Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul Lake Draws Beachgoers Despite Alpine Setting

The shores of Issyk-Kul, the world's second-largest alpine lake, lie more than 1600 metres above sea level in Kyrgyzstan. The lake stretches about 180 kilometres from end to end and is surrounded by the Tian Shan mountain range. On a summer day, the northern shore near Cholpon Ata features sandy beaches lined with umbrellas and towels.

Teenagers jump from jetties, children sell fish, and a parasail moves across the sky. The nearest ocean coastline is more than 2000 kilometres away.

It is fed by more than 100 rivers and creeks but has no outlet stream. Geothermal springs keep the water between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius even in winter.

Most large resorts sit along the northern shore near Cholpon Ata. A new three-storey terminal is under construction at the local international airport. A large ski resort is scheduled for completion by 2030. A field of more than 1000 boulders near Cholpon Ata contains ancient rock carvings. Some carvings date back up to 4000 years and depict ibex, deer, snow leopards, and hunters.

On the southern shore, Skazka, also called Fairytale Canyon, features red, yellow, white, and purple cliffs shaped by erosion. The formations rise like columns in a barren landscape. In the village of Tamga, a Soviet MiG fighter overlooks a beach. Visitors can walk to the water before dawn while local residents return from morning walks.