When one is pondering over the plenty of places to visit in Turkey in one single trip, the Salt Lake comes as another treat which cannot be missed. Turkey is a versatile country with every different kind of landscape available in its kitty and salt lake in Turkey is another addition to it. Tuz Lake or as called in Turkish language, Tuz Golu, is a salt lake in Turkey which is the second largest lake in the country. The lake is formed by two streams however it has no outlet, which increases the saline content in the water, giving it the beautiful pink colour. With the huge quantity of salt deposits, when the Sun shines brightly on the lake’s water, it presents a mirror-like an image reflecting the sky in its surface, making this salt lake in Turkey as one of the most wonderful sights to witness while travelling around. The salt crystals shimmer, presenting a glittering sight. Due to the high quantity of algae-like Dunaliella salina in the water, which produce carotenoids in their cells, the lake’s water is turned pink in colour. Due to this, Tuz Lake is often referred to as the Pink Lake. The pink colour all over the surface gives a surreal view which is a visual treat.
This salt lake in Turkey is also a breeding ground for flamingos and is one of the largest breeding colonies for Great Flamingos (Phoenicopterus Roseus) in the world. These beautiful birds get their vibrant pink colour due to the high intensity of algae in their diet. Every year around ten thousand pairs of Great Flamingos fly to the mud island in the middle of the Salt Lake to breed. When the climate and the conditions go right, young flamingos’ population get around 20,000 in the lake. This lake also has the record of hosting the largest young flamingo population in the world in a single lake, which escalated up to 22,000. If you are lucky enough, you can find these beautiful, pink birds with sleek, long necks in this lake. Isn’t it a reason to visit Tuz Lake?
How does Lake Tuz in Turkey look?
With crystal clear water as far as one can see, this lake beautifully blends with the white sky, creating no distinct horizon due to its clear water. This salt lake in Turkey doesn’t only owe its beauty to its reddish-pink colour, but to the fact that it is extremely shallow, most of the time of the year and one can wade through it as far as they like. Isn’t it super cool to walk through a lake as far as you want? Most of the year, especially during the Summer season, the lake is barely a metre deep as the water evaporates in great quantities leaving behind a think deposit of salt in the water which is easily visible due to transparency and shallowness of the lake.
This Salt Lake in Turkey adds to the huge list of Instagram-able spots in the country. With pinkish crystal clear water camouflaging the lake with the white sky, walking as far as one desires, Lake Tuz in Turkey presents a perfect Instagram picture. Imagine a photo with pink coloured water all around and the sunlight reflected through the shiny salt crystals? Isn’t it exciting? To add to the fun, there have been chairs kept far in the lake to feed a photo poser’s lust. Looking for a modern but serene photo, head to the Salt Lake in Turkey!
However, there is a catch. It is not so easy to wade through this lake as salt crystals in their undiluted form are quite sharp and prick your feet. It can be a little painful to walk through water, however, your skin adapts with it in a minute or two and trust me, and the views further down the lake are definitely worth the walk. Moreover, the sensitivity varies from person to person. My friend could easily walk through and held my hand to take me further, whereas I was reluctant as the salt pricked me hard. However, it was all worth the effort in the end as the lake is beautiful and the feeling of being in the middle of the water bed is captivating.
During the summer months, when the water evaporates, the majority of the salt from the lake is extracted, purified and is used for various purposes in Turkey as well as exported outside. The lake water is 32% salt and therefore works as a huge salt supply roughly making 63% of the total salt used in Turkey. This salt is commonly used for cleaning and beautification purpose also. Yes, another benefit of visiting the Tuz Lake, you get to carry some salt home for beautification!!
Check another hidden gem in Turkey: The off-beaten town of Tokat
How to reach Lake Tuz, the Salt Lake in Turkey
Lake Tuz is easily accessible from many major cities of the region and can easily be reached by car. It is around 127 km from Cappadocia and can be reached in 2 hours 30 minutes, around 105 km from Konya which roughly takes about 2 hours and 10 minutes to reach and 100 km from Ankara and can be reached within 1 hour 45 minutes. Many tours run from various cities which offer either half-day or full-day trip to Tuz Lake.
In case you are going to drive to the Lake Tuz, check out best car rental offers at Auto Europe!
I drove from Cappadocia and witnessed some stunning views of the lake from the road. Lush pink water dominated the sight but unfortunately, there isn’t any option to stop by and visit the lake as these views are seen from the main highway with no place to park or enter the lake. Some people claim that the lake can be accessed through some less official points in Ankara, Konya and Aksaray, however, I never visited these regions so aren’t sure of this. The actual entrance of the lake is through a restaurant called “Tuz Golu Restoran”. Tip: While mapping the lake in Google Maps, do not just enter “Tuz Golu or Lake Golu” but do enter “Tuz Golu Restoran”. By doing so, maps will take you to the exact point from where the lake is actually accessible. Although the views you would see along the route are more enticing and pretty, unfortunately, the only way to reach the lake is through the restaurant despite that part of the lake having lighter pink shade as compared to the secluded area.
Tuz Golu Restoran is a restaurant with a retail store. To access the lake, one has to pass through this restaurant and every picnic item is available in this store. Upon entering the place, they will immediately offer you some salt and ask you to wash your hands with the same. There is also a washbasin available for this. As people there usually speak only Turkish, I was a bit confused as what to do when they first offered me the salt. Turkish people have amazing marketing and selling skills and at my first instinct, I assumed they are trying to sell the salt, however that is their way of welcoming you to the lake. It was indeed pleasing to get a touch of the essence of the place before reaching there.
Visiting Turkey as a tourist and planning to drive around? Read my complete guide about driving in Turkey!
What to do at Lake Tuz, the salt lake in Turkey?
Undoubtedly, Lake Tuz is a must-visit destination as it is not only the largest salt lake in Turkey but also one of the largest salt lakes in the world. However, there isn’t much to do there. With extremely shallow water and a massive amount of salt, one cannot swim in the lake. A short picnic can be planned which wouldn’t require more than a few hours. Therefore, I would suggest keeping a half a day for this lake. Your best bet would be to pair a visit to this salt lake in Turkey with some other activities in nearby cities like Cappadocia, Ankara or Konya. I planned the famous-must-do hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia in the morning with a visit to the Tuz Lake in the afternoon, on the same day.
I hope my post inspires you to explore this underrated jewel in Turkey. Do let me know how was your experience there?
Visiting Lake Tuz from Cappadocia? Check out these tours!
Want to walk through the magical balloon ride in Cappadocia? Read this: All you need to know: Hot Air Balloon in Cappadocia
Tips to visit the Lake Tuz
Follow these tips and make your trip to the Lake Tuz, memorable.
1. Being one of the largest breeding places for the Great Flamingos, it is absolutely essential to conserve this lake. Therefore please avoid any kind of littering around. The flamingo population has significantly declined in recent years due to increased pollution around the lake area. Also, the salt isn’t as pink now as it used to be in the past. Please be considerate enough so future visitors can witness the beauty which we are lucky enough to see.
2. On bright sunny days, the salt crystals reflect the sunlight making it very shimmery on the surface which can be troublesome for your eyes. Make sure you carry a pair of sunglasses.
3. The salt in the lake might hurt you, but please do not wear water slippers while walking across. This is essential to preserve the lake.
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46 Responses
Monica Sharma
Incredible place never ever heard about it before, thank you for sharing such great work with us and also letting us know about such beautiful place also exists in Turkey would surely recommend my friends who would be travelling this winter.
Nabiha Khan
Glad you liked it 🙂 It isn’t a very popular place but definitely worth visiting in Turkey. I am sure your friends will love it 🙂
Laura
Amazing experience!! Do you know when is the flamingo season?
Nabiha Khan
Indeed it is. It is said that they come there from January- July which is typically their nesting season. However, now due to climate change, lesser birds are seen at the lake
Adil
Wow!! Amazing post, very informative, how was the driving experience?
Nabiha Khan
Thank you so much! I wasn’t driving though. A friend was 🙂
Marion
I didn’t have time to go the first time I went to Turkey, but it’s on my bucket list! The flamingos are definitely a good enough reason to go!
Nabiha Khan
Yes indeed! You should definitely visit this lake, especially in flamingo season 🙂
Jas
It’s beautiful and I’ve always wanted to go. Love how your outfit pops against it!
Nabiha Khan
It is indeed! Thank you so much 🙂
Jeremy
Didn’t know there’s this salt lake in Turkey ! Otherwise I would have visited it when I was in Turkey few years back. Wonder if we can take reflection photos like the one in Bolivia ?
Nabiha Khan
It is very beautiful however the one in Bolivia is much clearer and hence gives better photos 🙂
Josy A
I love that you wore pink to visit the pink lake! Did you plan it that way?
