Lakes are considered as a one of the most beautiful landscapes which are also the gifts of nature. They are basically water bodies which are somewhat like a basin which are surrounded by land from all sides. Water in a lake is in still position and thus lakes are not considered as a part of oceans. Lakes are found in mountain regions, volcanic regions or along the rivers. Lakes are either natural in nature or can even be man-made. Some of the lakes are permanent and are always filled with water while others are temporary and are filled with water for particular time periods. Our world consists of hundreds and thousands of lakes which are so beautiful that they can take away our breath for a second. This article will give a list of the top ten most beautiful lakes of all times and the facts and myths associated with them.
10. FIVE FLOWER LAKE, CHINA
Five Flower Lake is found in the Jiuzhaigou Valley which is located in southwestern China. This valley is a national park and also a nature reserve which is known for colorful water lakes, waterfalls and peaks which are snow capped. Five Flower Lake is one among the many lakes found in this valley. It is also known as Wuhua Lake and is considered as the pride of the Jiuzhaigou Valley. Because of the colorful leaves which are blue, dark green, light yellow, etc in color and are gathered at the front side of the lake, the Five Flower Lake got its name and color. It is considered as a holy lake by the people of the town. When viewed from the top, the lake is found to be covered with hills having colorful water and flowers. There is also a legend behind this lake that once the God of the mountain had hurt the holy deer of the King of the Forest and when the King was chasing the God to take revenge, on his deer, then other Gods injured the deer and the holy deer then fell and became a lake which is now known as the Five Flower Lake.
9. REED FLUTE CAVE LAKE, CHINA
Reed Flute Cave Lake which is located in Guilin, China is one of the world’s most beautiful natural lake and is also a big tourist attraction spot. It was discovered in 792 AD which means that it is around 180 million years in age and after that it again came into knowledge in 1940s and since then is considered as a landmark of Guilin’s. This lake is inside a limestone cave and is provided with multi colored artificial lights. Outside the cave a special type of reed is grown which is used to make flutes and because of this reason, the lake is given the name Reed Flute Cave Lake.
8. DAL LAKE, KASHMIR, INDIA
Dal Lake which is situated in Srinagar, India as also named as the Jewel in the crown of Kashmir. It is also a source for tourism, recreation, fishing and even used for water plant harvesting. It is surrounded with gardens and parks which were built by the Mughals. There are also colorful houseboats available, which are known as shikaras for traveling for relaxation and pleasure along the lake. It even freezes during severe winter or very low temperature conditions. There is also an island on the famous and beautiful Dal Lake of India where four Chinar trees are standing and that is why the island is named as Char Chinar.
7. SHANGRILA LAKE, SKARDU, PAKISTAN
Shangrila Lake which is also known as Lower Kachura Lake is located at Shangrila Resort in Skardu in Pakistan. It is one of the most beautiful natural lakes and that is why is a famous tourist destination which even has an extra ordinary restaurant that has been built on the body of an airplane that was crashed in the lake. This lake is also known as the “Heaven on Earth” because of a tale behind it which states that the surviving passengers of the plane that crashed, were helped by Buddhists monks and were taken to a place which contains a variety of flowers and fruits and was thus like heaven.
6. LAKE BLED, SLOVENEA
Lake Bled is located in Julian Alps and it surrounds an island known as Bled Islands which is the only natural island in the country of Slovenia. This lake is surrounded by forests and mountains which makes this lake a popular tourist attraction. There is also a Bled Castle which is to be found above the lake which is considered as the oldest castle of Slovenia. Also, the Bled Island which is situated in the centre of the Bled Lake has now many buildings built on it and the main among them is a church which is visited by many tourists. The lake is also famous for rowing sport and had also hosted World Rowing Championships.
5. PEYTO LAKE, ALBERTA, CANADA
Peyto Lake is a glacial lake which is named after Bill Peyto who was a trapper and a guide in the Banff National Park where this lake is situated. This lake acquires a bright green color during summer season which makes it all the more beautiful and worth seeing and thus a famous tourist spot for sightseeing and taking photographs. Bow Summit which is the highest point on the Icefield Parkway is the best point to view the lake as the lake looks stunning from that point. Thus, all these factors make this lake as one of the most beautiful natural lakes of the world.
4. LAKE MATHESON, NEW ZEALAND
Lake Matheson which is situated near the Fox Glacier is found in South Westland in New Zealand. Mount Cook and Mount Tasman surround the lake and their images are also reflected in the lake which makes the lake all the more beautiful and worth seeing. This lake is the home to eels and water birds and thus this flora and fauna makes this place a stunning sightseeing spot for tourists. It is a glacial lake which was formed around 14,000 years ago. It is also surrounded with white pine and red pine trees and even fern species which thus help this lake in securing its position among the top ten most beautiful natural lakes of the world.
3. YUCATAN CAVE LAKE, MEXICO
Yucutan Cave Lake is not only one of the most beautiful lakes of the world but is also one of the most mysterious lake having many interesting facts and myths. It is situated in Tiger Che in the Yucutan Peninsula in the Northern Mexico and is around 2 million years old. The cave is made up of limestone and is considered as a holy place by the people residing there and also by the tourists who visit this place. Local people over there consider this lake as forbidden as they have the belief that this lake is for Maya gods. Thus Yucutan Cave lake is a popular tourist destination as it contains frozen fountains, dry riverbeds, underground spaces and many more beautiful and worth discovering sights.
2. PLITVICE LAKES, CROATIA
Plitvice Lakes are found in Plitvice Lakes National Park which is situated in Croatia in Southeast Europe. This national park is the oldest and the largest park of Croatia. It contains sixteen lakes out of which 12 lakes are grouped as upper lakes and the rest 4 are grouped as lower lakes. All these lakes are extremely beautiful and worth seeing and are arranged in cascaded form in this national park. These lakes show different colors which may be green, grey, blue, etc depending on minerals in the water and also on the sunlight. Because of the stunning beauty and variety of flora and fauna, Plitvice Lakes are one among the top 10 most beautiful natural lakes of the world.
1. MELISSANI CAVE LAKE, GREECE
Melissani Cave Lake is situated on an island of Kefolonia and is surrounded by forests, mountains and sea. This lake was discovered in 1951 and have many myths associated with it. The color of the lake is sky blue and the stones found beneath the lake are brown in color. Variety of plant species are also found at the door of the cave. Melissani Cave Lake is a famous tourist destination and is thus considered as one of the most beautiful lake of the world.