Crimean pink lake. Koyashskoye Lake

There are many attractions in Crimea. The most famous of them are: the Grand Canyon, Mount Ai-Petri and Swallow's Nest. However, there are others on this peninsula that are very interesting, but, unfortunately, few Famous places. The Pink Lake also falls into the category of such attractions. In Crimea it is the saltiest.

Where is it located?

This interesting tourist attraction is located on the territory of Cape Opuk, approximately 30 km from Kerch. Once upon a time there was a military training ground in this place. But not so long ago Opuksky was created here nature reserve. The area of ​​this reserve is not too large. But at the same time, a huge number of different kinds of rare birds live on its territory. Opuk was removed from the command of the military training ground in 1998. On currently it includes not only this cape itself, but also part of the coastal territory, as well as outcrops standing in the sea, called “Ship Rocks” for their unusual shape.

The Pink Lake itself in Crimea is located on Opuk in close proximity to the Black Sea. This body of water is separated from it only by a not too wide sandy embankment.

A little history

Story ( bcnjhbz) near the Pink Lake in Crimea is quite interesting. It belongs to the group of volcanic ones. That is, it was formed a very, very long time ago. In fact, even today its bottom is a dormant volcano. Not so long ago, Pink Lake was part of the Black Sea. However, later the surf brought a lot of sand here. Because of this, an embankment-lintel was formed.

Short description

So, we found out where Pink Lake is in Crimea. It is located near Kerch. Its official name is Koyashskoye. This unusual body of water is quite large in size. Its total area is about 5 hectares. The lake reaches 4 km in length and 2 km in width. You will not be able to swim in this reservoir. Its depth in spring reaches only 1 meter. By autumn, the lake dries up completely. This reservoir is actually very salty. Therefore, practically no living creatures are found in it. The salt concentration in it reaches 350 grams per liter. This is definitely a lot. Koyashskoye is the saltiest body of water on the Crimean peninsula.

The mud in this lake is healing. They are mined and supplied for the treatment of vacationers to local sanatoriums. You won't be able to swim in this lake. However, you can smear yourself with mud on the shore. There is enough water to wash them off.

Why pink?

The main feature of this reservoir that attracts tourists to it is, of course, not its shallow depth or high salt content. Of course, it was not for nothing that the lake was called pink. The water in it really has this color. This body of water looks especially beautiful at sunset. In fact, the name Koyashskoye itself translates as “the lake in which the sun hides.”

In spring, the water in this reservoir has an ugly brown-brown dirty color. However, already in June, with an increase in air temperature, its shade begins to change rapidly. This is primarily due to the vital activity of algae breeding in the lake Dunaliella Salina.The beta-carotene it produces gives the water a delicate, juicy pink hue.

When is the best time to go?

In spring, the water in Lake Koyashsky is not very beautiful. But you can admire the surroundings of this reservoir in April-May. At this time, a huge number of tulips bloom along the shores of the lake. They almost cover the local hills with a carpet.

In order toappreciate beautyhimselfPink lake in Crimea, it’s worth coming here in mid-late summer. It is during this period that algae develop most actively, and the water acquires a truly beautiful shade.

Closer to autumn, the lake, as already mentioned, dries up. But even at this time it looks quite impressive. The fact is that the beta-carotene contained in its water turns salt pink.

Later, in the fall, due to rains, the lake begins to fill with water again. At this time of year, the layer in its bowl is not too large - about 2 cm. But because of it, the lake looks like a huge clear mirror. Tourists walking along the pond at this time of year feel like they are floating in the air due to the reflecting clouds.

How to get to Pink Lake in Crimea?

Get to this unusual natural object on the peninsula you can follow the Feodosia-Kerch highway. At the sign "Marfovo-Marevka",not reaching about 20 km to the city,you need to turn towards the Black Sea. The road ahead will not be very good. You should be prepared for this. Having reached the village of Maryevka, you need to turn straight towards the coast onto a country road. It may not be possible to drive through it in a regular car, as it is heavily rutted. Some part of the journey will most likely have to be covered on foot. But get to the cape by jeepThe dough will turn out without any problems.

