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12 Most Beautiful Lakes in the World
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By Beth Collins
These 12 lakes go to all the right extremes—highest,
deepest, clearest—and showcase nature at its most
spectacular. Soak up the views from a boat, a cable car,
a trailhead, or a castle tower.
Malawi
Lake Malawi
Home to 1,000 species of fish—estimated to be more
than anyplace on earth—Lake Malawi (also called Lake
Nyasa) is Africa's third largest lake at 363 miles long and
up to about 50 miles wide in spots. Located in a
depression 2,300 feet below sea level, it's positioned at
the crossroads of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania,
and supports hundreds of local villages with its rich
underwater stock (which is, unfortunately, gradually
being depleted due to over-fishing). The lake's southern
portion—as well as a bordering nub of wildlife-rich land,
Cape Maclear—represents the world's first freshwater
national park; it was also named a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 1984. A star of the waters here is the
mbuna, a native freshwater fish known for eating directly
from people's hands. Bring your snorkel gear—as
beautiful as the scenery is, the best part about Lake
Malawi is what's swimming beneath you in the crystal
clear water.
Nearby: Cape Maclear, located within Lake Malawi
National Park, is a perfect base for exploring the area.
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Lake Malawi is positioned at the crossroads
of Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania and
supports hundreds of local villages with its
rich underwater stock.
Photo: Ian Cumming/age fotostock
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Alberta, Canada
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Peyto Lake
Alberta's Lake Louise is the famous one, on all the postcards
and posters. But Louise's sister lake 29 miles north along
Icefields Parkway, a two-laner that winds 142 miles through
the Canadian Rockies, is even more picturesque. Thanks to
glacial rock flour that flows in when the ice and snow melt
every summer, the waters of Banff National Park's Peyto
Lake are a brilliant turquoise more often associated with
warm-weather paradises like Antigua and Bora-Bora. For
the most dramatic views of the 1.7-mile-long stunner,
encircled with dense forest and craggy mountain peaks, pull
into the lot at Bow Summit, the parkway's highest point, and
follow the steep hike to the overlook.
Nearby: The town of Banff, the heart of the park, is 62 miles
south of Peyto Lake.
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In the Canadian province of Alberta, Peyto
Lake lies amid the Canadian Rockies. Its
waters pop with a brilliant turquoise more
often associated with warm-weather
paradises like Antigua and Bora-Bora.
Photo: Courtesy Travel Alberta
Oregon
Crater Lake
Thousands of years ago, the top of a 12,000-foot-high
volcano in the Cascade Range exploded. The massive pit left
behind became known as Crater Lake, the centerpiece of a
national park in southern Oregon that displays nature at its
rawest and most powerful. Forests of towering evergreens
and 2,000-foot-high cliffs surround the lake, where
extraordinarily deep waters—at 1,943 feet, it's the deepest
lake in the United States—yield an intense sapphire-blue
hue. If winter hiking and cross-country skiing aren't your
thing, wait until early July to visit, when the roads have been
The extraordinarily deep waters of Crater
Lake yield an intense sapphire-blue hue.
Photo: Tim McGuire/Corbis
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plowed and the trails cleared. Rim Drive, a 33-mile road that encircles the lake, has picture-perfect views
from all sides. For a closer look, follow the mile-long Cleetwood Cove Trail to the shore. Brace yourself
before diving in: The water temperature rarely rises above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nearby: The laid-back mountain town of Bend, 112 miles away, makes a nice home base for a Crater Lake
day trip.
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Philippines
Taal Lake
This dangerous beauty, situated just 37.28 miles south of
Manila, has two distinct claims to fame: It is the deepest
lake in the Philippines, with a depth of 564 feet. It is also
home to one of the world's smallest but most active
volcanoes, the Taal Volcano, which sits within its waters on
the island of Luzon. The lake itself was formed when a larger
volcanic crater here collapsed; now seismologists spend a
lot of time monitoring this spot for tremors, and sending out
frequent eruption warnings through the country's Department
of Tourism. Plenty of tour groups offer trips to the natural
wonder—in spite of the fact that it has been declared a
permanent danger zone. A safer way to see the volcano is
by taking a drive along the Tagaytay-Taal ridge in nearby
Tagaytay City.
