Big Almaty Lake

To reach the lake involves a longer day trip from Almaty into the Zailiysky Alatau foothills. Bolshoe Almatinskoe Lake is a turquoise lake 1.25 km long, 2500 meters high and about 32 km south of central Almaty. The route up to it, along the Bolshaya Almatinka River’s canyon, is scenic, though part of it is slightly disfigured by minor hydroelectric stations. The same warning about the weather applies as at Medeu and Shymbulaq.