Opuk Nature Reserve

Where is the Pink Lake in Crimea located specifically -It's clear. But it’s still not worth going on an excursion to see him spontaneously.Illegal entry into the reserve territoryat Cape Opukprohibited. In order to get into the reserve, you needat firstobtain a pass by first submitting an application to its administration. Hereshouldindicate the purpose of the visit, the number of people wishing to see the cape and their age.You don't need to travel anywhere to apply. Do itYou can, for example, via the Internet. The reserve has its own VKontakte group.

Other Pink Lakes of Crimea

Koyashskoye actually looks very beautiful. However, there are also others in Crimea salt lakes same nice color. In this case, the effect is caused by the same algae. Lakes such as Krasnoi and Staroye, for example, have a pink tint on the peninsula.

Both bodies of water are located on the territoryKrasnoperekopsk City Councilin the west of the peninsula. These lakes also look very impressive.

Many have heard about such a miracle of the Crimean peninsula as Red Lake. Its unusual coloring made it famous far beyond the peninsula. But with the definition of where it is located, there is a little confusion. The fact is that in Crimea there are two reservoirs with a similar name, and the name of one of them is official, and the other is popular, unofficial. It is the second that is more popular among tourists and Crimeans.

Red Lake in Krasnoperekopsk

Red Lake, or Ass, is located in the north of the peninsula. The salty estuary lake has an area of ​​about 24 km 2. The salt concentration in the reservoir is very high, so local residents call him Dead Sea. The water in it is the most common color, blue-turquoise.

Imitation of red color can only occur during sunset hours. Presumably, the name comes from the ancient word “beautiful”. The lengthy Red Lake near Krasnoperekopsk is divided by a dam into two reservoirs:

• One of them ( Northern part) is used for the needs of the city, as an evaporator storage tank for wastewater from enterprises;
• The second part, the southern one, serves as a recreation area for the townspeople. There is a beach on the shore.

The average depth of the Krasnoperekopsk reservoir is only about 1.5 m.

Koyash lake near Kerch

This body of water has earned the title “Red” for the color of the water. The saltiest Crimean lake has a salt concentration of 360-390 grams per 1 liter of water. A lower value is observed in the autumn-winter period, when rains reduce the salt concentration, and highest value– in July-August, when the heat evaporates the water. A pond formed on the spot extinct volcano, whose crater was filled with peat-like mud. The area of ​​the water surface is about 5 km 2, the dimensions at the widest places are 3.8 km x 2.8 km, the greatest depth is 1.2 m. It is separated from the sea by a narrow isthmus.

In spring, until April, the water in Lake Koyashskoye has an almost normal color with a slightly noticeable pink tint, the shores are covered with green grass. As summer approaches, all the grass dries up, and the surrounding area begins to resemble not a steppe, but a semi-desert. The water takes on a deep red color and evaporates, the salt begins to crystallize, covering the shores with bizarre figures reminiscent of ice shards, and the fine salt spreads across the surrounding lands, burning out all life from them. Red water, red shores with white stones - what is not a mystical Martian landscape? How is such a joke of nature explained?

Due to excessive saturation with salt, there is practically no life in the water, and the few representatives of living nature are very unique. Scientists cite two factors leading to such a wonderful color:

1. Dunaliela Salina algae, which produces beta-carotene (remember the orange color of carrots and sea buckthorn?) and iodine. Microscopic algae during photosynthesis release red pigments that color the water;
2. Artemia crustacean, which can change color from green to red depending on conditions environment. In our reservoir, the conditions are such that the crustaceans spend all their energy maintaining their salt balance and turn red.

Thanks to algae that release iodine and beta-carotene, salt from Lake Koyashskoye is considered very healthy. In addition to salt, brine is healing - bottom mud, saturated with microorganisms and minerals. Medicinal properties Koyash mud are almost on par with the properties of Saki mud, known throughout the world. Interestingly, the water and salt of this lake have a slight aroma of violets.

