Arijana and Matt from Shipped Away say they found a slice of Maldives in Turkey! Lake Salda, the Maldives of Turkey, is an hour-and-a-half drive from the world-famous Pamukkale Water Terraces. The reason why it’s called the Turkish Maldives is the Lake’s crystal clear turquoise water and white sand.
A Surreal Beauty
This crater lake is one of the coolest places to visit in Turkey. If you’re in the area, it’s so worth it. You can easily mistake it for a beach as you approach Lake Salda, because of its turquoise water.
The first time we saw this place online, we were mesmerised by its beauty. Straight away added it on our list of places to visit in Turkey. At first, we thought the colours were photoshopped, but once we saw it ourselves, we realised it’s 100% real. Even on a cloudy day, the lake looked stunning. We can only imagine how it is on a sunny day.
Lake Salda
The mineral content and the immense amount of magnesium give Lake Salda its breathtaking color and white sandy beaches.
Lake Salda’s minerals help with healing dermatological diseases like acne and eczema. Many people come here and immerse themselves in the healing water and mud.
A few years back, NASA even named Lake Salda one of the most similar places to surface lakes found on Mars. Since then, the lake’s popularity grew to unbelievable numbers of visitors every month, many of those from Turkey itself.
Protecting The Lake
Lake Salda is declared as “Special Protected Environment” in 2019. That also put an end to the practice of tourists parking directly on the shore of the lake. Preventing from damaging its ecosystem. In addition, the Lake Salda Protection Association petitioned UNESCO for the lake to become a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site to protect it from further development.
Hopefully, it will keep its natural beauty and develop into a great vacation spot with sustainability in mind. There are now accommodation, toilets, showers facilities built further away from the shore. They are also planning to build boardwalks and cycling paths around the lake.
Arijana and Matt shared their experience with Drisya Fernandes from Travel Secrets Magazine
Keen on exploring more picturesque destinations in Turkey? We got you!
