Balykchy- the closest city to Bishkek on Lake Issyk-Kul (186 km). If you just want to look at the lake one day and return to the capital, you will have time to visit Balykchy. For a beach holiday, it is better to go further to Cholpon Ata or to the southern coast.
Cholpon Ata = civil beach holiday. Cholpon Ata is the main resort town in northern bank of Issyk-Kul. Go in the summer to swim in the lake and relax by the water.
Tourist infrastructure: hotels, guest houses, cafes are located in Cholpon Ata and neighboring villages from the village Tamchi to Korumdu.
There is sand and stones at the bottom, the water is clean. To the east of the village of Korumdu, the “black” side of the lake begins: there is clay at the bottom, the water is not transparent.
From Cholpon Ata it is convenient to visit the Grigorievskoye and Semenovskoye gorges, thermal springs, petroglyphs, and the Rukh Ordo cultural center.
South coast = wild beach holiday. The south of Lake Issyk-Kul is considered more picturesque, but less developed in terms of tourism. The choice of comfortable accommodation and cafes is still modest.
Come in summer with tents or live in yurts. Yurt campsites are located next to the Skazka canyon near the towns of Bokonbaevo, Kadzhi-Sai, and Tosor.
Karakol = mountains. No beaches, but from December to March there is a ski resort 10 km from the city. Many people celebrate New Year in Karakol.
From May to October, people go on one-day treks and multi-day mountain hikes from Karakol.
By car, visit the Karakol and Jeti Oguz gorges (Rocks of the Seven Bulls), waterfalls, Altyn-Arashan gorge, Broken Heart, Skazka canyon.
Do I need to book in advance?
In the spring, in order not to complicate my life, I rented housing online based on reviews.
Around the lake there are hotels, sanatoriums, cottages and the private sector. In the summer, rooms are rented out in each house; you can choose on the spot if you have time.
Prices from 400-700 soms ( 6-10$ ) for a bed in a yurt/hostel up to 50-100$+ per day in hotels and cottages. Bed and breakfast rooms in guest houses 20-30$ .
Weather and season in Issyk Kul
The season in the mountains is from May to October, for climbing the peaks July-August, when all trails are accessible.
Swim in the lake: mid-June to August. During the day, air +21+28, water +20+22. In other months the water is icy and there is frequent rain.
In mid-April, only a dumb man did not tell me that the time was bad. +10+13, wet. We need it in the summer. I still believe that the time is always good if you fill your days with joy and don’t focus on the weather.
How to get to Issyk-Kul from Bishkek
Find transport from Bishkek to Lake Issyk-Kul at the Western Bus Station. You can get there by minibus or shared taxi.
Address: Bishkek, st. Chimkentskaya, 1
General taxi parking coordinates: 42.885137, 74.568090
Minibus
From Bishkek to Cholpon Ata 300 som(300 rub/4$), to Karakol 350 som (5$)
They depart when all seats are occupied. I waited for half an hour, returning from Karakol to Bishkek.
Just come to the station, go and see where the most passengers are gathered. Minibuses run from morning to evening.
Taxi
There are passenger cars (shared taxis) in front of the station; they leave when they are full. There are a lot of cars.
500-600 soms(500-600 RUR/9$) per person or 2000-2500 som($30-36) for the whole car.
On the way to Cholpon Ata 260 km, 4-4.5 hours, 405 km to Karakol, 5.5-6 hours. On the way, stop for lunch.
The Yandex taxi driver dropped me off at the shared taxi rank at 10.30 in the morning, and I immediately took the front seat in the Merc. 10 minutes later a family with a child arrived and we left.
Issyk-Kul in 4 days, route by car
Rent a car in Bishkek and go around the perimeter of the lake. Without a car it’s possible, you’ll just have to take a taxi or day trips to the mountains. Details below, but for now let’s imagine that you have a car.
Plan a trip around Lake Issyk-Kul for 4-5 days. It’s also possible in 2-3 days, it’s just tiring and you won’t have time to do much: the one-way trip from Bishkek takes half a day.
🐎 Logical route around Issyk-Kul on the map
The map can be enlarged and reduced. When you click on the icons, see photos of Issyk-Kul attractions.
Day 1. Bishkek-Cholpon Ata
▫ Departure from the center of Bishkek or from Manas airport at 8-9.00 am.
▫ Burana Tower- the oldest building in Central Asia (10-11th centuries). An important architectural monument with a sad legend. You can climb the minaret. Views of the steppe and mountains, an open-air museum. Located 80 km from Bishkek near the city of Tokmok.
9.00-17.00 seven days a week
GPS: 42.746634, 75.250376
▫ Dinner in a roadside cafe. Just look where there are a lot of cars. The food in the canteens along the highway is normal, the prices are low (200 rubles for the first, second, compote).
▫ Arrival at Cholpon-Ata or one of the villages, check-in to a hotel/guest house.
▫ Excursion to the cultural center " Rukh Ordo» named after Ch. Aitmatov.
9.00-17.00 seven days a week
Entrance 400 som (400 rub/6$)
GPS: 42.648172, 77.095115
Rukh Ordo is the spiritual center of Issyk-Kul. Sculptures of historical figures, paintings, photos and five chapels in honor of the main religions: Buddhism, Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, Orthodoxy.
There is also a memorial house of Chingiz Aitmatov and a wonderful view of Issyk-Kul. I was lucky to be completely alone in the complex. It’s rare to have such a sincere and romantic time alone with yourself.
▫ Visit Petroglyph Museum- rock paintings and inscriptions from the Neolithic era found around Lake Issyk-Kul and in the Chui Valley.
GPS: 42.661540, 77.057120
▫ Dinner at the restaurant “ Lamb» or any other in Cholpon Ata.
▫ Swimming in hot springs Ak-Bermet open air
8.00-22.00 seven days a week
GPS: 42.627311, 77.044881
From Bishkek to Cholpon Ata 260 km, 4-4.5 hours. Plus 1 hour for a circle to the Burana tower. General mileage per day if you visit all the places described above: 290 km, 6+ hours driving and 3-4 hours stopping for photos and visiting museums.
In Cholpon Ata they take boat rides on the lake Day 2. Cholpon Ata - gorge - Karakol
▫ Moving from Cholpon Ata to Karakol, 150 km, 3 hours
▫ Visit along the way Grigorievsky And Semenovsky Gorge, additionally 3-4 hours for a trip through both gorges.
Grigorievskoye Gorge The main plus: these mountains are located only 40 km from Cholpon Ata behind the village of Grigoryevka. You can climb up the Grigorievsky Gorge and go down to the highway through Semenovskoye.
The road in the mountains is unpaved; from autumn to spring problems due to avalanches are possible. In the muddy rain, the car “drives”. Safer in an SUV.
Route through the gorges on the map:
▫ Check-in to a hotel/guest house/yurt in Karakol.
▫ Excursion around Karakol. The city was founded by Russian settlers in 1869. Here you can see the wooden Dungan mosque (built without a single nail), the Holy Trinity Cathedral, parks, and a market.
▫ Hot springs in the evening Ak-Suu 15 km from Karakol, GPS: 42.462262, 78.539709
▫ Ashlamfu in Karakol- signature dish, don't miss it. Contains noodles, starch, sauce.
Manti in Karakol Day 3. MOUNTAINS
▫ Trip to the ski resort and Karakol gorge
GPS: 42.303137, 78.485352
▫ Trip to the gorge Altyn-Arashan(“Golden Spring”), swimming in hot springs, overnight in a yurt Eco Yurt Camp Arashan.
GPS: 42.375820, 78.611852
You can go to the mountains on your own or contact Neofit (they organize excursions around the outskirts of Karakol).
Day 4. Karakol-Bishkek
▫ Return from Karakol to Bishkek along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, 410 km, 6h 30min.
▫ Along the way there is a gorge " Jeti-Oguz"("Seven Bulls"). You can stay overnight and hike to the waterfalls along the “Valley of Flowers.” Overnight at the Golden Yurt yurt camp at an altitude of 2200m. The camp runs from May 5 to October 15.
GPS: 42.33777, 78.2315
▫ Trek to the waterfall Barskoon,GPS: 42.011728, 77.607603
▫ Visit to a picturesque Canyon "Fairy Tale", GPS: 42.156936, 77.358927
▫ Cultural Center « Aalam Ordo» exactly opposite Rukh Ordo, only on the southern bank, GPS: 42.198147, 77.223847
This is the maximum program. The road along the south of the lake is worse than the north, but more picturesque. Minibuses going to Bishkek don’t like to travel on it.
If you don’t have a car, you need to negotiate with a shared taxi driver or hire a separate car to see the south.
The northern road is also beautiful 
Issyk-Kul on your own without a car
My route:
Day 1. Bishkek→Cholpon Ata
▫ 10.30 departure from the Western bus station of Bishkek by shared taxi, 600 som/person
▫ 15.00 arrived in Cholpon Ata, checked into a family room Issyk-Kul Svetlana (rating 9.7 ).
Lovely family, clean, delicious homemade breakfasts. From the window there is a view of the lake, there is a passage to the beach.
The center is 2 km away, the owner Victor took us to the bank and the Narodny supermarket and told us everything.
He himself organizes excursions and takes tourists around the surrounding area in a jeep (gorges, hot springs, petroglyphs). Alas, he was busy, but he found me a car for tomorrow for a trip to the Grigorievskoye Gorge.
▫ 15.30 Spent an hour in the Rukh Ordo complex (400 som)
▫ To the hot springs Ak-Bermet I didn’t go, although the owner offered to take me for 100 soms.
▫ 17.30 I was just asking passers-by where to eat in Cholpon-Ata. We recommended the restaurant "Lamb".
What will you eat? (they like the word “eat” here)
-Something simple without fat and meat.