How to get to Koyashskoye Lake

To get to Koyashskoye Lake, you need to choose one of two paths:

1. From Kerch, take the road to the villages of Chelyadinovo, Ogonki, Maryevka and Borisovka, then the dirt road will lead directly to the reservoir. From Maryevka to the lake you will have to walk about 5 km;

   • Runs from Kerch to Maryevka regular bus No. 78, this is the only way to get here by public transport.

2. From Feodosia, they drive along the Kerch highway until the turn to the village of Yuzhnoye, and then focus on Maryevka or Borisovka.

Since Lake Koyashskoye is part of the Opuksky Nature Reserve, a small fee is charged for travel to its shores.

This is the bottom of the most beautiful and fantastic places in Crimea.
Near the lake, the shores of which consist of crystallized salt with the smell of violets, the water has a color from soft pink in the spring to deep red at the peak of the summer heat, and on the mirror-like surface you can see incredible landscapes of frozen stone and salt icebergs...
It is located where, it would seem, there could be nothing beautiful at all - among the windswept, literally sprinkled with salt and scorched by the sun Cimmerian steppe.
A kind of bright pink spot that from above looks like it was stolen from the sea and repainted a different color.
In fact, this lake is something of a giant natural chemical laboratory for studying the survival of living beings and microorganisms in an aggressive environment. It’s hard to imagine, but the bottom of the lake is an extinct mud volcano, and this pink water is a direct consequence of the vigorous activity of... microscopic green algae.
Yes, and this is the saltiest lake in Crimea.

2. It’s a rare time when around the lake there is not sun-bleached steppe, but lush, although not tender, greenery.
It is mid-April, a short period when the grasses have not yet died under the hot sun, various wildflowers and wild tulips are blooming.
Lake Koyashskoye is separated from the waters of the Black Sea by a narrow strip of land and really looks like it was stolen from the sea.
It was once part of the sea, but under the influence of the surf over the past two thousand years, a separate body of water less than a meter deep appeared, stretching 3.7 km in length and almost 2 km in width.

3. Three months have passed since the date of the previous photo, the steppe has acquired a completely different look, just as the color of the water in the lake has changed. it became much more intense.
Below you can see how much.

4. A strip of land separating the lake from the sea. It is called the Koyash bay-bar, its length is about 3 km, and its maximum width is 100 meters

5. In spring, the water in the lake is still quite far from pink, and the salinity has not yet gone off scale.
In April-May there are quite a lot of waterfowl here. Later, for many of them, the water will be too aggressive

6. True, this does not apply to various waders. Avocet can be found on the lake in spring, summer, and early autumn.

7. In spring, the shores of Lake Koyashskoye are not yet covered with a salt crust, and laughing gulls make their nests here.

8. Sunset over the pink lake...

9. ... and moonrise

10. But summer comes, and the drying heat comes (some scientists equate small areas in this part Kerch Peninsula not even to the steppe zone, but to semi-deserts).
The water in the lake becomes significantly less, it retreats from its usual shores, leaving salt in its place. Lots of salt.
It is the wind that gradually carries it across the surrounding steppes, making them practically dead and unsuitable for life or cultivation.

11. There was water here in the spring. It is in this place that photo No. 5 was taken. Now there is a salt desert, through which we carefully wander towards the water.
Why neat?
The fact is that the bottom of the lake is an extinct mud volcano. In fact, underneath the salt there is a very thick layer of dirt. Viscous and sometimes unsteady.

12. Salt of Koyash Lake

13. The peak color of the lake occurs during the hottest months of summer.
It is during this period that there is least water, the salinity of the lake increases significantly - up to 35% (for comparison, the salinity of the Black Sea is 1.8%), which leads to a peak in the development of green algae. which gives such an incredible color to the water.
Her name is Dunaliella Salina.
It produces beta-carotene, which colors the waters of the lake, as well as its salt crystals, in a soft pink, and in some places almost red, hue. Interestingly, in addition to color, the algae also gives the local salt a characteristic smell of violets.

