Traveling around the lakes in the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve -
Jeep tour from Almaty to the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve -
Lake Koksay is a beautiful mountain lake, located high in the mountains at an altitude of 2553 meters above sea level, is part of the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve and is one of its many natural attractions. The lake lies in the embrace of harsh rocks and green slopes, like a blue mirror reflecting the sky, eternity and the breath of the mountains. The name "Koksay" means "blue stream", and there is some truth in this - the lake was born of glaciers, fed by crystal clear waters of mountain springs, and the Koksay River flowing out of it carries this power further, into the gorges and valleys. Let the road to the lake begin from the Koksay gorge, where the Koksay recreation center is located. This location is available in summer, June, July, August, September. There are guest houses and a small yurt camp at the recreation center. You can also rent horses for a hike to the lake. A dirt road leads to the base.
How to get there and visit -
Lake Koksay is located in the upper reaches of the Koksay gorge in the Aksu-Zhabagly nature reserve, near the city of Taraz, Zhualynsky district, Zhambyl region, Republic of Kazakhstan.
GPS coordinates: 42°22'45"N 70°52'14"E
Information -
Lake Koksay is not just a reservoir. This is a place where time stands still. When you stand on its shores, you feel how the noise of the world goes somewhere far away. Only a light splash of water, the chirping of grasshoppers in the meadows around and the distant echo of a bird of prey in the sky. The lake is located in a remote and hard-to-reach area, the path to it lies through the Koksay canyon with its weathered rocks, where each gorge seems like a page of an ancient epic. But Koksay generously pays for this path with its silence, freshness and breathtaking views. The shores of the lake are overgrown with juniper and a carpet of alpine grasses, especially beautiful in June and July, when mountain poppies, edelweiss and bellflowers bloom. Here you can see mountain goats, foxes, marmots, and in the sky - proud golden eagles and eagles carving circles over the rocks. The water in the lake is so transparent that you can see every pebble on the bottom, and if you are lucky enough to catch a calm, the surface becomes smooth as glass, reflecting the sky and peaks so that you lose the boundaries between the real and the fabulous. You can drink water from the lake. The special magic of Koksay is in its changeable nature. At dawn, the lake dozes under a blanket of fog, by midday it plays with sunbeams, and by evening it turns into a mirror, reflecting the pink peaks. Locals say that the water here has a special power - just wash yourself, and fatigue will go away, and a wish made, thrown into the waters of Koksay with pure thoughts, will definitely come true.
Trip to Lake Koksay is not a walk, it is a whole story. This is a path to where man and nature meet without words, where everything is real. This is a place for those who are looking for not just beautiful views, but moments that remain in the heart forever. Lake Koksay is a living legend in the heart of the mountains, a place of strength, peace and inspiration.
Attractions nearby:
Aksu Canyon (Aksu River Canyon) Aksu River
Kishi-Kaindy Gorge
Waterfall on the Kishi-Kaindy River
Kaskabulak Petroglyphs
Darbaza Tract
Tulips of the Aksu-Zhabagly Reserve
Zhabagly Village
"Skazka" Cave near the village of Ak-Biik
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