-Take our signature salad.
OK. They bring 3 kg of warm veal, stewed with mushrooms and peppers. Such a light salad. I honestly have never seen so much meat anywhere. I also foolishly ordered trout fillet (350 g) and a liter of tea.
Gave 1000 soms (1000 rubles /15$ ) and stood up a little, although she didn’t even eat half of it. A shocking amount for dinner in Kyrgyzstan, but tasty and unusual.
Day 2. Grigorievskoe Gorge→Karakol
▫ 10.20. Departure from Cholpon Ata to the Grigorievskoye Gorge by taxi ( 1500 som/ 22$ per car). In summer they sell group excursions for 500 som.
Again in the summer, yurts are set up in the Grigorievsky Gorge and horses are brought. You can ride, sleep/eat/drink, take pictures with birds.
The whole excursion took 1h30min from the threshold of the guest house to the highway. During this time, they showed me a small stream of water - like a waterfall, and we simply drove along a dirt road in the mountains along the river.
But I met some yaks. They used to live high in the mountains (yak loves 3000m+), people hunted them. If I needed meat, I went and shot it. Now little yaks are walking with horsemen and their cows. Animals began to be tamed about 7 years ago. Domesticated and bred.
▫ 11.50 returned with the driver to the highway to Grigoryevka, waited for a passing minibus
▫ 12.30 minibus Grigoryevka-Karakol, 110 km, 2 hours, 120 soms
Clean and warm lakes for us!
Mila Demenkova
Issyk-Kul is a lake in eastern Kyrgyzstan in the northern part of the Tien Shan Mountains. It is the tenth largest lake in the world by volume (but not surface area) and the second largest among salt lakes after the Caspian Sea. Translated from Kyrgyz, Issyk-Kul means “warm lake”, despite the fact that it is surrounded on all sides by snowy peaks, the lake never freezes.
The lake is 182 km long and about 60 km wide. This is the second largest mountain lake in the world. It is located at an altitude of 1607 meters and reaches a depth of 668 meters. 118 rivers and streams flow into the lake, but not a single one flows out. There is a hypothesis that the waters of the lake have an underground outlet into the Chu River.
The salinity of the water in the lake is low - only 0.6% (for comparison, ordinary sea water has 3.5% salt). The water level decreases by 5 centimeters annually. The climate in the lake area is mild, not as hot as in other regions of Kyrgyzstan.
The best period for a beach holiday is July and August, the air temperature at this time is about 25 degrees, the water temperature is 22-23 degrees.
How to get there
The shortest way to Issyk-Kul is a flight to Bishkek airport. Minibus taxis depart from the Eastern Station and the journey takes about 4 hours. A taxi will cost about 60 dollars.
Calendar of low prices for flights to Bishkek:
Order a private transfer from the airport HERE
A longer option is a flight to Almaty (Kazakhstan). At one time I used exactly this path, because... I also wanted to visit Medeo. In addition, the flight to Almaty was cheaper. Buses from Almaty to Issyk-Kul depart late in the evening, the journey takes about 8-9 hours, i.e. the road lasts all night. It should be taken into account that a holiday in Issyk-Kul for residents of Kazakhstan is an economy class holiday, so the buses were crowded with tourists, mainly young people.
The bus was very noisy, so it was difficult to sleep. In addition, it was necessary to go out at night to cross the border.
The border is formal, a Russian passport is enough, but do not forget to take out medical insurance just in case.
Where to stay
The most populated is the northern part of the Issyk-Kul coast. The southern part, although no less picturesque, was once subject to mercury contamination and is the site of gold mining by a foreign firm. Although it is believed that the ecology of the region has already been fully restored, this part of the coast has developed more slowly, and the main tourist settlements are located on the northern part of the lake.
The main settlements are Cholpon-Ata and Bosteri, and there are also numerous villages along the lake. Another large city in Issyk-Kul is Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk), it is located on the east coast of the lake.
There is a ski resort there.
In the area of Lake Issyk-Kul there are sanatoriums and boarding houses. The most famous are sanatoriums "Blue Issyk-Kul", "Cholpon-Ata" and "Kyrgyz seaside" in Bosteri.
They have a developed infrastructure and offer a wide range of services, located right on the lake. It is recommended to buy vouchers in advance.
You can book your accommodation in Issyk-Kul HERE.
While still on the bus, at the entrance to Issyk-Kul, real estate rental agents began to sit down with us and offer various accommodation options. We agreed with one of the agents that he would show us several options in Bosteri. We transferred to a passenger car and soon chose a nice room in a private mini-hotel a 5-minute walk from the lake. Accommodation prices are cheaper than in similar private hotels on the Black Sea coast.
You can rent a room in the private sector even cheaper. As a rule, the private sector is located further from the coast, but its advantage is home-cooked food from the owners and the opportunity to use the kitchen.
Search hotels in Cholpon-Ata:
Excursions around Issyk-Kul
The main reason why you should make such a long journey to Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan is, of course, excursions. There's a lot to see here.