14. The water receding in the heat gives the shores an absolutely fantastic look.

15. There is so much salt here and it crystallizes so quickly that many stones simply turn into salt icebergs

16. If water could completely cover these boulders, they would be completely covered in salt

17. You can even see how the water receded, slowly revealing the stone

18. Iceberg

19. Some salt crystals are simply huge. I found it the size of a fist. One crystal

20. This was once a living plant.

21. Another large crystal

22. Salt landscapes of Lake Koyash

23. There is hardly any need to caption this photo, do you agree?)))

My previous photo reports and photo stories:

There are more than 300 lakes and estuaries in Crimea. Almost all lakes are “salty” to one degree or another and are located along the coast, in the low-lying steppe part, with the exception of small fresh lakes located on the lakes of the Main Ridge Crimean mountains, and several desalinated lakes.

Most lakes are shallow. Depending on the concentration of salts, lakes are divided into self-propelled(there is a natural precipitation of salts from the solution - “sediment”) and non-landing. There are lakes containing healing mud. In summer, some lakes dry up.

All lakes and estuaries of the Crimean peninsula are divided depending on location into 7 groups: Perekop, Tarkhankut, Evpatoria, Chersonesos, Yayla Lakes, Kerch and Genichesk (Chongaro-Arabat, Prisivash). The lakes of the Genic group are located in the northern part of the Arabat Strelka, which belongs to Crimean peninsula, however, the border of the Republic of Crimea cuts off this part of the Arabat Spit and runs significantly south of the village. Strelkovoe.

Mud and brine are the main riches that the salt lakes of Crimea possess. These substances are recognized by Russian doctors as a means of prevention and healing.

Salt lakes and estuaries of Crimea

Aktash salt lake, Cape Kazantip

Aktash (“white stone”) – a corner of the spacious Cape Kazantip, famous for the abandoned nuclear power plant, beach discos and the biosphere reserve of the same name. This is the saltiest lake in Crimea(in mineral saturation it is equal to Baskunchak and Elton, inferior to them only in size, because the salt level here is 40%). The nearest settlement to it is the center of the rural settlement of Shchelkino. In terms of infrastructure, this recreation is almost undeveloped. A road leads to it from Shchelkino.

Tobechik salt lake, Zavetnoye village

Lake Tobechik is an estuary reservoir on the shore Kerch Strait , located between the settlements of Chelyadinovo and Zavetnoye. This is an endorheic bowl of water that is as much as 9 kilometers long. Its average width is 2 kilometers, and average depth– meter. Being small and salty, it is recognized as a convenient health-improving recreation for both adults and children.

Uzunlar Lake, Kerch

This is a rather elongated body of water from north to south (10 km). Its name is translated from Crimean Tatar - “the narrowest”, because in some places its width is no more than a kilometer. Like Tobechik, it is separated from the sea only by an isthmus along which the road goes. Therefore, access here is very comfortable for those traveling from Kerch strictly to the south. In summer, the reservoir often dries up. In place of the water, brine appears. The bottom is covered with a rather thick layer healing mud, for which the whole district comes.

Pink (Koyashskoe) salt lake, Opuksky reserve

Lake Koyashkoe lies between Lake Uzunlar and the village of Yakovenkovo ​​(Leninsky district). Koyash Lake in Crimea is also a pink “sea”. It is not as salty as in the West and North of the peninsula, but also not as “lightly salted” as most of the reservoirs of the Kerch Peninsula. Therefore, the color of the water here is “diluted” – pink, not red. Moreover, the level of “pinkishness” also changes depending on the season. The bowl is the crater of an extinct mud volcano.

Chokrak salt lake

This salt lake is known for its proximity to natural park"Karalarsky", being its eastern extremity. The reserve consists of relict fescue-feather grass steppes, found nowhere else in the world, as well as bizarrely shaped coastal rocks. Chokrakskoye Lake is desalinated by many springs (from the Crimean Tatar “chokrak” is translated as “source”). Therefore, brine crust can be found only in one of its areas.

Salt lake "Red" (Kyzyl-Yar), Krasnoperekopsk

The color of this small closed reservoir was determined by the Crimean Tatars, which is why its historical name isKyzyl-Yar(“rich in red”). The lake is localized between Krasnoperekopsk and the artificial estuaries of the main water area of ​​Sivash (Krasnoperekopsk urban district). The local landscape is more reminiscent of the surface of Venus - with its crater hills emitting smoke.

