8 most photogenic lakes in the world
It is hard to believe that phenomena as different as the eruption of a volcano, the melting of a glacier or the evaporation of salt water are capable of creating something that we define with the same word: lake. We call them the same but they are very different. Crystalline or turbid waters, sweet or salty, hot or cold, blue or purple, surrounded by snow-capped mountains or the driest desert.
Today we propose a tour of some of the most photogenic lakes on the planet, although we warned you before starting that even the best camera in the world can not capture the immensity and beauty of what you are going to see.
Lake Garda (Italy)
Between the Alps and the Padana plain, just halfway between Venice and Milan , lies the Lago di Garda, a quiet and peaceful place, surrounded by palm trees, oleanders, olive trees and vines.
It is the perfect combination of history, nature and all kinds of sports. And when we say everything, it’s literally everything. You can practice swimming, rafting, horseback riding, hiking on foot or by bicycle, touring its waters by rowing or sailing, or flying over in hang gliding. Maybe they have not thought about it but the Olympics could be held here perfectly.
If your thing is contemplation and not movement, we suggest you cross the lake by ferry and move through the charming towns that are on its coast. Among them, we recommend that you visit Sirmione , on the west side of the lake. There you can climb the castle Rocca Scaligera and enjoy spectacular views from its highest tower. You also have to go through the Caves of Catullus, the ruins of the Roman patrician town where the poet lived in the 1st century BC. Have your camera ready because they say that the sunsets from this place are magical.
Although perhaps, during your tour, you will appreciate much more the city of Sirmione when you see it from the quiet and much less touristy Desenzano del Garda . In the northern area, you can not miss visiting Malcesine, where you can take a cable car that will take you to Monte Baldo, 2,218 meters high.
Lakes of Covadonga (Spain)
The National Park of the Picos de Europa , in Asturias, hides three spectacular lakes that offer story images, especially in spring: Enol, La Ercina and Bricial (which you can only see with water during the thaw). Lake Enol is located about 1,070 meters high and is the largest of the Lakes of Covadonga. It only reaches 25 meters deep but is more than enough to hide the most precious treasure of the inhabitants of the area: an image of the Virgin of Covadonga made with the remains of molten rifles that since 1972 rests in a cave under its waters and that every September 8 is recovered and taken out in procession.
The lake of Ercina, located at 1,100 meters high, is smaller and shallower, which makes it possible to freeze in winter, offering us a large mirror on which to observe the immensity of the Asturian landscape. Of him what most will call your attention are the huge cows that you will see walking freely around.
There are several viewpoints from which to get great views of the lakes, like the viewpoint of the Prince, the Picota or the King. But without a doubt, the one that we should not miss is that of Entrelagos, from which, climbing a small hill, we can see the two lakes at once.
Whether from the viewpoint or from the shore of the lake, we recommend you to make your visit during the central hours of the day, when you can see the mountains reflected in the water, or wait until sunset to capture the whole set of colors that It occurs on its surface.
It is also highly recommended to visit the Santa Cueva, where you can see a carving of the Virgin of Covadonga (but not the original, burned in 1777), and the tomb of the first king of Asturias, Don Pelayo. It is very curious the waterfall that comes from the chapel and goes to a small lake.
Chott El-Djerid (Tunisia)
We leave the green of Asturias and move to Tunisia to visit El Chott El-Djerid or The Great Salt Lake which is, as its name suggests, a very large salt lake (chott) that stretches from almost the border with Algeria to the region of Gabes, very close to the Mediterranean. It is very common to find chotts in North Africa, but none has the magnitude of this, with 250 kilometers from east to west, and 180 kilometers from north to south, totaling more than 5,000 km2 of surface.
Its color changes between purple, light green and white , thanks to the combination of salt, hot air and evaporated water. This mixture of elements offers a very interesting image that can even make us fall in the illusion Fata Morgana (fairy Morgana in Italian, a changing fairy, according to legend, was King Arthur’s half sister). These very photogenic colors made the lake the scene of Star Wars episode IV, “A New Hope”.
