Airlines’ cheap flights to the region something of a must for most travellers to the region.

What can you expect on arrival at the lake edge? How about this vast saline soda lake packed full of dramatic landscapes taking in volcanically-formed peaks and lofty plateaus?

Because of its high salinity, just a handful of fish species can survive in the waters of Lake Van, including one not discovered until 2018. However, this doesn’t mean Lake Van is free of interest.

For one thing, there are tales of a monster beneath the surface of the lake that bears a passing resemblance to Scotland’s more famous Loch Ness monster.

For another, Lake Van boasts several excellent ways to pass the time. Water sports enthusiasts can easily find both sailing and motor boats for rent. In the summer months, swimming is a popular way of cooling off too.

Towards the lake’s southernmost point, in the town of Van, history buffs won’t want to miss Van Fortress. Sometimes also called the Castle of Van, it is a huge stone fortress from 800 years BCE built to protect Tushpa, whose ruins can still be explored.

Slightly further south still, the tiny lake island of Akdamar provides a home for the tenth-century CE Cathedral of the Holy Cross. A royal church for the Christian kings of ancient Armenia, it’s unusual in the fact its external walls are covered in bas-relief carvings.

What are Türkiye’s (Turkey) biggest lakes?

While Lake Van is the largest of all salt water lakes in Türkiye (Turkey), Lake Beyşehir is the biggest freshwater lake in the country. It’s also Türkiye (Turkey)’s third-largest lake overall. Located roughly equally between Antalya and Konya, it is almost six times smaller than Lake Van at 650 square kilometres.

However, rather than making Lake Beyşehir small, it only serves to emphasise the enormity of Lake Van! Interestingly, the maximum depth of Lake Beyşehir tops out at ten metres, not deep enough to hide a monster.

Yet, during the right seasons, Lake Beyşehir attracts no shortage of wildlife. Its 32 islands and islets are known to be a birding hotspot, attracting wildlife lovers from right around the globe. Their future is secured through the existence of Beysehir National Park to the south of the lake and Red Mountain National Park on its western side.

Together, the two national parks welcome more than 150 species of birds. Some of the most popular with visitors are their pelicans, herons, tufted ducks, and little grebes. Generally speaking, the months of May until October are the best time to visit Lake Beyşehir. During these months, visitors can add mountain biking, hiking, and boat rides to birdwatching tours.

Other major lakes in Türkiye (Turkey) include Lake Tuz, which is second only to Lake Van in size. It can be found in central Anatolia and has a surface area of 1,600 square kilometres. Like Lake Van, it is one of Türkiye (Turkey)’s super salty lakes.

It’s saline nature draws in a very different list of bird species to Lake Beyşehir, not least elegant pink flamingos. They filter feed in its shallow waters, averaging just half a metre in depth, creating a carpet of colour unlike any of the other top natural lakes to visit in Türkiye (Turkey).

What is the cleanest lake in Türkiye (Turkey)?

Head to Lake Salda, and you’ll be swapping a crust of white salt for incredibly soft white sands. Not only that, but Lake Salda is also the cleanest lake in Türkiye (Turkey).

Add to this the astonishing blue-green of the lake’s shallows, and you could be mistaken for thinking you’re in the Caribbean or an Indian Ocean archipelago! In fact, Lake Salda is often locally called the Maldives of Türkiye (Turkey).

Backed by low, rolling hills, Salda is largely free of lakeside development, giving it a tranquil and secluded feel. Some would even say its atmosphere is otherworldly. This is almost true since Lake Salda is a crater lake created by the collapse of a volcanic cone roughly two million years ago. The main attraction of Lake Salda for visitors is its relaxed nature. Its clear waters also make lake diving a common activity.

To see the Switzerland of Türkiye (Turkey), you’ll want to head to Lake Uzun. Tucked into the mountains of Türkiye (Turkey) Black Sea coast, its edges are spotted with charming wood-built chalets. Meanwhile, cattle can be found feeding off its pastureland.

A place to enjoy slowing down, we highly recommend one of Lake Uzun’s lakeshore tea shops. But if you insist on getting out and about, a circuit of Lake Uzun will take around an hour on foot.

Türkiye (Turkey)’s unmissable natural lakes

Türkiye has more than 50 natural lakes. They range from the epic Lake Van to the miniscule Lake Poyrazlar, which is only 0.67 square kilometres in area. What unites Türkiye (Turkey)’s natural lakes are their stunning landscapes and plethora of things to do.

What’s more, getting to any of the best natural lakes to visit in Türkiye (Turkey) couldn’t be easier thanks to Pegasus Airlines’ cheap flights to Turkey. So what are you waiting for? Türkiye (Turkey)’s top natural lakes await!