Kow Ata Underground Lake

An hour and a half west of Ashgabat, a doorway in the Kopet Dag opens onto one of Central Asia's stranger swims: a long stairway drops some sixty metres into a cavern where Kow Ata - 'father of caves' - holds an underground lake of naturally warm, faintly sulphurous water that stays at pleasant bath temperature all year. Swimmers push out into the dim, mineral-heavy warmth beneath a ceiling alive with one of the region's largest bat colonies, voices echoing off wet stone. It is eccentric, mildly eggy and entirely memorable - the national day trip Turkmen families have made for generations.

The landscape

• The underground swim - warm mineral water in the cavern dark.
• The descent - the long staircase into the mountain's throat.
• The bat colony - the ceiling's resident thousands.
• The Kopet Dag drive - the range road west from the capital.

When to go

Year round - the water ignores the seasons; winter visits pair a warm swim with cold mountain air memorably. Weekends bring Ashgabat families; weekday mornings are quietest.

Practical notes

The sulphur smell is real and stays in swimwear; the stairs are many, sometimes slick, and the lighting moody at best - those unsteady on steps should think twice. Water depth drops quickly and there are no lifeguards; average swimmers stay near the entry. Facilities are basic changing rooms and kebab stands above.

Nearby

The Kopet Dag villages, Geok Depe's horse country and Ashgabat.