Kyzyl-Yar becomes red only at the moment of almost complete drying out. In other seasons it has a pleasant golden hue. This is a highly salty body of water, on the shore of which there is a private mini mud bath and bridges.

Salt lake "East Sivash"

The northernmost of the mineralized water bowls is the estuary of a complex-shaped reservoir (Sivasha, whose name translates as “mud”). Sivash turned the Crimean peninsula almost into an island, cutting it off from “ big land"everywhere, leaving only the Perekop isthmus. Its eastern waters administratively belong to the Dzhankoy district and lie between the villages of Medvedevka and Chaikino.

Estuary Eastern Sivash- “the main salt shaker” of northern Taurida, since its mineralization is 20% (for the steppe part of the peninsula this is a record, although compared to Lake Aktash, Eastern Sivash is “lightly salted”). But, like all salt marshes, near the shore it has a pinkish tint. Another advantage of the estuary is its length (at its largest diameter it is identical to 23 kilometers, which puts it on a par with the extremely elongated Donuzlav).

Aigul salt lake, Dzhankoy

Aigul Lake is located on the border of Krasnoperekopsky and Dzhankoy districts. The area is about 38 sq. km. The depth in some places reaches 5 meters. The level of mineralization is low. The steppe lake has no medicinal value, but already belongs to the class of salt lakes. "Aigul" in Turkic means "single flower". The fact is that the decoration of a reservoir is called coastal vegetation (in this area it looks like a green oasis).

Donuzlav, salt lake, Saki district

Another "soluble mineral" Western Crimea– the border of the Saki region and the protected Tarkhankut peninsula. Lake Donzulaw– the deepest “half-open” bay of the peninsula. Herodotus in his writings called the lake the Hypokiris River. After all, it is shaped like a river. It is worth noting that only one fragment of Donuzlav, covered by a dam, is a salty bowl. The predominant area of ​​the bay is fresh water area. After all, it is a branch of a large river of the same name, the sources of which lie near the village of Zimino. The estuary is popular among visitors due to its navigable depth (27 meters), which provides opportunities for boat fishing.

Salt lake "Solenoye", Molochnoe village

This lake differs from other estuary reservoirs in that the water in it constantly evaporates, increasing the percentage of salinity every year. Perhaps very soon Salt Lake will become the very first health-improving recreation center in Crimea. It lies not far from Evpatoria - between the sea and the village of Molochnoye (the western suburb of the large village of Zaozernoye). Along eastern shore a branch has been laid railway. The fact is that in the old days salt was mined here. The size of the water bowl is small - at its largest diameter it is only 2 kilometers. It’s easy to find by smell... Visiting the reservoir is free. By the way, it’s faster to get here through Evpatoria, and then through Zaozernoye. Suburban buses run constantly to it.

Moinak salt lake, Evpatoria

Moinak Lake- “satellite” of Sasyk, the place where the first mud baths appeared in Russia (there is even a mud bath museum in the Moinaki area). After all, the reservoir is located right in the center of Evpatoria. Accordingly, there are no fewer sanatorium complexes here than on the shore of the Saki reservoir. Most of them were built on Kirov, Kievskaya, Pavlik Morozov streets. They combine balneology with sports activities and massages.

Saki salt lake, Saki

Sasyk's neighbor lake is called Saki. It speaks volumes about the location of the reservoir (within the city of Saki and its suburbs, which is why there are the most sanatoriums here). The very word “Saki” is a memory of the ancient Indo-Iranian tribes, whose descendants were found here by the Horde (future Crimean Tatars). There are plenty of recreational facilities for children and adults, as well as beaches simply equipped with everything you need. Therefore, half of the lovers of Evpatoria go here - to the sanatoriums “Saki”, “Imeni Burdenko”, “Imeni Pirogov” and others.

