20 Breathtaking Lakes That Are True Natural Wonders!
If you love being near water, here are 20 lakes you need to see. It always makes me feel so at peace; I seek out lakes or rivers whenever I travel. Each body of water has its own appeal, whether it’s a glassy lake, a rushing river, or the open ocean. I can’t pick a favorite, but some lakes seem unreal because of their beauty.
I’ve been to a fair number of these in person, and the rest are still on my to-do list. I hope they end up on yours, too! I’d love to hear about your favorite lakes so I can add more to my travel plans.
1. Diablo Lake, USA
Location: North Cascades National Park, Washington
Known for its striking turquoise waters, Diablo Lake is a man-made reservoir surrounded by towering mountains. When I first saw this lake in photos, I thought for sure it was photoshopped. When I realized it was only a few hours from my home, I decided to check it out in person. Imagine my surprise to see it looks exactly like the photos! We kayaked and swam, then went to the overlook to take the picture you see here.
2. Lake Bled, Slovenia
Location: Julian Alps, Northwestern Slovenia
This picturesque lake is famous for its small island home to a church, against a backdrop of mountains and forests. I went to Slovenia just to see this lake, although I quickly discovered the entire country is gorgeous too! You can swim, kayak, or rent wooden paddle boats to explore the lake, and you can take a picnic out on the little island. There are also food, treats, and photo ops along the shore that you can walk around. If you are looking for a new place in Europe to visit, please make it Slovenia.
3. Lake Tahoe, USA
Location: Sierra Nevada Mountains, border of California and Nevada
North America’s largest alpine lake, known for its clear blue waters and surrounding ski resorts and hiking trails. Lake Tahoe is one of the clearest and deepest lakes in the US. I grew up near here, and can tell you, it’s always cold, but always beautiful. It’s a great place to paddleboard!
4. Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
Location: Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
16 terraced lakes, connected by waterfalls, set in deep woodland populated with deer, bears, wolves, boars, and rare bird species. What’s not to love? The national park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This one is still on my list, and I can’t wait to stand next to those waterfalls myself.
5. Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Location: Guatemalan Highlands, Guatemala
Lake Atitlán is the deepest lake in Central America. In its deepest part, it is over 340 meters, which is over 1100 feet! The lake is surrounded by volcanoes and traditional Mayan villages. It’s a great place to visit and learn more about the region’s indigenous cultures.
6. Moraine Lake, Canada
Location: Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Known for its distinctive blue-green color, Moraine Lake is set in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. It’s a little bluer than Diablo’s green shade, but is also colored by glacial silt (or flour) from nearby glaciers. Banff National Park and neighboring Jasper National Park are full of breathtaking lakes; this one is among the most popular. You’ll need to shuttle in, and it fills up fast, so try going in the off-season.
7. Lake Pichola, India
Location: Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
A man-made lake built in 1362, Lake Pichola is lined with palaces, temples, and ghats that reflect in the water at sunset. Two island palaces built by the Mewar rulers sit right in the middle of the lake and are among the most photographed spots in Rajasthan. The City Palace rises along the eastern shore, with the Aravalli hills as a backdrop.
8. Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Location: South Island, New Zealand
Known for its milky turquoise water, colored by glacial rock flour, Lake Tekapo sits beneath some of the clearest night skies in the world. The area is part of a designated Dark Sky Reserve, making it one of the best places on Earth for stargazing. On the lake’s edge, the tiny Church of the Good Shepherd has become one of the most photographed churches in New Zealand. This one is still at the top of my to-do list.
9. Peyto Lake, Canada
Location: Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Fed by the Peyto Glacier, this lake is famous for its vivid blue color, which shifts through the summer as glacial silt flows in. Seen from above at the Bow Summit lookout, the lake is shaped like a wolf’s head. A short paved trail from the parking lot gets you to the viewpoint in just a few minutes, and it’s every bit as stunning as the photos promise.
10. Lake Baikal, Russia
Location: Siberia, Russia
The world’s oldest and deepest lake, Lake Baikal holds about a fifth of the planet’s unfrozen fresh water. In winter, the surface freezes into clear blue ice, cracked with patterns you can see straight through to the water below. It’s home to the Baikal seal, the only freshwater seal species on Earth. This one is still on my list, along with plenty of other places in Russia I’d love to see someday.
