Tuz Gölü: Turkey's Largest Salt Lake

A recent trip through Ankara province took us by a huge salt lake called Tuz Gölü (lit. Salt Lake). It was midday with the sun shining down out of a clear sky, so the already calm, shallow water looked like a mirror, reflecting sky, clouds, shorelines, and people wading out into it.

There is a complex with a parking lot for travelers to stop off and visit the lake. There is no entrance fee. The complex contains a restaurant, cafe, souvenirs, and lots of advertisements for natural remedies and beauty products made from the salts and minerals found in the lake. The health products include deoderant, migraine and eczema treatments, and scrubbing salts for feet.

Another nearby sign informed us that Tuz Gölü is home to a large breeding colony of flamingos. The flamingos were not there at the time we visited, but a quick online search showed that we were just missing them--they return to Tuz Gölü in the late spring and summer.

Moving towards the water, the shoreline extended into the lake and we walked out on the little peninsula along with other visitors there at the time. A lot of people removed their shoes to wade out into the salt water. The lake was so shallow they were able to go far out into the water, creating the illusion at times that they were walking on top of it! Leslie and I opted not to take our shoes off and just enjoy the pretty scenery and views.

As the second largest lake in Turkey (behind Lake Van) and one of the biggest salt lakes in the world, if you are in the area it would be worth taking the time to stop off and see Tuz Gölü.