When I first stumbled across photos of the Red Lake in Turkey, I became once in scare. I had never considered of us search the advice of with here earlier than and I almost right now chanced on out that it is one of the most underrated vacationer sights in Turkey. To for the time being, I’m in a position to’t quite figure out why so few of us technique to search the advice of with this impossible and HUGE crimson lake. I assign it on the end of my “Locations to Plod to in Turkey” checklist.
We went to search the advice of with the Red Lake, Tuz Golu (that technique Salt Lake in Turkish) on a day outing from Cappadocia. We rented a car,employed a driver, and trigger off to search the advice of with this beautiful lake.
Driving along the road to the expert entrance to the lake, we started to gaze the impossible crimson waters mixing into the horizon into a blur of purple and blue. We got to Tuz Golu early in the morning. There weren’t many folk round, and even fewer (if any) tourists. In the launch we had been quite disappointed that the “Red Lake” became once basically worthy more white. Although furthermore beautiful, we drove by such vibrant crimson waters on the style, that it became once a piece sad to wonderful ask white.
We had been told that as a consequence of the evaporation that happens in the summertime, different the lake became once dry and the salt became once a whiter color. It became once serene impossible to gaze the astronomical expanse of salt as some distance as the survey would possibly perhaps presumably perchance ask. The salt formations had been beautiful and we seen many locals collecting baggage of the therapeutic salt to bring home for a spa night.
Although the white salt beds had been very impressive, I became once serene certain to gaze the PINK lake. Our driver promised to take grasp of a stare upon to search out a manner to the crimson portion and we got our issues and started riding.
Red, Red, Red!
A tiny bit bit later, as the crimson waters started to approach into look, he went off the motorway and into a pathway made thru some empty fields. We started to pressure in direction of the crimson. Reaching the perimeter of the salt mattress, we web out of the auto, and launch strolling in direction of the crimson waters.
Due to the summer season evaporation, it became once a piece of a traipse earlier than we reached the elegant crimson waters. And it became once so price it. Fully STUNNING. The colors had been animated and the waters smoothed the pores and skin to an amazingly silky feel. It felt fancy a wonderland.
We walked round, exploring the beautiful shallow water. The salt formations had been beautiful and impressive. So overjoyed to contain made it to the crimson portion of this astronomical lake, we walked relieve to the auto, rinsed off the salt with water, and continued onto our subsequent mosey fame.
When to Plod to the Red Lake
Although the Red Lake would possibly perhaps presumably perchance honest even be visited all year round, take note that in the summer season months worthy of the water evaporates. The lake itself is already extraordinarily shallow in most areas, however in the summer season months the water would possibly perhaps presumably perchance honest evaporate fully in some areas, leaving wonderful a massive salt mattress. Specifically on the expert entrance, the water became once almost fully gone after we visited in July. After we drove a piece farther away to the location with the more crimson water, there became once some water, however it became once serene extraordinarily shallow.
Easy how one can Fetch to the Red Lake
The Red Lake is a piece in the middle of nowhere, quite the pressure from any critical vacationer appeal. Essentially the most productive manner to search the advice of with in my look is to take grasp of a day outing from Cappadocia/Goreme as we did.
We rented a car and driver for the day and visited just a few areas open air of Cappadocia. First visiting the Red Lake, we then made our manner to Ihlara Valley.
Straight from Goreme it is round a 1.5 hour pressure. Due to this, it’s most productive to add just a few just a few unbelievable issues to have in the relate besides, to make it well price the pressure.
As it on the entire is a piece refined to search out the style to the crimson portion of the lake, it’d be less difficult to rent a car with a driver as we did. He knew the location totally, exactly easy how one can web there, and the price difference became once negligible.
Suggestions for Visiting the Red Lake
- SALT – Whenever you’ve never visited a Salt Lake or a in point of fact salty body of water, know that it would web messy. The salt will follow your legs and garments if you touch it. It’s with out effort rinsed off with water though. Additionally be obvious to rinse the full lot well that came alive to with the salt so that it doesn’t extinguish your garments or sneakers.
- Browsing – Procuring for a spa night? The salt from the Red Lake is the ideal addition! You would possibly perhaps presumably perchance be in a relate to aquire salt on the expert entrance to take grasp of home for a pleasant salt scrub.
- Where to Preserve – Essentially the most productive relate to reside when visiting the relate is with out doubt one of the crucial renowned cities in Cappadocia. Essentially the most renowned among them being Goreme. It’s some distance awfully easy to rent a car from the town to take grasp of a day outing to search the advice of with the Red Lake. The next critical closest city is Konya. Although there is just not worthy to have in Konya itself, it is seemingly you’ll presumably perchance well presumably take grasp of a day outing from the town to search the advice of with the Red Lake.
- Locations to Eat – On the expert entrance to the lake, there is a diminutive cafe where it is seemingly you’ll presumably perchance well presumably grasp food, water, and various touristic objects. Whenever you furthermore mosey trying for the crimson situation of the lake, there is actually nothing round, so be obvious to bring snacks and water!
- Stamp – Entrance is free! Each and every to the expert allotment and for certain the non offical.
Stress-free Facts
- The Red Lake is the 2d largest lake in Turkey! Over 1,500 sq. km (643 sq. mile) surface situation.
- Tuz Golu as it is known as in Turkish technique “Salt Lake”
- 63% of the salt consumed in Turkey is produced from the mines advance the lake.
- The lake is crimson in part as a consequence of a type of algae that grows in the water (the same algae that flamingos eat that causes to be crimson)
- This lake is furthermore a breeding floor for thousands of flamingos!
Issues to Attain in the Dwelling
Since the Red Lake is a piece of a pressure from so many just a few areas in the location, we made up our minds to take grasp of profit of the rented car and revel in one of the crucial most more than just a few unbelievable issues to have in the relate.
Ihlara Valley
Loyal about an hour’s pressure from the Red Lake, it is seemingly you’ll presumably perchance well presumably search the advice of with Ihlara Valley. It’s some distance an extremely outstanding relate. In the middle of a desolate tract relate, no water round with the exception of for the undrinkable Salt Lake, you’ll web the beautiful, lush Ihlara Valley. A new water river runs thru the 16 km gorge carved thru volcanic rock. It even boasts just a few diminutive waterfalls! It’s quite the desolate tract oasis and cost a search the advice of with!
Take into legend the pudgy put up: IHLARA VALLEY – STUNNING RIVER GORGE IN THE DESERT | CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY
Underground City
The full relate of Cappadocia has many Underground Cities available to search the advice of with. Essentially the most renowned being Derinkuyu Underground City. As the title suggests, it is a pudgy city constructed underground. Mountainous adequate to home 20,000 of us, farm animals, and constructed on multiple levels, it is purported to be basically impossible. Bearing a secret of its have, this mature city became once finest chanced on when a man started renovations to his home, and stumbled upon it.
Giving different perception into how of us lived in this relate historically, it’ll honest even be visited along the style if you take grasp of a day outing to the Red Lake and Ihlara Valley.
Pigeon Valley
Although we didn’t contain different time to detect this attention-grabbing valley, we did contain the likelihood to reside here at sundown on our manner relieve from the Red Lake and Ihlara Valley. As I’m determined it is seemingly you’ll presumably perchance well presumably bet, the title comes from the numerous pigeons that flock to the location. You would possibly perhaps presumably perchance be in a relate to even ask in the rocks the MANY mature dovecotes (Pigeon Homes) carved into the rocks for the carrier pigeons a few years ago.
Whenever you’ve got time, there is furthermore a diminutive hike that will honest even be done in the location, a lovable present shop, and hundreds pigeons to gaze.
Sunflower Fields
Procuring for more unbelievable issues to have advance Cappadocia? Or Turkey in in style? Produce obvious to set up out some of our just a few blog posts for more unbelievable pointers and itinerary tips!
A lot of Love and Stable Travels,
Danielle and Brooke, Vivid Sisters