11. Lake Como, Italy
Location: Lombardy, Italy
Lake Como has been drawing visitors for centuries, from Roman aristocrats to modern-day celebrities with villas along its shore. It’s surrounded by steep, forested hills and small towns like Bellagio and Varenna. Ferries connect the towns, so you can hop from one to the next without needing a car.
12. Lake Titicaca, Peru/Bolivia
Location: Border of Peru and Bolivia in the Andes Mountains
Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world, sitting at over 12,000 feet above sea level. On the Peruvian side, the Uros people live on floating islands built entirely from reeds, a tradition that goes back generations. In Inca legend, Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, children of the sun god Inti, rose from these waters to found Cusco and the Inca Empire.
13. Lake Kawaguchi, Japan
Location: Near Mount Fuji, Japan
Lake Kawaguchi is the most accessible of the Fuji Five Lakes, prized for its clear reflection of Mount Fuji on calm mornings. The Chureito Pagoda, a five-story red pagoda on a hillside above the lake, is one of the most photographed viewpoints in the region, especially during cherry blossom season. Hot spring resorts line the shore, many with rooms and baths positioned for a straight-on view of the mountain.
14. Maligne Lake, Canada
Location: Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
Maligne Lake is the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies, ringed by glaciers and towering peaks. I took a guided boat out to Spirit Island, a sacred site for the region’s Indigenous peoples. You can’t walk on it or touch it, but you get great views from the boat, and can walk on the shore to see it from a different angle. The ride out is worth it on its own, gliding past mountains and glaciers the whole way.
15. Lake Wanaka, New Zealand
Location: South Island, New Zealand
Lake Wanaka is known for “That Wanaka Tree,” a lone willow standing in the shallows that has become one of the most photographed trees in the country. The lake sits surrounded by the Southern Alps, with the town of Wanaka offering easy access to hiking, kayaking, and nearby Mount Aspiring National Park. Rob Roy Glacier is a popular day hike from here, with views back down over the lake and valley.
16. Lake Garda, Italy
Location: Northern Italy, border of Veneto, Lombardy, and Trentino
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, ringed by mountains to the north and softer, olive-covered hills to the south. Sirmione, a small town on a narrow peninsula, is known for its thermal springs and the ruins of a Roman villa at its tip. Medieval castles dot the shoreline, and the lake’s size means the scenery shifts noticeably as you move from one end to the other.
17. Lake Malawi, Malawi/Mozambique/Tanzania
Location: East Africa
Lake Malawi is home to more fish species than any other lake in the world, most of them cichlids found nowhere else on Earth. The water is warm and clear enough for snorkeling right off the beach, a rarity for a freshwater lake this size. Lake Malawi National Park, at the southern end, protects much of this underwater diversity and was one of the first freshwater parks named a UNESCO World Heritage site.
18. Lake Geneva, Switzerland/France
Location: Border of Switzerland and France
Lake Geneva is the largest lake in Central Europe, with the Alps rising along its southern shore and vineyard terraces stepping down toward the water near Lavaux. Geneva’s Jet d’Eau, a fountain shooting water 140 meters into the air, marks the western end, while Montreux and Chillon Castle sit near the eastern tip. Ferries connect the towns along both the Swiss and French shores.
19. Crater Lake, USA
Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, USA
Crater Lake formed after Mount Mazama collapsed in a volcanic eruption nearly 8,000 years ago, leaving behind the deepest lake in the US. No rivers feed into or out of it, so the water is filled entirely by rain and snowmelt, giving it a deep blue color and remarkable clarity. Wizard Island, a cinder cone rising from the western part of the lake, can be reached by boat tour in the summer months.
20. Lake Matheson, New Zealand
Location: West Coast, South Island, New Zealand
Lake Matheson is known for its mirror reflections of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, best seen at sunrise before any wind touches the water. A loop trail through native rainforest encircles the lake, with two viewpoints set up specifically for reflection shots. It’s a short walk, but a popular one, so the calmest water and best light both tend to line up early in the morning.
Have you been to any of these lakes?
Have a favorite I missed? I’d love to hear about your favorite lakes so I can add more to my travel plans.
