The Koyashskoye Salt Lake is awe-inspiring
- Available
- All year
- Location
- East Crimea
Koyashskoye is a salt lake located on the coast of the Kerch Peninsula. Like many salt lakes around the world, the waters of Koyashskoye have an impressive pink hue, due to the presence of microscopic algae that thrive in the saline water. The lake is not large — about 4 kilometers long and 2 kilometers wide, and quite shallow with an average depth of just one meter. Because of its shallowness, countless tiny, rocky islands dot the lake’s surface. When the water evaporates, the salt in the lake crystallizes around these rocks and the shores, producing crystal stones and the scent of the viola.
The lake is not widely known to the tourists but popular among the locals who say the lake’s mud contains healing properties. The lake belongs to Opuksky Nature Reserve that was created in 1998. It is a paradise for photographers who set up their equipment for the day to capture the different shades of the lake. We met one of them, Sergey, he is from Sevastopol and here are his impressions:
Koyashskoye is one of the most beautiful and fantastic places in Crimea. The shores of the lake consist of crystallized salt with the scent of the viola. It is considered to be healing and is used for recreation. It is so unexpectedly beautiful because it is surrounded by naked wind-blown stones.
It looks just like a desert.
He added:
In the spring the lake color is tenderly pink – and bright-red during the summer. Locals love the lake, but fortunately, it is still not widely known to tourists. The air is very humid there and very salty and because of the salt in the air, you have a feeling that the air is sticky. Because of the salt, your skin, clothes, and equipment end up covered by this sticky, thin film.
The bottom of the lake is covered with therapeutic mud – sulfide silt supply with reserves estimated at 1.7 million cubic meters.
In spring, when the sun has not yet had time to burn everything alive, the shores of Koyashskoye Lake are literally dotted with wildflowers and wild tulips. Their smell mingles with the aroma of violets and drives you crazy! Absolutely magical and unforgettable impression!