We strongly recommend that you do not try to visit it in summer because besides the heat is suffocating, you will not find any lake to visit, as it evaporates every year and only a large mass of salt remains (salt, which, by the way, will later serve to season dishes throughout Europe since Tunisia is one of the main exporters thanks to this lake).
Many people try to cross the Chott El-Djerid by car or bus, which is not usually a good idea, as we can imagine thanks to the amount of vehicles and even boats that we will see stuck in the middle of the lake. On the other hand, in winter it is possible to cross it in small boats.
During our tour we can visit cities such as Tozeur, Nefta, Kebili and Douz, although we should conserve strength to enter the Great Eastern Erg desert, where we can see huge dunes up to 250 meters high.
Lake Liyu (Taiwan)
We now arrive to Taiwan attracted by Lake Liyu which was formed centuries ago after a typhoon caused landslides in the mountains that modified the layout of the River Lau.
When it was formed it was smaller, but the natives did not take long to take advantage of the resources and they poured water from the Lanong River to increase its size and have water for its crops and farms. It is just over a kilometer and a half long and somewhat less than a kilometer wide.
If you are a bicycle lover , this is your lake. The most recommended (and recommended) way to cross it is following the bike path that surrounds the lake.
Along the route we will find numerous camping and picnic areas, so it is a very pleasant trip with little difficulty, where you will find jewels like the Mukumugi valley, a small oasis of peace not very frequented by tourism. There you can bathe in crystal clear waters, see samples of aboriginal culture and get an authentic Taroko machete.
In addition to the bicycle, at Lake Liyu you can practice water sports or rent a boat to cross it. It is also a good place to fish (have we told you that “Liyu” means “carp”?). But if you’re looking for a good view, you have to get to the Liyu viewpoint.
And if the view of the lake was not already impressive enough, the image can be improved much more thanks to the spectacle offered by thousands of fireflies flying over the lake every April. You will never see a show like that!
Lake Taupo (New Zealand)
The largest lake in New Zealand was formed 2,000 years ago after an eruption of the Taupo volcano, so if you travel here you will be in a sea in miniature within the caldera of a volcano, 365 meters high. Exciting, is not it?
It has an area of 616 km2 to carry out practically any aquatic or terrestrial activity that you can think of. One of its main attractions is fishing . In fact, there are so many trout (especially brown and rainbow), that the odd thing would be that you could not catch a fish.
Another of its star activities is hiking, especially to go out in search of the geothermal park known as the Craters of the Moon, where you can see boiling mud boiling and feel the heat and steam that gives off the earth. You have never had a more natural spa session.
In your tour of the lake, in addition to volcanic landscapes , you will cross impressive virgin forests full of vegetation and you will find animals as striking as the whio, a blue New Zealand duck.
But if there is a part of the lake that you can not miss, it’s Huka Falls. To the north of the lake, the longest river in New Zealand, the Waikato, is crossed by a ravine of hard volcanic rocks, creating the effect of a giant hose that releases 220,000 liters of water per second. You can watch the show from a pedestrian bridge or dare to experience the force of water from a jet-to-jet raft. And in quieter waters, you can take one of the cruises that cross the lake and see up close the huge Maori carving on the wall of the Bay mine, which can only be accessed from the water. Although if you want to see it really close, the best option is to rent a kayak.
Before leaving, be sure to try the wine, cider and craft beer brewed in the area, and enjoy its own flavor and identity, obtained thanks to the characteristics of the volcanic soil and the purity of the water.
Lake Tahoe (United States)
The Tahoe is a freshwater lake between the California and Nevada border. Its transparent waters and the mountains that surround it make it one of the most photogenic lakes of our visit.
