Issyk-Kul Lake

Issyk-Kul is the second-largest alpine lake in the world — 180 km long and up to 668 m deep — and the heart of Kyrgyz summer. Its slightly salty water never freezes, which gave it the name “warm lake”.

North shore vs south shore

The north shore (Cholpon-Ata) has beaches, resorts and the open-air petroglyph museum. The south shore is wilder: red canyons, eagle hunters, yurt camps on empty beaches and the gateway valleys to the Tian Shan.

Don’t miss

• Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs, carved 2,000–4,000 years ago.
• Skazka (Fairy Tale) Canyon at sunset.
• An eagle-hunting demonstration in Bokonbaevo.
• Swimming in July and August, when the water reaches 20–22 °C.