Nearby: Adjacent Tagaytay City offers some well-priced
accommodations, in addition to the best views of the lake.
Taal Lake, situated just 37.28 miles south of
Manila, has two claims to fame: It is the
deepest lake in the Philippines at 564 feet
deep, and it is home to one of the world's
smallest, but most active, volcanoes.
Photo: Courtesy Luca Tettoni/Corbis
Guatemala
Lake Atitlán
Nearly a mile up in the highlands of Guatemala, Atitlán (Lago
de Atitlán) rests at the foot of three massive conical
volcanoes. Small Mayan villages line its shores, which are
set off by steep hills draped with oak and pine trees and
nearly 800 plant species. There's no single, must-see view of
the lake, so try several vantage points: from up high on
Highway 1; from the town of Panajachel, the buzzing market
hub that juts out into the water; or aboard a lancha, one of
A fisherman on Lake Atitlán, nearly a mile up
the many small boats that ferry visitors from village to village.
in the highlands of Guatemala.
We're saddened to note that the lake has built up high levels
Photo: Frans Lemmens/Corbis
of blue-green algae over the years (in October and
November 2009, a film of green scum began briefly marring
its surface; since then there have been ambitious efforts to solve the problem).
Nearby: Panajachel is about 2.5 hours by car from Guatemala City.
Scotland
Loch Lomond
With a backdrop of windswept rolling hills and medieval
castles, Loch Lomond feels like it's straight out of a Victorian
romance novel. The 24-mile-long lake is dotted with islands,
some so small that they disappear when the water levels are
high, and others large enough to be (sparsely) inhabited.
Most ferries stop at the largest island, Inchmurrin (population
11), so visitors can get a look at the remains of a 7th-century
monastery and the 14th century Lennox Castle, used often
as a hunting lodge for kings.
Nearby: The lake is 24 miles north of Glasgow and 66 west
of Edinburgh.
A broad view of Scotland's Loch Lomond,
with Balloch Castle in the foreground.
Photo: Skyscan/Corbis
Italy
Lake Garda
If the shape of Italy is a couture boot, think of the imprint of
Lake Garda as a design from the funky sister line—long and
skinny at the top, opening up toward the bottom. Garda is
the country's largest lake and one of the most popular
vacation spots among Italians. The southern shore is home
to hot springs, resort towns with pastel villas and terra-cottaroofed hotels, and most of Garda's 28 miles of serene,
pebbly beaches. To the north are the jagged peaks of the
Lake Garda is Italy's largest lake. The
Dolomites, a magnet for hikers and bicyclists who want to
southern shore is home to hot springs and
test their endurance. In Malcesine, an adorable speck of a
resort towns laced with pastel villas and
town with cobblestoned streets and a medieval castle, you
terra-cotta-roofed hotels.
Photo: Svenja-Foto/Corbis
can board a cable car up to Mount Baldo for one of the best
aerial views of the lake.
Nearby: Lake Garda is about halfway between Milan (89
miles away) and Venice (109 miles away), but to get the full, relaxing effect, stay in one of the south
shore's many small towns.
France
Lake Annecy
This alpine lake in the heart of the French Alps is a looker,
but don't expect to spend your visit gazing over the water in
quiet reflection. Lake Annecy is all about activity—particularly
in August, when Paris shuts down and the French take
extended holidays. Sailors, kayakers, and water-skiers
crisscross the water; bikers and hikers hit surrounding nature
trails; and refugees from the city fill the outdoor tables at the
lakeside restaurants and bars. Repeat visitors know to plan
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Lake Annecy meanders past eight miles of
nature reserves, waterfront villages, and
soaring peaks in the heart of the French
Alps.
their trip for the first Saturday of August, when a staggering,
nearly two-hour-long fireworks display illuminates the water.
