Unique example of human struggle with advancing sands -
Akespe village is a unique settlement in the Aral district of the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan, part of the Kosaman rural district. Located near the northwestern coast of Butakov Bay and the Small Aral Sea, this authentic fishing village in the middle of a desert area has become a living symbol of the environmental changes in the region.
The old village, which consisted of thirty houses on two streets with a length of 500 meters, due to the rapid drying up of the Aral Sea, was subjected to a fierce onslaught of moving sand dunes that buried the mudbrick structures up to their very roofs. To save the community from the advancing desert, the residents moved the settlement two kilometers to the side, building the new village of Akespe with good living conditions.
The main calling card and treasure of the settlement is the famous underground geothermal spring located 1.5 kilometers from the residential houses. This holy, healing hydrogen sulfide spring was discovered by paleontologists and hydrogeologists during drilling in search of drinking water: hot mineral water gushes straight from the ground under natural pressure all year round, maintaining a constant temperature from +60°C to +62°C.
In addition, these places gained world scientific fame back in 1925, when scientists discovered an ancient Oligocene burial near the village – the so-called "Aral fossil fauna" aged about 26 million years, where paleontologists found fossil remains of ancient moles, rodents, predators, odd-toed ungulates, and land tortoises.
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How to get there and visit -
Akespe village is located on the northwestern coast of Butakov Bay, Aral district, Kyzylorda region, Republic of Kazakhstan.
The distance from the city of Kyzylorda to the district center is about 360 km, and the village itself is located 120 kilometers northwest of the city of Aralsk.
GPS coordinates: 46°48'23"N 60°30'01"E
The transport logistics of this secluded area completely exclude regular public transport – there is no asphalted highway to the village, you can get here only along steppe roads.
Independent travelers can take a train to the Saksaul railway station or to the city of Aralsk, and hire local drivers with "UAZ" SUVs at bus stations, which regularly run between the village and the district center.
For a trip in your own car, only a prepared four-wheel-drive 4x4 SUV with high cross-country capability is suitable. Due to harsh desert conditions, summer heat, and the risk of getting stuck in deep loose sand or salt marshes, it is strongly recommended not to travel alone in a single car – at least two vehicles must go on an expedition for mutual assistance and safety.
Drivers must carry satellite navigators, reliable shovels, a tow rope, communication devices, additional fuel, and a large supply of drinking water.
Opening hours: the village, moving dunes, and the natural geothermal spring are available for visits by travelers around the clock and all year round. Access to the medical and resort area near the healing spring and entry to the adjacent territory are completely free; no paid checkpoints, tickets, ticket offices, or environmental fees are provided here.
It is recommended to plan a trip to this region for the spring period (April – May) or early autumn (September – October) to avoid extreme summer temperatures, when the air warms up above 40°C.
All tent camps are organized by expedition groups independently in field conditions, and overnight stays and a traditional lunch can be easily arranged with the owners of guesthouses directly on the spot in the new village.
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History
The history of Akespe village reflects the dramatic chronicle of the drying up of the Aral Sea and the amazing resilience of humans in front of the forces of nature. In the Soviet period, it was a prosperous fishing village standing on the very shore of the full-flowing Butakov Bay. Local residents swam in the sea, caught a rich catch, and cargo steamers regularly arrived and departed from the pier. The surrounding pastures were used for cattle herding, and hydrogeological exploration led to the discovery of a powerful radon well.
With the deterioration of the environmental situation and the water receding two kilometers from the former coastline, the exposed bottom turned into a desert. Strong steppe winds began to bring tons of fine sand, turning the old village into an eerie exclusion zone buried by dunes.
The residents showed courage, refusing to leave their native lands: they independently moved their households higher up the slope, building a new village with refrigeration units for fish, preserving their traditional craft and loyalty to the Aral land.
Information
Akespe village and the surrounding natural complex are organized as an open medical and health, ethnographic, and ecological space in the middle of the desert. Excellent conditions are created here for landscape filming, ecological workshops, and organizing extreme jeep tours.
The highlight of this area is the striking contrast between the half-ruined houses of the old village, the developing infrastructure of the new settlement, and the steaming pool with hot radon water.
