Tuz Gölü

Tuz Gölü is the second largest lake in Turkey and among the saltiest in the world, sitting in a closed basin on the Anatolian plateau with no outlet, fed by streams and groundwater that evaporate away in the summer heat. It is extremely shallow - about 0.4 m for most of the year - and by August much of it has dried to a salt crust averaging 30 cm thick that stretches to the horizon and is bright enough to hurt the eyes. The three mines on the lake produce 63% of the salt consumed in Turkey. In late spring the water often runs pink from Dunaliella algae, and the lake is a major breeding site for greater flamingos, with thousands of pairs nesting on a group of islands in the south of the lake - which is why the bird colonies are protected and access to parts of the basin is restricted. Falling water levels from irrigation abstraction are a serious and documented problem for the lake and the colony.

What's there

• The salt crust - white flat stretching to the horizon in summer.
• The pink water - algae colouring the shallows in late spring.
• The flamingos - the breeding colony out on the lake.
• The salt works - production plants along the shore.

When to go

July to September for the dry salt flat you can walk on; May to June for pink water and flamingos, though the birds are distant and their nesting areas are off limits.

Good to know

Glare on the salt is severe - sunglasses are essential and the crust reflects enough to burn. Walk only at the marked access points; the mud beyond the crust is deep. Flamingo colonies are protected and not approachable.

Nearby

Aksaray and Cappadocia are south-east; Ankara is two hours north.

Key facts