We are both water babies and love to spend our time anywhere near the water. We usually gravitate towards the beach as that is what we know best but during our travels we’ve come to realise that there are so many stunning lakes in the world, many which compete with some of the most beautiful of beaches. There are far more than 10 beautiful lakes in the world but here are 10 of our favourites that we’ve discovered on our travels or are itching to visit on future adventures. These stunning lakes, found all around the world from South America to New Zealand to Siberia, will maybe even make you forget about beaches altogether with their beauty and are all equally worthy of a visit.
Photo by Pietro De Grandi
1. MORAINE LAKE, CANADA
Moraine Lake is located in beautiful Banff National Park in Canada. This stunningly blue lake is glacially fed which leads to its breathtakingly blue colour.
Photo by John Lee
2. PLITVICE LAKES, CROATIA
Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of the oldest national parks in Southeast Europe and the largest in Croatia, having also been granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979. Plitvice Lakes are a series of sixteen lakes, connected by a series of waterfalls and set among dense woodland in Croatia. They are a must see for anyone visiting Croatia.
Read more: Medsailors: The Only way to Sail Croatia,
3. LAKE TAHOE, USA
Lake Tahoe is a crystal-clear alpine lake that hugs both California and Nevada. It is so beautiful that the ski resort which overlooks the lake in winter named itself Heavenly (which certainly says something)! The lake reaches its peak tourism during the winter ski season but in summer a smaller crowd descends on the lake for hiking, fishing, kayaking and other outdoor pursuits!
4. LAKE TEKAPO, NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand’s picturesque Lake Tekapo is framed by the stunning Southern Alps and gets its unique, turquoise colour from the fine rock flour (ground by the glaciers) which gets suspended in the water. It is beautiful to visit by day and night, as it is part of the UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve, making it an ideal place to stargaze.
Read more: The Perfect Family Holiday: New Zealand by Campervan
5. LAKE TITICACA, BOLIVIA & PERU
Lake Titicaca is the world’s highest navigable lake at 3,821m and is popular with tourists and home to many communities who live on the reed islands. Lake Titicaca has a mythological significance to the Incas and it is easy to understand how the Incas give credit to Lake Titicaca for the creation of their entire civilisation. Located on the Southern Part of Lake Titicaca, Isla del Sol is considered by the Incas to be the birthplace of the Sun God.
Read more: Isla Del Sol, Copacabana & Lake Titicaca, Hiking Lake Titicaca’s Isla Del Sol
6. LAKE COMO, ITALY
Lake Como in Northern Italy is blessed with a superb microclimate and it’s palm trees, blooming flowers and snow-capped mountains, along with its luxury hotels perched on the lakeside leaves visitors lost for words. Lake Como has been attracting summer holidaymakers since the ancient Roman times and total it is popular for both its stunning natural beauty, charming lakeside villages, incredible weather and luxury hotels.
7. LAKE BAIKAL, SIBERIA
Lake Baikal is the oldest and deepest freshwater lake in the world, running almost 400 miles through Siberia. Surrounded by rugged snowcapped mountains that are teeming with wildlife and untouched small villages, Lake Baikal is one of the most remote, untouched and beautiful lakes in the world.
8. PEYTO LAKE, CANADA
Peyto Lake is a stunning glacier-fed lake in the Canadian Rockies. Canada features the most in our top 10 due to their abundance of breathtakingly beautiful lakes. The bright, turquoise colour of the lake is due to the large amounts of glacial rock flour that flow into the lake during summer. The lake is surrounding by beautiful mountains and is very popular in both summer and winter for hiking, water sports and skiing.
9. LAGUNA VERDE, BOLIVIA
Most people will see the stunning Laguna Verde when travelling across the Atacama Desert in South America. It is one of the most breathtaking lakes I have ever seen, and its stunning colour which ranges from turquoise to dark emerald is due to the high mineral content in the water. The lake is made even more stunning by the 5,868 metre high inactive volcano behind it and the flamingos who have made the lake its home.
10. LAKE BLED, SLOVENIA
Lake Bled is truly one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places we’ve ever visited. The emerald lake is surrounded by tall snow capped mountains and endless greenery with beautiful castles and cottages dotted around the landscape and a fairy-tale church on the island which you can hire a rowboat and row yourself to it! It is a truly magical destination! We’d love to visit in winter one year when it is a true winter wonderland!
Read more: Lake Bled Photo Diary, Grand Hotel Toplice, Glamping at Garden Village Bled
What other breathtaking lakes have you visited in your travels?
