Ala-kul lake

Ala-Kul lake

Ala-Kul (also Alakul, Ala-Kel, Ala-Kel) is a large alpine lake of glacial origin, located in the eastern part of the Terskey-Ala-Too ridge on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, near the city of Karakol. The lake is located in a vast basin between the Karakol and Altyn-Arashan gorges and has no flow. The name of the lake is translated from Kyrgyz as “motley lake” and it perfectly matches this place. Ala-Kul really amazes with its colors: bright turquoise water is adjacent to snow that never melts even in summer, green grass and mountain flowers of various shades.

The lake is located really high - at 3500 meters above sea level. Of all the high mountain lakes in Kyrgyzstan, Ala-Kul is perhaps the most beloved among tourists due to its extraordinary beauty and large size. The size of the lake, by the way, is almost 3 kilometers long and 500 meters wide. The total length of the coastline is 7 kilometers.

In addition to the lake itself, tourists are also very attracted by the road to it - it passes through the picturesque Karakol Gorge, which delights tourists with majestic views of mountains and Tien Shan forests. Also, the lake can be reached through the picturesque Altyn-Arashan gorge, but for this you will need to overcome the Ala-Kul pass (3900 meters high). Of course, the circular version of the route is also very popular, with entry into one gorge and exit from another.