The holy hydrogen sulfide spring itself is equipped one and a half kilometers from the residential zone. Mineralized water escapes from a steel pipe under natural pressure and collects in an open reservoir.
Medical specialists and guides recommend that tourists take hot radon baths in moderation (no more than 15–20 minutes), strictly forbid polluting the drainage stream, and urge them to treat the fragile ecosystem with care, without disturbing the silence of this desert land.
The population of the village, which according to the 1999 census was 200 people (96 men and 104 women), increased to 255 residents by 2009 (126 men and 129 women).
Local fishermen and livestock breeders raising camels and horses welcome expedition participants with true steppe hospitality: you can stay in a local guesthouse in the village to feel the harsh flavor of the Sahara in the very heart of Kazakhstan, make a pilgrimage to the hot baths, and capture the constantly changing shapes of the sand dunes.
Detailed description of the venue
The well-thought-out infrastructure of the historical and natural complex includes the following original locations and geographical features:
[b]• New Akespe village – a modern residential sector of 30 houses with an administrative building, a new school, a shop, and a stationary industrial refrigerator for storing fish.
• Old village buried in sand – a unique ecological photo zone where you can see empty mudbrick houses buried by golden dunes up to their very roofs.
• Geothermal well – a steel pipe head from which a fountain of hot mineral hydrogen sulfide water with a temperature of up to +62°C gushes continuously.
• Radon healing pool – an open earthen reservoir near the spring used by pilgrims and tourists from all over Kazakhstan for health swimming.
• Karasandyk Canyon – a beautiful coastal location of Butakov Bay, which consists of sand and clay cliffs and dry stream beds carved by water flows into the bizarre shapes of an ancient canyon.
• Moving sand spit – giant masses of clean fine sand near the shores of the Aral Sea, constantly changing their outlines under the influence of desert winds.
Architecture
The architectural appearance of the new village of Akespe is based on practical principles of civil construction in arid regions. Modern residential houses are built from durable local materials using adobe and adobe-brick cladding, which provides ideal thermal insulation during periods of extreme summer heat and winter blizzards.
The engineering solution of the area is the equipment of the geothermal well: steel distribution trays allow hot water to be effectively drained into the discharge stream, preventing the waterlogging of pastures. The layout of the streets of the new village with a length of 500 meters each is designed taking into account protection from the prevailing northwestern winds carrying salt dust from the bottom of the Aral Sea, and a tall mast of a cellular communication antenna completes the ensemble, providing connection with the outside world.
Legend
Stories about the sacred power of the underground spring of Akespe village are passed down from generation to generation among the residents of the Kosaman rural district. The elders say that during the period when the sea began to recede rapidly and the advancing sands began to bury the first houses, people fell into despair and began to pray for a sign.
At the same time, scientists laid a borehole in search of fresh water, but instead hot healing steam burst out from the depths of the earth with a roar.
It is believed that this spring was granted to the faithful residents by the Almighty as a consolation and a great reward for their patience, so that they would not leave their native land.
There is a belief that the hot hydrogen sulfide water possesses a soul and heals only those pilgrims who come to it with humility and pure thoughts.
The old men claim that if you bathe in the healing pool at dawn, wishing health for your family, the hot mineral water will wash away all diseases of the joints, clear the skin, and grant longevity to a person.
Conclusion
Akespe village is a magnificent historical bridge connecting the memory of the former fishing greatness of Butakov Bay with modern ecological and adventure tourism in the Kyzylorda region. A visit to this village allows tourists to see firsthand the consequences of large-scale climate changes, appreciate the perseverance of local residents, and touch the ancient paleontological history of the region captured in Oligocene sediments.
The village remains an essential reference point for extreme, health, and scientific-local history tourism in the Aral district. Expedition routes invariably include this sandy oasis in their catalogs, giving every traveler a unique opportunity to test their strength and feel the living energy of the earth in the middle of a silent desert.
Interesting sights nearby:
• Shevchenko Bay;
• Kokaral Dam;
• Barsakelmes Nature Reserve;
• Akbasty village;
• Eastern part of Butakov Bay;
• Karasandyk Canyon;
• Tastubek fishing village;
• Lake Barsakelmes.
Photogallery:
