Our world is full of natural wonders just waiting to be found. Almost everyone would agree that lakes are amazing natural wonders. So we’re here to bring you pictures of some of the most beautiful and mesmerising lakes around the world.
While we take you on a tour some of the most beautiful lakes in the world, we’ll also be answering the following questions:
⭐ What is the world’s lowest lake?
⭐ Which country has the most beautiful lakes in the world?
⭐ What is the world’s largest lake?
⭐ What is Asia’s largest lake?
⭐ Where is the biggest mountain lake in the world?
⭐ What is the second-largest mountain lake in the world?
What Qualifies a Lake as One of the Most Beautiful Lakes in the World?
Lakes can be found in all regions at both high and low altitudes. They come in different sizes, shapes, and colours.
Since lakes are so diverse, there are a lot of factors that make them beautiful.
To that end, we’ve even included man-made lakes; if there’s something about them that makes them stare-worthy.
Alright.. are you ready?
Let’s start our tour of the mesmerising lakes around the world in Europe!
Mesmerising Lakes Around the World – Europe
Our first stop is Slovenia in Europe, where the lakes are different colours depending on where they are.
Lake Bled in the country’s capital captures your gaze with a dark green hue below its famous castle.
Then we have this striking little lake at a slightly higher altitude, where the whole scene gets a lot greener.
As we continue up into the Slovenian Alps, the colour of the water changes to a crystal clear blue, due to glacial run-off. It’s also bloody cold in that water, even in summer!
Once we head over to Croatia and the Plitvice National Park, things start to get a bit green again.
Our last European lake is in the Scottish Highlands, and it’s one I’m sure most people have heard of – Loch Ness! It gave the world one of its biggest folk legends of the 20th century; Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.
Despite the cheesy boat tours with sonar and underwater imaging equipment, they never did find ol’ Nessie in the deep waters of Loch Ness.
Mesmerising Lakes Around the World – Africa
Africa is vast with varied landscapes. It’s probably best known for its savannahs and the Sahara Desert. But it is so much more than that.
Would you believe the Sahara actually has some lakes?
There are a few lakes in Mali that are big enough to show up on the map! For now, I give you one of the small rock lakes at Paradise Valley near Agadir in Southern Morocco. An actual oasis in the desert.
We’ll move away from the Sahara now and into the West African country of Liberia for one of our coolest lakes. This little lake in Monrovia just kind of pops up out of nowhere.
In fact, you could easily miss it if you stayed on the road.
The rickety old wooden bridge to the homestead on a small island in the lake makes it feel very quaint. But the best part is the bar on its bank, where you can settle in for the sunset.
Mesmerising Lakes Around the World – Oceania
Next, we head over to Oceania.
Oceania may be one of the most interesting regions in the world as it’s about 70% water.
So would you think it strange if the first lake we’re visiting in the region is found in a desert?
The expansive Simpson Desert in Central Australia to be exact. This lake at Kings Canyon in the Watarrka National Park is aptly named The Garden of Eden.
Maybe you could do with a relaxing ride in a small boat on this green lake away from the desert in Eastern Australia?
Mesmerising Lakes Around the World – Asia
It needs to be said that Asian lakes are something else. Some of the most beautiful lakes in the world are found in Asia. Are you ready?
Let’s start in South Asia in a wonderfully welcoming country not normally known for its natural wonders; Bangladesh.
This is one of the green lakes of Birishiri.
If you head up into the Indian Himalayas, you might just find yourself at one of India’s highest lakes at Chandra Taal in Himachal Pradesh.
At 4300m above sea level and several kilometres from the nearest permanent settlement, this lake is never crowded and always pristine.
This serene lake is easily one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
East Asia
Onto East Asia now, and we have ourselves another mountain lake. This time on the beautiful island of Taiwan.
This amazing lake, known as The Angel’s Tear or Jia Ming Lake (嘉明湖), is Taiwan’s second-highest mountain lake.
Isn’t she just stunning?
In South Korea, they’re not content with just any old boring lake. They like to put pretty temples in the middle of them.
Southeast Asia
Not to be outdone by South Korea, Singapore made its own lakes in the middle of the city. Not just one either.
If you go to the Gardens by the Bay you’ll see a few man-made lakes, but none are as pretty as this one in front of the ArtScience Museum.
They also made their own lakes in the city of Yangon Myanmar. The Kandawgyi Lake in Bogyoke Park was constructed as a freshwater supply during colonial times. Now it’s just a quiet place to hang out.
You wouldn’t be able to tell, but some of the most beautiful lakes in the world are hiding underground.
On the island of West Timor in Indonesia is one such lake. Time to head underground to Goa Kristal (Crystal Cave) to check out its lake!
Swimming is allowed too!
West Asia
Moving on to West Asia, we find the second of our two underground lakes. This time in Northern Israel‘s Rosh Hanikra.
Now, this is where things get a bit strange. Apart from being the home of the lowest lake in the world, Western Asia is also full of seas that aren’t really seas.
Take, for instance, The Sea of Galilee in Northern Israel. It is not a sea.
It is in fact, the world’s lowest freshwater lake at around 210 meters below sea level.
The Dead Sea, also not a sea, and also in Israel, is the world’s lowest saltwater lake.
At just over 400 metres below sea level, it is also the lowest lake in the world.
The last sea/not sea in Western Asia is the Caspian Sea.
It is actually the world’s largest lake and forms part of the division between the European and Asian continents.
You can see why people would think it’s a sea though.
Central Asia
The landscapes of Central Asia are mind-blowing. They also have their fair share of lakes.
This one, called Big Almaty Lake, is located in the Tyan Shan mountains in the Ili-Alatau National Park. It is the main drinking water supply for the closest city, Almaty.
Next on our tour of mesmerising lakes around the world, we have Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul. It’s the second biggest mountain lake in the world, with an area of several thousand kilometres.
Issyk-Kul means ‘Warm Lake’ and was so named because it never freezes. Even though the area has subzero temperatures in winter.
Now on to Khazhikent in Uzbekistan where we’ll find another massive inland body of water called Lake Charvak. It was created by building a dam on the Chirchiq River.
Our last Asian lake might not be that pretty, but it’s very cool. It can be found in a small crater in the desert near Darvaza in Turkmenistan and it’s the only body of water in the desert!
Mesmerising Lakes Around the World – South America
Would you believe that halfway across the globe in Ecuador there is also another crater lake?
But this one gets extra credit for its location in the Andes and for being caused by the collapse of a volcano.
It would be very hard to argue that this isn’t one of the most beautiful lakes in the world!
Then we move on to the Northern Peruvian frontier, where there are a series of protected mangrove lakes with their own crocodile farm.
Our final stop in South America is the world-famous but terribly named, Lake Titicaca. It is the world’s largest mountain lake.
In fact, it’s so big that it is spread over two of the seven Andean countries, namely Peru and Bolivia.
Mesmerising Lakes Around the World – North America
We’ve definitely saved the best for last here. First up, we have a lake somewhere in the state of New Hampshire.
Then we’ll head over to the Eastern Canadian province of Newfoundland. There we can visit a quiet little lake on the Skerwink Trail.
And finally, some of the most mesmerising lakes around the world you’ll ever see can be found in the Western Canadian Province of British Columbia (BC).
To be honest, BC should be your first stop for almost any kind of nature activities you want to involve yourself in. But for now, take a look at one of the amazing Jofre Lakes.
See how clear that water is!
All three of the Jofre Lakes are filled by glacial run-off from the snow-tipped mountains you can see in the background. That’s why their colours are so vibrant. They seem to get more vibrant as the elevation increases!
I hope you’ve enjoyed our tour of some of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Which one was your favourite?
Mesmerising Lakes Around the World – A Quick Recap
⭐ What is the world’s lowest lake?
Coming in at several hundred metres below sea level, it’s the Dead Sea.
⭐ Which country has the most beautiful lakes in the world?
Well, that’s totally subjective! But let’s go with Canada.
⭐ What is the world’s largest lake?
That would be a sea that’s not a sea; the Caspian Sea.
⭐ What is Asia’s largest lake?
That would again be the Caspian Sea.
⭐ Where is the biggest mountain lake in the world?
The terribly named Lake Titicaca on the border of Bolivia and Peru.
⭐ What is the second-largest mountain lake in the world?
Issyk-Kul in Eastern Kyrgyzstan. Fun fact: it is also the seventh-deepest lake in the world and the second-largest saline lake after the Caspian Sea.
Would you like to know more about lakes? Head to the National Geographic website
Where in the world have you seen a mesmerising lake? Would you like to see more posts like this? Let us know in the comments! :o)
For some other cool stuff around the world, check out these articles –
Adventures Around the World
Unique Experiences Around the World
Sunsets Around the World
Funny Signs Around the World
Languages to Help You Travel the World
Communicate Around the World Without Words
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70 Replies to “40 Mesmerising Lakes Around the World You Will Love”
I live in Milan and I enjoy a lot of the lakes that surround me: Garda, Lario and Maggiore. And then from last year I go on vacation in Slovenia and I have enjoyed the beauty of Bled and Bohini
Lakes are beautiful everywhere!
I consider myself well traveled but somehow I haven’t made it to a single lake on your list! I need to get on it! These are all stunning!
A lot of these I found by accident. Like the ones in Kazakhstan, Israel, Slovenia and Liberia. I never would have found them if I wasn’t staying with locals.
I’ve never been to Slovenia but Lake Bled is a destination I’ve always wanted to visit. The lake is absolutely stunning! All of these are stunning destinations and I hope I make it to British Columbia some day soon since it’s not too far off.
Lake bled is beautiful. I took so.many photos of it!
Lakes are really beautiful and God’s gift to nature and mankind, I really loves to travel in places where there are lakes and mountains. A good post
Yes! Lakes are awesome!
I would love to dip my toes in every one of those lakes!
I don’t know if you’d want to try the glacial lakes. OMG they’re bloody freezing! Even in summer!
Wow! Had no idea most of these excited. The ones in Central Asia especially.
I didnt even include the most amazing Central Asian ones! They have so many beautiful lakes in the region!
wow!! those pictures are simply breathtaking!! Love how you put together such a long list of lakes from around the world! Wish one day I would be able to visit some of these beautiful places.
That’s not even half the lakes I’ve seen around the world! There are still quite a few I want to see as well!
We have many lakes in our country, too. But I have not really gotten a close look at any. I wish I could travel more. That lake in Korea with a temple in the middle is amazing.
I’m sure you’ll get to them one day.
I love Korea! It’s one of my favourite places on Earth.
Wow, the photos of the lakes are amazing! The blue colors are relaxing to the eyes.
xoxo
Lovely
Gorgeous virtual tour! Must include these stops in my travel plans. Canada is on my list once we can start moving around again. Thank you for the guide.
I swear Canada has all the good lakes and hiking trails!
Lakes can make enough reason for you to travel to a certain destination. These are gorgeous, and we are lucky enough to have visited a few on this list :)
There are actually a few places I want to go back to, just to see their lakes!
Mesmerising is such an accurate word to describe these lakes. They’re so beautiful. I want to visit them all!
Lakes are beautiful! I hope to see more colourful ones as I travel. I haven’t seen a pink lake yet!
I love the lakes in Asia. They’re gorgeous. Especially Birishiri. I’ve never seen them in person but it’s something I really want to do in the next few years.
Birishiri was such a lovely surprise. It’s a small town almost in the middle of nowhere and virtually no tourist traffic. I ended up there because I had limited time and apparently transport in Bangladesh takes A LOT longer than you think it would. Haha.
Hi Kez!
Great post! A lot of times we forget how great visiting a lake can be! thank for bringing it back to focus
Lakes are awesome! :o)
Love this virtual tour of lakes around the world! So much beauty and variety. I think I found a few new places to add to my travel bucket list!
I’m glad you enjoyed it and found some new places to visit :o)
You always have great photography on your posts.
Aww thank you! I always think my camera isn’t good enough.
Lake Bled is so fantastic, loved seeing this as the first on your list! I grew up on a lake in North America and have a special love for all lakes as a result; this article really spoke to me, so thanks for sharing!
