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 - a metre or two at most in spring - and by July much of it has dried to a salt crust several centimetres thick that stretches to the horizon and is bright enough to hurt the eyes. Around seventy percent of Turkey's salt is produced here at works along the shore. 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 islands in the middle - 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 you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

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.