Excursions can be purchased at boarding houses in localities.
We took excursions to Karakol, a two-day tour around Issyk-Kul in an SUV with an overnight stay in yurts, and a trip to the famous Bishkek Dordoi market.
Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk)
Karakol is the fourth largest city in Kyrgyzstan. It contains attractions of interest to tourists:
Russian Orthodox Cathedral
The cathedral was originally built of stone in 1872, when Karakol was a garrison city on the border of the Tsarist Empire. It was destroyed in 1890 by an earthquake, and the current cathedral was built of wood on a brick foundation. Construction lasted 6 years and was completed in 1895. After the 1917 revolution, the building was used as an educational center, gym, theater, dance hall and even a coal warehouse. Then, in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and Kyrgyzstan was declared independent, the building was again transferred to the Orthodox diocese. 
Dungan mosque
The Issyk-Kul central mosque of the city of Karakol was built according to the design of the Beijing architect Chu Seu in the traditional Chinese style. Construction of the mosque began in 1904 and ended in 1910. The mosque was built without a single nail and is a monument of wooden architecture. In the period from 1929 to 1947, the mosque building was used as a warehouse; in 1947 it was transferred to the Muslim community. Currently the mosque is open to visitors.
Przhevalsky Museum
Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky is one of the first Russian geographers who began to study the geography, flora and fauna of the countries of Central Asia. Beginning in 1870, he organized 4 major expeditions to Mongolia, China and Tibet. He discovered and described more than 200 plant species. He also collected a gigantic zoological collection. He died in 1988 from typhus and was buried on the shores of Issyk-Kul near the city of Karakol. The Przhevalsky Museum opened in 1957 not far from the scientist’s grave.
Salt lake Issyk-Kul/
Salt Lake is located at the southern tip of Issyk-Kul. It has a unique microclimate. Presumably, it was previously part of Issyk-Kul, but then separated from the main lake, and the concentration of salts increased due to evaporation.
The chemical composition of the lake is close to the composition of water in the Dead Sea.
The lake is small in size, but it is difficult to swim across it, because... Due to the high salinity, it is impossible to swim there. Here, like in the Dead Sea, you can read a newspaper while lying on the water. The shores are covered with dark mud, considered medicinal. Around the lake there are picturesque canyons where you can take pictures.
Gorge of the Seven Bulls (Jety-Oguz)/
Picturesque red rocks on the eastern coast of Issyk-Kul. If you go further, you can see the beautiful Maiden's Tears waterfall. In the gorge they offer horse riding, tea drinking in a yurt, and kumiss.
It is impossible to talk about all the sights of Issyk-Kul in one article. Follow the updates on the website. And if you are planning a trip to Kyrgyzstan, write questions in the comments, I will try to answer them.
The long-awaited summer has arrived. And the most pressing topic in all conversations of Kyrgyzstanis is Issyk-Kul. And this year, my family and I planned to spend five days on the shore of the lake, and then, depending on the circumstances, stay to rest or go home. We decided to drive our own car, since the road from Bishkek to the lake had been perfectly repaired. We drive 260 km along the highway through the Boom Gorge. This is approximately three to five hours, depending on the speed of the car and the location of the boarding house.
Then you should transfer to a bus or minibus to Lake Issyk-Kul. There is also a flight Almaty-Bishkek. But this is already much more expensive (52 US dollars for a one-way flight from Almaty to Bishkek, respectively 104 US dollars for a round-trip ticket), then by taxi to Lake Issyk-Kul - 55 US dollars also one way, and both ways US$110. The total will be 214 US dollars.
Lake location
Lake Issyk-Kul is located in the north-east of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. Issyk-Kul is one of the largest mountain lakes in the world. That’s why we call it: “The Pearl of Kyrgyzstan.”
The coastline of the lake stretches for 688 kilometers, its depth is from approximately 278 meters to 668 meters (according to some rumors, the lake has no bottom at all), the width of Issyk-Kul is 182 kilometers from east to west, and from south to north - approximately 58 kilometers . Over the past two hundred years, the level of Lake Issyk-Kul has been decreasing and therefore the depth is decreasing, as a result of which the length of the coastline is also decreasing.
Due to the very deep depth of the lake, the water in it does not have time to completely cool down - so the lake practically does not freeze. Actually Issyk-Kul is translated as “Hot Lake”.
Interestingly, more than 80 rivers and streams flow into Lake Issyk-Kul, and there is not a single one flowing out. Because of this, salts accumulate, and the water in the lake is slightly salty, and therefore unsuitable for consumption by either people or animals. For this reason, in the old days the lake was called Tuz-Kul, which means salt lake.
The shore is warm in summer and not cold in winter. The air temperature in the middle of winter is from minus 1 to minus 12 degrees, at the height of summer from plus 25 to plus 30. In summer the water warms up to plus 20-24 degrees, in winter no lower - minus 2-5 degrees.
