Salt Lake (Tuz-Köl)

Salt Lake (also Dead Lake, Tuz-Köl, Kara-Köl) is a small lake on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, notable for its high concentration of salt in the water, as well as healing mud on the banks and bottom of the lake. A huge percentage of water salinity places the lake on a par with the Dead Sea in Israel or the Great Salt Lake in the US, but on a smaller scale. For example, you can relax in the water without exerting any effort at all. Beware of water getting into your eyes, because there will be discomfort. The shore of the lake is covered with curative clay of different colors, as well as with sharp crystals of salt, which are formed from the drying out of water. The size of the lake is very small: the length of the coastline is 1.5 km, and the depth is 11m. Despite its very small size, because of its salinity, it does not freeze even in winter.
Paradoxically, but very popular now, this lake was almost unknown until the 2000s, and more or less only started being visited by tourists in 2010.
The lake is very close to the coastline of Issyk-Kul – just 400 meters away. The area around the lake is very picturesque: dried up hills of red and white sand, a large bay and a panorama of the Terskey Ala-Too Range

How to get to the Salt Lake?

The Salt Lake is located on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, 70 kilometers from Balykchy. The turn for the lake from the main road is located about 56 km from Balykchy, near the villages of Kara-Koo and Kyzyl-Tuu, at the beginning of the ascent to the Pass Kesken-Bel. There is a road sign at the turn. The road to the lake is of rather poor quality. The entrance fee to the lake is approximately 150 soms per car and 100 soms per person.

Salt Lake on the map

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