The water bowl of the lake has no drains and is the same in depth as Sasyk-Sivash (with which it is connected by a canal). Saki is crossed by several dams along which pedestrian and highways. The salinity level is average. Has an evaporator section (Bucket).

Salt lake Sasyk-Sivash, Saki

This “health center” is undoubtedly the most famous among Russians. After all, it is the shallowest (the greatest depth is 1.2 meters). This circumstance attracts thousands of families with small children. The area of ​​the object is 75.5 square kilometers (which makes it the largest Crimean lake). On the shore of the water recreation there is a salt extraction plant. The location of the water body is the space of the Saki district, adjacent to the urban district of Evpatoria. From Tatar the name of the salt marsh is translated as “stinking mud.” Interesting feature you can call it an opportunity to go fishing here.

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Koyashskoe salt Lake- Opuk Nature Reserve

Among the various attractions of Crimea, natural places are in great demand. Among such objects it is worth including pink lake, which has another name - Koyashskoe. This place is considered beautiful at the time of sunset or dawn, when couples in love try to visit this place and make a wish. There is one that says: once having been here, couples in love will live together forever, without knowing any problems or hassles.

The lake is not too deep. Its maximum depth is one meter. Its length is 4 kilometers and its width is 2 kilometers. small lake pink color attracts many tourists who rejoice at the sight of such a unique area.

Where is the pink (Koyashskoe) lake located?

The location of the lake is convenient for visiting. It is located in the eastern part of the peninsula between Feodosia and Kerch, in the Opuksky Nature Reserve. This is where another name comes from – Opukskoe. In its beauty this is the most unique place in Crimea.

Reasons for the formation of the lake

There are several reasons for the formation of this natural reservoir. One of them may be a mud volcano, which consisted of algae. Denaliella Salina algae causes the water to turn pink. The lake has a pleasant aroma due to the violet scent emitted by the algae. If you look at the reservoir from afar, you might think that it is part of the sea. In fact, this was the case before. However, in last years Due to the surf, a separate lake was formed, which acquires a pink color.

Properties of Koyashskoye Lake in Crimea

Pink Lake is considered a source of brine and mud, which has healing properties. At the bottom of the reservoir there is mud, which is taken for treatment in sanatoriums. It contains highly sulfide deposits, which have a positive effect on the body during the treatment of various diseases. Medical professionals claim that lake mud is useful for joint diseases, skin diseases or during heart treatment. Large reserves of lake mud make it possible to treat thousands of vacationers every year.

When is the best time to visit Koyash Lake

Koyashkoe Lake changes its color all year round. Because of this, tourists who want to see it may not adjust to the time of year or certain days of the month. However, you should know that the flowering of the reservoir and its pink coloring occurs in the summer, specifically in early June. It can be almost reddish in color. During this time period the lake really lives up to its name due to the maximum algae bloom.

Due to its shallow depth in the summer, the lake can dry out, forming small islands. If tourists want to enjoy the beauty of this object, then it is best to order a helicopter service and look at it from above. Sometimes couples in love order balloon and soar over the lake, enjoying its beauty.

In summer, when the water dries out, salt is formed. The lake area is covered with white fine salt, which is unsuitable for cooking, but is used to treat various diseases.

How to get to Koyash Lake

It is most convenient to go to Lake Koyashskoe from Kerch. In this case, you need to get to settlement, which is called Maryevka. It’s not difficult to get through Simferopol to the village of Lenino, and then focus on the village of Maryevka. From this village you need to walk about 6 km towards Mount Opuk. Next to this mountain there is a pink lake.

Cost of visiting the reservoir

You can visit the pink lake completely free of charge. To enter the territory of the Opuk Nature Reserve, you will need to pay a fee:

Adult ticket: 200 rub.
Child: 100 rub.

Walking through the protected area, you can enjoy clean fresh air and beautiful views. Also, the cost of such a trip will depend on the chosen route. When planning your route, you can additionally consider a hike to the Elken-Kaya rocks, which are located in the vicinity of Mount Opuk.

By visiting such an object, you can not only enjoy the beauty, but also take gorgeous photographs as a keepsake.

Address: Crimea, Leninsky district, Opuksky reserve