Lake Issyk-Kul is also a paradise for fishing lovers. About 20 species of different fish live here.
Selecting a travel date and holiday destination
We left early in the morning on July 18th, and we chose this date for a reason. At this time of year, the water in Issyk-Kul warms up to 23 degrees Celsius. Along the road there are various cafes and restaurants of Kyrgyz cuisine, Russian cuisine, Dungan (a branch of Chinese cuisine), we do not stop at them, because every minute spent near the lake is precious to us.
Last year we booked a room at the “Three Crowns” boarding house (you can find an office selling tickets to Lake Issyk-Kul in any local newspaper, for example “Evening Bishkek”). We rented a standard triple room for $150 per night. We were fed for slaughter three times a day and very tasty (food included in the price). Interesting landscape, very clean beach, swimming pool, gym - we were delighted, but we did not like the strict meal schedule: breakfast, lunch and dinner according to a schedule. We usually go to bed late, and in the morning we want to relax in bed. Therefore, it was decided to rent a cottage in a cottage village belonging to one of the boarding houses.
We chose a two-room cottage at the Karven Four Seasons boarding house ($100 per night). We booked it in advance, since closer to the beach season prices skyrocket and it happens that good boarding houses do not have room for a month in advance. We chose it on the advice of friends who vacationed there last year. They described a very clean beach, neat and beautiful cottages, playgrounds for children and, most importantly, the presence of a water park. Since I have two children of different ages (the eldest son is 14 years old, and the youngest daughter is 4 years old), we unanimously decided to go there no matter what.
We drove from Bishkek for three and a half hours. We found the boarding house easily, since along the entire route (it is the only one to Issyk-Kul) there are signs and markings of all nearby boarding houses and hotels.
Before entering the boarding house area, we saw many different cafes and small shops with friendly salespeople. Each such store can be compared to a supermarket - there is everything for all occasions. Prices are naturally higher than in Bishkek.
We were pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the entire boarding house and cottage village (it is located in the courtyard of the boarding house). Beautiful and well-groomed meadows and gardens, greenery, flowers, ornamental trees, beautifully decorated gazebos and neat benches.
I immediately felt the contrast between the smoky, noisy city and the clean air. Issyk-Kul, with its amazing silence and tranquility.
We were allowed to park the car right next to our cottage, and this is a big plus, since the yard of the boarding house is very large and the general parking lot is located near the gate, and our house was at a decent distance from the entrance. The cottage had a kitchen with all necessary appliances. Therefore, we took food with us from Bishkek to prepare lunch. You could bring bicycles with you, but we didn’t know about it, so we rented them for $3 per hour.
After two days of relaxation (swimming, sunbathing, and doing nothing), we became bored, and we decided to explore nearby boarding houses, sanatoriums and holiday homes. Moreover, it was necessary to buy groceries at some market.
First of all, we went to the Golden Sands boarding house. There are many different entertainments here:
- attractions
- steamships
- boats,
- catamarans,
- boats,
- underwater diving and much more
And in the evenings there are discos every day. Rooms here also need to be booked in advance, because there are no rooms available during peak season. One minus - there are too many people on the beach. The beach itself is good - sandy, clean, without stones. A whole team of rescuers looks after the vacationers. On weekends, even a place on the beach is difficult to find. And near the gates of the boarding house there are about two dozen different restaurants, cafes and canteens. For every taste and color. The food is delicious, the portions are large and the prices are affordable (from 2.5 US dollars).
After walking around, we went to the city of Cholpon-Ata, the largest on the coast of Lake Issyk-Kul. It is located 9 kilometers away, on the same highway as our boarding house. We stocked up on food at the local market.
Then we went to different boarding houses: Rohat, Aurora, Ak-Bermet, Cote d'Azur, Goodlike, Marco Polo.
We looked into the recreation centers: Caprice, Karven-Issyk-Kul, Raduga, Ala-Too and many other hotels.
Sanatoriums that we did not have time to visit: Blue Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Seaside, Issyk-Kul-Aurora, . But we decided that next year we will take trips to a sanatorium, because there is a hydropathic and mud bath there (salt-coniferous, mud, oxygen and pearl baths, as well as therapeutic showers, various kinds of inhalations and mud applications).
Room prices depend on the selected room category, whether meals are included and how many stars are in the hotel name. Prices range from 12-15 US dollars (1000 Kyrgyz soms) and above.
In the private sector, prices are of course different. From a bed in a yurt for two US dollars (that’s 150-250 soms in local currency), to a mansion near the shore for 1000 US dollars or more per day.
Our vacation cost us: 500 US dollars for a cottage, we burned about 70 liters of gasoline at 33 soms per liter, together with food and entertainment it’s about 200 dollars. Total about 750 US dollars.
Of course, you can fly on a parachute and go learn scuba diving (my husband and I really wanted to, but our budget didn’t allow it). The cost of parachute flight and diving is about 14-15 US dollars, going on excursions through mountain gorges - from 10 US dollars, depending on the distance.
On the way home, we stopped at the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, swam in the dead lake “Kara-Kul”, it is so called because, like the Dead Sea, there are no living organisms in it. The lake is so salty that it is impossible to drown there. And coastal mud cures many diseases.
P.S. Our wonderful vacation is over. Everyone was delighted. They took with them a lot of pleasant memories. Next summer we are going to Lake Issyk-Kul again. Already in a large group with family and friends and of course for a longer period. I invite you to visit this wonderful place - a place called Lake Issyk-Kul-Pearl of Kyrgyzstan.
Mountain lake Issyk-Kul is the largest in Kyrgyzstan. And there are not so many comparable water bodies in the world. The area of its mirror is 6236 square kilometers, and the length of the coastline is 688 kilometers. So even from space it is clearly visible.
However, it is not just a large body of water, it is large in three dimensions. Average - 278 meters. And the greatest distance from the surface to the bottom is 702 meters. And this despite the fact that over the past two centuries the water level in it has regularly decreased.
Due to the great depths, the water here cannot cool down properly, so it never freezes. This has been noticed for a long time. If you translate the name of the reservoir from Kyrgyz, you get “Hot Lake”.
Despite the fact that statistical data on depths look very convincing, in reality, the entrance to the water from the shore along the entire perimeter remains level and smooth for quite a long time. For great depth you need to go to the center. And there you can already feel all this thickness of water on yourself.
Scuba diving to the depths
Despite the misconception of many people that diving cannot be done in Kyrgyzstan, it turns out that Issyk-Kul is quite suitable for scuba diving. Of course, you won’t find the bright colors of the Red or Caribbean Seas here. There are no corals or colorful fish in the lake. And in general there is little vegetation on the sandy bottom with frequent inclusions of rocks. Visibility, depending on weather conditions and the square of the dive, varies between 8-12 meters. At a depth of 20 meters, visibility deteriorates sharply and the water temperature drops. This is due to the muddy bottom with a huge number of springs.
But even at a not very great depth from the surface of the water, you can find interesting objects for study. For example, a sunken trout farm. This metal structure is very reminiscent of a ship with its contours. The maximum depth will be 15 meters. At the same time, you can easily encounter rocks with carrion and not very large algae. Schools of fish may also catch your eye.
When diving in Issyk-Kul, it is important to decide in advance on the place and format. Otherwise, there are many places here that even technodivers prefer to avoid. Three hundred meters of depth is not a joke. But there are also seven hundred. Because of this, it is better to choose a safer area in the north.
Treasure hunting klondike
Yes, Issyk-Kul cannot compete with the Caribbean Sea in terms of the brightness of underwater life, but it may well do so in terms of the number of sunken treasures. Locals talk about a merchant’s train from the Great Silk Road that accidentally tipped into a pond, about White Guard capital specially hidden at the bottom, and even about the fact that the ruins of an ancient city are hidden under the water. Legends do not grow in a vacuum.
So, from time to time, lucky divers pull out all sorts of interesting things from the depths. So it can be seen that there are certainly reasons to survey the lake bottom.
There are several explored places where settlements were founded. They were on the shore of the lake. But when it overflowed its banks, all the houses were under water. And now ceramic fragments, primitive grain grinders, human and livestock bones are found at the bottom. Occasionally you come across jewelry made of bronze, silver and gold. Quite a tempting prospect. These places have not yet been studied enough. Despite the fact that underwater archaeological expeditions are held there every year. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will be able to take the find with you. They are submitted for study.
Issyk-Kul is a drainless and transparent brackish lake in the Issyk-Kul intermountain basin in the north of Kyrgyzstan. It is located at an altitude of over 1600 m, surrounded by the Kungey-Ala-Too ridges in the north and Tersky in the south. Issyk-Kul is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan. It is considered brackish because the salinity of the water is about 6%°.
Geography
The coastline of Lake Asia is predominantly smooth, slightly indented; the northern and western shores are low, the southern ones are mostly high and steep, there are deep bays only in the east (Tyupsky and Dzhergalansky) and in the southeast (Pokrovsky). A significant part of the shores of the lake is sandy, the bottom is composed mainly of clay and silt.
Characteristic of Lake Issyk-Kul is a long-term (over several decades) cyclical fluctuation of water level, the amplitude of which can reach 8-10 m, depending on the amount of precipitation.
Issyk-Kul is a closed lake, but, according to various estimates, from 50 to 80 rivers flow into it (the largest of them are Tyup and Dzhergalan), and the southern tributaries are longer than the northern ones. The large Chu River, flowing along the western edge of the Issyk-Kul Basin, now has no connection with the lake, but during floods, part of the Chuya water flows into the lake through the 6 km long Kutemaldy channel.
Due to the considerable depth of the lake, as well as due to its salinity, the water temperature in July on the surface is up to +23°C, but with depth it quickly drops and at a depth of 200 m drops to +3°C. In winter, the surface waters of the lake do not cool below +2.75 ° C, and therefore the lake does not freeze, with the exception of shallow bays, and then in very cold winters.
Interesting meteorological phenomena are recorded in Issyk-Kul. In particular, during the invasion of cold air passing through the passes and escaping from mountain passes and gorges towards the lake, a strong cross wind arises here. Local names for the wind are santash (east direction) and ulan (west direction). The seasons of the strongest wind are November (beginning of frost) and April-May (return of cold weather). Wind speeds of 20 m/s and up to 30-40 m/s can persist in the west and east of the lake for 24 hours, accompanied by a sharp increase in atmospheric pressure and causing a sudden storm with wind waves up to 3-4 m high.
When Santash and Ulan meet over the lake, a tornado appears, called kuyun in Kyrgyz. As a result, a storm begins on the lake. Issyk-Kul is also characterized by the so-called southern squall. It passes on the southern coast of the lake at speeds of up to 25 m/s or more and lasts from several minutes to several hours.
A southern squall is formed with the appearance of powerful cumulonimbus clouds when the air flow is drawn into the Chuya valley and a cold wind breaks through to the lake, bypassing the mountains from the south.
The nature of the surroundings of Issyk-Kul is quite scarce. The Issyk-Kul basin in the western part is desert and semi-desert, in the eastern part there is a zone of steppe vegetation. There are practically no forests, the flora is represented by shrubs (sea buckthorn). However, the local avifauna is rich: in the bays and in the west of Issyk-Kul, 60-70 thousand individuals of waterfowl of more than 100 species winter annually: pochards, mallards, coots, swans.
Navigation is carried out on Lake Issyk-Kul, the main ports are Balykchy (formerly Rybachye) and Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk). There are resort areas on the shores of the lake (resorts Cholpon-Ata and Tamga). Settlements are located mainly in the north and east of the lake.
Story
In Chinese documents of the 2nd century. BC e. the lake was referred to as Zhehai, or "Hot Sea". Probably, this name arose as a tracing from the Kyrgyz “Issyk-Kul”, which has the same meaning. Thus, the name indicates that the water in the lake does not freeze. There is also an assumption that the name of the lake is associated with the respectful, reverent attitude of the Kyrgyz towards it, and comes from “yzyk” (or “ezykh”) - “Sacred Lake”. It is known that until the 7th century. local people also called the lake Tuzkul ("Salt Lake"). 
In the old days, Lake Issyk-Kul played a significant role in the history of the peoples of Central Asia: through the valley where it is located, one of the most important routes for the migration of peoples, which took place 1200 years before the birth of Christ, went. Since those times, stone women - pagan totems - have been preserved on the shores of the lake. There is also more ancient evidence of life on the shores of Issyk-Kul: in 2006, at the bottom of the lake, an archaeological expedition of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University discovered evidence of the existence of an unknown ancient civilization that formed 2.5 thousand years ago.
In the XIV century. Christians settled near Issyk-Kul and built a monastery on the northern shore of the lake. However, the main population of the surrounding lands were nomadic tribes of the Kyrgyz.
At the beginning of the 15th century. The Central Asian conqueror Tamerlane (1336-1405) passed here three times with his army, trying to subjugate the local residents. But his attempts were not crowned with success, since, upon seeing the troops, the nomads hid.
Part of Kyrgyzstan with Lake Issyk-Kul became part of the Russian Empire in 1855-1863, when some Kyrgyz tribes entered into an alliance with Russia to throw off the oppression of the Kokand Khanate.
Russian officer and scientist Alexander Golubev (1832-1866) became the first European to determine the geographical location of Issyk-Kul and study its surroundings.
A contribution to the study of the lake was made by the Russian geographer, botanist Pyotr Petrovich Semenov-Tyan-Shansky (1827-1914), who, on behalf of the Russian Geographical Society, went on an expedition to study the Tien Shan mountain system. In 1856, he visited the lake twice and subsequently described its basin, and also found a refutation of the popular belief that the Chu River flows from Issyk-Kul.
The Russian traveler and explorer Nikolai Przhevalsky (1839-1888) also paid attention to the lake and surrounding settlements. He explored the shores of the lake, passed through populated areas, keeping detailed notes along the way. In 1888, he died in Karakol and bequeathed to be buried on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. His grave is one of the most revered places in Issyk-Kul.
Nature
Nowadays, most settlements are located on the northern coast and in the eastern part of the Issyk-Kul basin. In order to protect the lake, the Issyk-Kul Nature Reserve was founded in 1948 with an area of more than 17 thousand hectares. The reserve consists of nine areas located on the northern and southern shores of the eastern part of Lake Issyk-Kul, and includes part of the lake’s water area. Most of the reserve is occupied by rocky desert, wormwood-fescue steppe and caragana thickets, underwater meadows of chara algae. Among the inhabitants of the reserve there are rare species: white-tailed eagle, mute swan, white heron, and snow leopard.
general information
Location: north of Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul region.Lake type: brackish.