Nearby: The closest major city is Geneva, 30 miles north, in
Switzerland, but most people stay right on the lake.
Photo: A. Gerard/courtesy Annecy Tourisme
Croatia
Plitvice Lakes
These 16 blue-green lakes, hidden by thick vegetation and
connected by hundreds of waterfalls, could be the set for the
next Jurassic Park. For adventure as well as killer views,
start at one of the lower lakes and work your way up
following the sturdy wooden planks that turn what could be a
treacherous trek into a fun hike. Take a detour along the
10-minute loop that leads to the region's tallest fall,
230-foot-high Veliki Slap ("Big Waterfall"), a breadth of
streaming white water that collects in turquoise pools. While
hiking, keep your eyes peeled for deer, wildcats, boars,
wolves, and bears—a more likely sighting than a T. rex.
Nearby: There are four hotels in Plitvice Lakes National
Park, but most people drive in for the day from Zagreb,
about 2 hours by car.
Croatia's 16 blue-green Plitvice Lakes are
connected by hundreds of waterfalls. The
waters are amazingly clear. Walk on
well-maintained wooden planks to get to the
edge.
Photo: 29cm/Flickr
Kenya
Lake Nakuru
The water is blue enough, and the backdrop—grasslands
and rocky hillsides—has the makings of a nice photo, but
neither is what sets this lake in central Kenya apart. The real
draw here is the mass of pink on Nakuru's edges. Flamingos
are one of the few species that can withstand the lake's
hostile conditions—the water has so much sodium carbonate
that it burns nearly everything that touches it —and they flock
to the lake en masse. There can be as many as a million
birds feeding on algae in the shallows at one time, wading
side by side.
Nearby: The lake is in the heart of Lake Nakuru National
Park, a sanctuary for black-and-white rhinos, three hours by
car from Nairobi.
An African buffalo wades along the shoreline
of Kenya's Lake Nakuru. In the background,
flamingos feed in the shallow lake.
Photo: Martin Harvey/Corbis
New Zealand
Lake Matheson
Alternately known as Mirror Lake, this South Island lake is
famous for its reflections of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.
Visiting just after dawn is ideal, when the water is at its
calmest and mirror images are impossibly perfect. The lake
itself is well worth exploring, too. Park near the Clearwater
River suspension bridge and follow the 1-mile loop past
kahikatea and rimu trees, which have extra-tall trunks and
fanciful bushy tops and look like something from a Dr. Seuss
book.
Nearby: Fox Glacier township, a village that serves as a
base camp for trekkers, is three miles east of the lake.
Lake Matheson in New Zealand is also
known as Mirror Lake—for good reason.
Photo: Hugh van Noorden/go_wild/Flickr
Slovenia
Lake Bled
Why not get to the good stuff right away? To take in this
Slovenian lake's most breathtaking vista, head immediately
to Bled Castle, at the edge of a sheer, 460-foot-high cliff.
You'll see mountains in every direction—the Julian Alps and
the Karavanke range—and below, the Alpine lake and its
main attraction, Bled Island, a tiny forested circle that's
home to the 17th-century Church of the Assumption and its
prominent baroque clock tower. Down on the lake's shore,
At Slovenia's Lake Bled, you'll see mountains
board a pletna boat (similar to a gondola) to the island. Be
in every direction, including the Julian Alps
sure to ring the church bell and make a wish before returning
and the Karavanke range.
Photo: Walter Bibikow/JAI/Corbis
to the mainland. Mountains shield the water from icy northern
winds, so Lake Bled is warm, relatively speaking (79
degrees Fahrenheit). If that's still too chilly, head to the
lake's northern section, where three hotels have built pools around natural thermal springs.
Nearby: The Slovenian capital of Ljubljana is an easy 35 miles away.
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