It’s kind of funny that the only way to reach the lakeshore is via a restaurant! But that is a great tip to help people find the entrance to Tuz Lake. Is it possible to hike around the lake, or can you really only view it from one point?
Nabiha Khan
Yes, I did plan and wore pink 🙂 It’s such an underrated place, I believe mainly because people do not find a way to reach the shore. Well you can walk through the lake, tt’s very shallow. One can easily reach the deserted island on the other side
Mirela | The Travel Bunny
It’s the first time I’m reading about Tuz Lake. The name makes me think about Tuzla, a town in Romania’s Constanța County. A long time ago, the Turks had establishments in the Dobrogea area of my home country, and many places have kept their old names. So I’m wondering if the name of Tuzla comes from this lake. Do you happen to know anything about this?
Nabiha Khan
Wow! Thank you for the information. I am not sure about this, but Tuz means salt in the Turkish language. So it’s Salt Lake
Yara
Stunning! I love learning more about Turkey’s hidden gems like Tuz Lake and Pamukkale.
Yara | tayaramuse.com
Nabiha Khan
Yes! Turkey has so much to offer
Natasha
What a beautiful lake! Thanks for sharing!
Nabiha Khan
Glad you liked 🙂
April Key C. Rode
It’s my first time to stumble on this one. Thanks for the helpful and informative posts! Not sure if we can visit Turkey but if we have a chance to visit here I think this would be a great place to include in our itinerary.
Nabiha Khan
Thank you so much, April! Glad you found it useful. If someday you plan Turkey, do visit this lake. It’s very beautiful
Aditi Sharma
I was aware of the Salt Lakes in Bolivia but hadn’t heard about the one in Turkey. This one seems like a lovely place to visit off the beaten path during a trip to Turkey. Thanks for all the details and the tips.
Nabiha Khan
Glad you liked it 🙂 It is definitely worth visiting
Nitin Singhal
Had never heard about Salt Lake; looks really mesmerizing. Another place added on my bucket list.
Nabiha Khan
It is a very underrated place. But it’s lovely
Nina
This lake looks like such a cool spot to visit. It reminds me of this pink salt lake near Alicante, Spain. I will definitely add this to my list of places to visit in Turkey one day!
Nabiha Khan
Glad you liked it. You should visit, it is very beautiful and unique 🙂
Christine
So sad we missed this while in Turkey! We really enjoyed our time there, so we will have to add this to our list for when we go back.
Nabiha Khan
You should look forward to it, next time. It is worth visiting
Charlotte Lint
I haven’t heard about this place before! Thank you for the informative blogpost!
Nabiha Khan
Glad you found it useful. It is very underrated but worth visiting
Kay
Oh wow! I’ve never heard of this place before! But its definitely beautiful! I will admire from the shore though, that sounds painful ahhaha
Nabiha Khan
haha! it’s an underrated one. It is definitely painful to walk through 🙂 But the view is beautiful, even from the shore
Nicole
Such a great post! Turkey has been on my bucket list for quite awhile. I hadn’t heard of Tuz Lake before, now it will be added to my list when I visit. The pink color it has is amazing!
Nabiha Khan
It is an underrated one. But totally worth visiting. Do include it in your itinerary when you visit Turkey 🙂
Ana @ JauntingTrips.com
I would definitely go there to see the flamingos. I am really keen on seeing them in the wild. So I am thinking Turkey or Cyprus. But this salt lake really is interesting.
Nabiha Khan
It is very interesting and different to visit. A hidden gem 🙂
Caroline
I love that you dressed in pink to match! Looks amazing.
Nabiha Khan
Thank you so much 🙂
Darcy
This is so interesting! I never would have thought it would actually be painful to walk in this lake. And I love your Google Maps tips for how to find the lake access point.
Nabiha Khan
Thank you so much 🙂 Actually, it’s a little tricky to find it in Google maps and so I mentioned that. It is wonderful to walk through, although quite painful
Nicola
Wow this place looks incredibly beautiful. Thank you for putting it on my radar.
Nabiha Khan
Glad you liked it 🙂 You should visit it when you go to Turkey
Tamara- Travelling Tam
Wow beautiful! I’ve been to the salt lakes in Bolivia where they also have flamingos but was not aware there was one in Turkey. My best friend is from here so when I go again, I’ll be sure to visit!
Nabiha Khan
The one in Bolivia looks beautiful in photos. I haven’t visited though. This one is underrated but beautiful