We had to drive kind of far to see lakes where I grew up. I guess that’s why I love them so much now!
omg i would love to check each and every one of these amazing places, that would be awesome!!! Gorgeous…
Yeah, there are some pretty cool places there :o)
Great list. It’s really hard to choose but I think that Lake Charvak in Uzbekistan is my favourite 🙂
That lake is so popular that they actually built a resort there!
You don’t mention the name of the lake in Ecuador. We visited Laguna de Cuicocha a lake in a caldera from 3100 years ago; I think your photo is from another lake, however.
It’s Quilotoa in the Western Andes.
Beautiful lakes and pics, thanks for sharing.
*runs to make list of all the lakes I want to visit* These all looks amazing but the jofree lakes in Canada are just something else! it looks like they really offer it all, beautiful colour, greenery and snowy mountains!
Joffrey Lakes were amazing. We continued on a little bit from the highest lake and hit a snow cap. In the middle of summer. So now there are pictures of me in summer clothing on the snow.
Canada honestly has some of the best lakes and nature in the world!
The Angel’s Tear is a beauty! I’m even sad that I can’t possibly visit all of those wonderful lakes in my lifetime. And there are many more out there!
That was definitely one of my favourites. Especially because it’s so far away from the nearest town, making it a bit of a hidden gem.
Love this list! I’ve been to the ones in Europe and you are right – they are all beautiful, especially Lake Bled. Adding the lakes from the rest of the places to my list!
I think I still have many lakes left to find!
So nice to read about some of the most enchanting lakes from around the world. We loved the lakes of Switzerland, but our favourite has to be Pangong Lake in Ladakh, India.
There are some really nice lakes up in the Himalayas in India!
We were at Lake Titicaca a few years ago, when visited both Peru and Bolivia. It’s simply amazing! In Europe, our favorite lake so far is Lake Annecy in France. Have you been?
I’ve been to France, but not Lake Annecy. Europe is my least travelled region, haha.
great lakes when I start to travel again I will visit some of these
Cool. Make sure you get a lot of pictures!
That’s an exhaustive list but loved to read it. Beautiful pictures.
This is but a drop in the water of the thousands and thousands of lakes worldwide!
I LOVE hiking up to glacier lakes, so I am glad you included Joffre Lakes. If you come back, there is an amaaaazing lake closer to Vancouver called watersprite lake – I think you would love that one to. The colour is spectacular.
You must have had fun going through old photos to find all these.
Jofree Lakes were amazing! How could I not include them?! My friend who used to live in Van had been looking for an excuse to do that hike for years and I was only too happy to oblige. We also did the hike with all the tea cups, I can’t remember the name.
I had actually forgotten about some of these lakes until I was working on this post! I was also a bit disappointed that I seem to have lost all my pictures of the blue lake in Mt Gambier, Australia, which was what actually gave me the idea to do the post. Ugh.
These are all beautiful but Crystal Cave really caught my eye!
Yes! I loved that one too! So beautiful an almost no one aroind!
I am a lake girl!! That lake in India is so beautiful!!
It was. We walked all the way around it and didnt see another soul.
Don’t ask me why but I am passionate about lakes and prefer them over ocean! I would love to visit them all, what an amazing list!
Because lakes are awesome! Always so serene and they have so many different moods and colours!
Mesmerizing indeed!
These are really beautiful views to behold.
Thanks for sharing the wonderful sceneries.
I’m glad you enjoyed it :o)
There’s always something about lakes that’s calming!
I love those magical reflections you captured with Lake Bled. Wow.
Lake Bled is awesome. It took a long time to choose the picture as I have so many photos from different areas around the lake!
These pictures are awesome, can’t wait to get out travelling again, Slovenia is defo on my list of places to go the lakes look amazing :)
Thanks for sharing!
Slovenia has it all. Beautiful lakes, waterfalls, glacial rivers and lakes, white water rafting and other adventure sports. I almost went skydiving over the Alps there, but the plane broke down before we even started :o(
I love the photos throughout your site. Beautifully put together.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment :o)