It is at an altitude of 1899 meters and measures 35 kilometers long and 19 wide, which makes a total of 495km2 flanked by cities as different as Truckee and Tahoe City in California, Carson City and Stateline in Nevada, where you can see from landscapes that still seem taken from the Bonanza series, to cities with skyscrapers and casinos.
To appreciate all the beauty that the lake offers, we have to go through the Emerald State Park . There, in the Emerald Bay, is found, surrounded by pines and firs, the “Inspiration Point”. With that name, you will not be surprised that it is the ideal point to observe the best view of the lake, especially the Emerald Bay and Fanette Island.
The best time to visit the lake? Any time of the year. In winter, you can glide through the snow in more than a dozen ski resorts, and in the summer lay sunbathing on beaches such as Kings, Commons or El Dorado, while watching the snowy peaks in the distance, or paddle surfing in their calm waters.
Lake Pehoé (Chile)
In the dialect of the Tehuenches “Pehoé” (pronounced something like “pehue”) means “hidden”, so you can imagine that it is a hidden beauty, although nowadays it is not difficult to reach it: we can do it following two navigable routes and one terrestrial one. It is located within the Torres del Paine National Park , in the Magallanes region and the Chilean Antarctic, one of the 15 regions in which Chile is divided.
Its waters are crystal clear and surrounded by huge mountains of snowy peaks, which is the perfect setting for a lover of photography, although the uncertain climate of the peaks does not guarantee that we have a clear reflection of the mountains on the water. Luckily, around the lake there are numerous campsites where you can spend the night and wait for the right moment to photograph the famous peaks known as Cuernos del Paine.
We can also practice fishing, or enjoy the vegetation, such as the famous calafate bushes, which we can eat in summer during our walk.
If we also have a vehicle, we can take the opportunity to visit other lakes in the area such as Lake Gray, Lake del Toro, Laguna Azul, or Paine waterfall, all of which are just over an hour from Pehoé.
Lake Titicaca (Peru)
Our visit ends in Peru, which hosts more than half of Lake Titicaca. Located at 3,812 meters high, it is the highest navigable lake in the world.
It is an extension of no less than 8,562 km2 of blue water that is a source of life for cities that have managed to keep their tradition and history intact. According to legend, Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, the founders of the Inca Empire, were born there.
In its Peruvian part, the lake pools the islands of Taquile, Amantaní and Uros, authentic treasures in which even today we can know pre-Columbian traditions and customs.
Taquile or Intika , is a picturesque island where Quechua is still spoken, the barter system survives, and where we can see archaeological remains of the Inca Empire. The taquileños are world famous for their fabrics, which have even been recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It is a perfect place for trekking lovers, especially if you do not mind climbing stairs: if you want to reach the upper part of the town you will have to climb 567 steps. With this, you will be 140 meters above the lake, and 3,950 meters above sea level.
A little further north, we reach Amantaní , an island dedicated to agriculture, weaving (very similar to that of Taquile), and the manufacture of granite utensils. The views of the cultivated fields, the eucalyptus and the cantuta (a typical flower of the area), with the lake in the background, are simply spectacular.
The third “island” is Uros, in the bay of Puno, and perhaps it is the most impressive thing you will see in the lake. It is a set of floating islands made of totora, a species of reed that grows in the Titicaca, and that houses the houses of the Aymaras, one of the oldest Andean civilizations.
Each island has a life of about 20 years, and they undergo an exhaustive maintenance every 20 days, in which a new layer of totora is added on the surface and the anchors in the bottom are renewed. They are also made of this junk their boats and handmade products that sell to tourists who come to them or take them to the market of Puno.
After this tour of some of the most impressive lakes in the world, it is your turn to decide for you. We offer ourselves to keep you company.
Author-Bio:
The author of above content is a professional digital marketing who has assisted many brands in increasing their ROI. Currently, he is associated with SK Web Designing Solutions a leading Affordable Logo Design provider in the United States.