Origin: tectonic.
Food: mainly snow and rain.
Flowing rivers: Tyup, Dzhergalan, Barskaun, Akterek.
Nearest settlements: Karakol - 63,400 people. (2009), Balykchy - 42,875 people. (2009), Cholpon-Ata - 10,500 people. (2009).
Numbers
Area: 6236 km2.Catchment area: 15,844 km 2.
Volume: 1738 km 3 .
Length (west to east): 182 km.
Width (from south to north): 58 km.
Coastline length: 688 km.
Maximum depth: 702 m.
Average depth: 278 m.
Type of mineralization: salty.
Salinity: 5.9%°.
Transparency: over 12 m.
Height above sea level: 1609 m.
Climate and weather
Temperate maritime, mountainous.Average January temperature:-2 - -7°C.
Average temperature in July:+16 - +17°С.
Average annual precipitation: 250 mm.
Frequent strong winds (ulan and santash), causing sudden storms.
Relative humidity: 70%.
Economy
Minerals: limestones, iron ore.
Agriculture: crop production (horticulture), livestock farming (small livestock).
Lake shipping.
Fishing.
Resorts.
Services sector: tourist, transport.
Attractions
■ Natural: Issyk-Kul Nature Reserve, Kungey-Ala-Too ridge, Tersky ridge, Jety-Oguz gorge, Boom gorge, Chon-Koi-Suu gorge, Cholpon-Ata gorge, Altyn-Arashan gorge, Barskaun gorge.■ Historical: Tamga-Tash stone with Tibetan inscriptions (VI-I centuries BC), “Royal Mound” (village of Kurmenty, 7th century BC - 2nd century), Kok-Bulak and Karashar burial grounds, Cape Svyatoy Nos (location of the legendary monastery of the Armenian Christian Church, IV-V centuries), flooded cities of Sary-Bulun, Koisary, Ulan (XII century).
■ Karakol city: Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral (1895), Dungan mosque (1910), memorial museum (1957), grave and monument to N. M. Przhevalsky, Historical and Local Lore Museum of the city of Karakol.
■ Cholpon-Ata city: Museum of petroglyphs (rock inscriptions), burial mounds, Issyk-Kul State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, cultural center "Rukh Ordo" named after Chingiz Aitmatov.
Curious facts
■ The bottom of Lake Issyk-Kul also consists of black ferruginous silt, which in some places washes up on the shore. In the old days, the Kirghiz knew how to smelt metal from this silt.■ Old coastal cliffs located at a considerable distance from the water edge of Lake Issyk-Kul indicate that its level has dropped significantly. Presumably, this happened after the waters of Issyk-Kul broke through the Zailiysky Alatau ridge, after which the Boom Gorge was formed.
■ Lake Issyk-Kul is associated with many legends about sunken cities and treasures, many of them based on historical facts. Underwater archaeological excavations have shown that on the shore of the lake there were indeed cities that were flooded in the Middle Ages, including the city of Chita, the capital of the country of the Turkic-speaking Usun people.
■ Wintering waterfowl on Lake Issyk-Kul is one of the largest in the world.
■ The words “kul”, “kol” or “gel” (lake) as part of a geographical name are widespread in areas inhabited by Turkic-speaking peoples: for example, Lake Alakol (Kazakhstan), Lake Goyigol (Azerbaijan).
■ Lake Issyk-Kul is home to a large number of marinka fish, or karabalyk (“black fish”), a family of carp. The meat of these fish is considered fatty and tasty, but it can be eaten only after removing the eggs, milk and peritoneal films, as they contain poison.
■ The city of Balykchy in ancient times was one of the transit points on the Great Silk Road.
■ Lake Issyk-Kul is the main source of tourism income in Kyrgyzstan. The majority of tourists vacationing on Lake Issyk-Kul are residents of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia.
■ The city of Karakol changed its name several times. Until 1889 it was called Karakol. Then it was renamed by decree of the tsar to the city of Przhevalsk, in honor of the Russian traveler N. M. Przhevalsky. In 1922 the name Karakol was returned to the city. In 1939, in connection with the 100th anniversary of the birth of N. M. Przhevalsky, the city was again renamed Przhevalsk. Finally, in 1992, after the declaration of independence of Kyrgyzstan, the name Karakol was again returned to the city.
■ The monument to N. M. Przhevalsky is a 9-meter-high rock made of gray granodiorite, topped with a bronze figure of an eagle. At the bird’s feet hangs a map of Central Asia with Przhevalsky’s travel routes.
■ Struck by the grandeur and beauty of Issyk-Kul, the caravans of the Great Silk Road called it “Piala of the Heavenly Mountains.”
■ Issyk-Kul is the second largest mountain lake in the world after the lake in the Andes (South America).
■ The Museum of Petroglyphs of the city of Cholpon-Ata is a tract of thousands of stones on 42 hectares. The stones are covered with drawings from the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. e. - 7th century, depicting animals, hunting scenes, holidays and wars.
