Lake Tuz (Tuz Gölü)
Tuz Gölü
Turkey's second-largest lake, a highly saline shallow lake. This white salt lake is a must-stop on the way from Ankara to Cappadocia, where you can walk barefoot onto the salt crust for photos.
Lake Tuz is Turkey's second-largest lake. It covers about 1,500 sq km but averages less than 1 m in depth, and its salinity exceeds 30%. In summer, after the water evaporates, it leaves a white salt crust up to 30 cm thick, which supplies about 60% of Turkey's table salt. Visitors usually park at the viewpoint beside the Ankara-Aksaray highway (D750) near Şereflikoçhisar. From there you can walk for free along the wooden boardwalk onto the lake. Going barefoot on the salt crust makes for great 'sky mirror' reflection photos, best in the evening light. In summer some areas of water turn pink because of algae. The viewpoint has a parking lot, a café and shops selling salt-based skincare products. It lies about 130 km from Göreme and is a standard stop on the classic Ankara-Cappadocia route for Chinese tour groups, which spend about 30-60 minutes there. It is also convenient for self-drivers. Note that the salt crust is very reflective and its edges are sharp. Bring sunglasses, sunscreen and water-friendly sandals, and rinse your feet at the tap before you leave.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Selime Monastery
- Ihlara Valley
- Gülşehir Open-Air Museum (Karşı Kilise)
- Uçhisar Castle
- Pigeon Valley
- Love Valley (Hot Air Balloon Viewpoint)
- Kaymaklı Underground City
- Avanos