Issyk-Kul Region: Lake, Nature and Culture

By the lake: sandy beaches and water sports on the north shore

The north shore of Issyk-Kul has sandy beaches, holiday resorts and water sports facilities. If you want to centre your stay mainly around the water, you can start your search for a holiday apartment or holiday home on this side of the lake. A focus on beaches and water sports differs from a stay centred on hiking and mountain landscapes.

Cholpon-Ata is also an important transport hub for getting around the north shore: it has an airport, a bus station and bus stops. From there, travellers can conveniently continue west or east along the northern shore of the Issyk-Kul basin. This may influence your choice of location if you are planning a trip along the northern lakeshore and want to consider different places.

Trekking and distinctive landscapes

The southern lakeshore towns of Tamga, Barskoon and Tosor provide access to the Terskei Alatoo trekking belt. These towns therefore offer a different starting point from the water sports facilities on the north shore for a trip focused on being active in the mountains. There is also a waterfall in the Barskoon Gorge. Together with access to the trekking belt, this makes the area appealing to travellers who want to include mountain scenery and hikes in their holiday plans.

The landscape itself also offers a variety of discoveries. The Kok-Moynok Canyon is characterised by striking landforms. In Mukaachy Canyon, erosion over many thousands of years has shaped the mountain landscape. The Sogotu area features a complex of Mesozoic rocks containing palaeontological fossils. These places represent different geological features: striking landforms in one place, rocks and fossils in another.

The Ak-Olon Valley has igneous outcrops containing syenite crystals. The Jeti-Oguz Valley features a geological outcrop with rocks from the Carboniferous period. The Red Rocks of Jeti-Oguz have thermomineral springs, which are considered evidence of ongoing geological processes within the Earth. Skazka Valley is a natural area in the region. Those interested in landforms and geological features will find a range of topics to consider when choosing the focus of their holiday.

Nature and history in the region

The Issyk-Kul Biosphere Territory is a nationally significant, specially protected natural area. In September 2001, it was included in the worldwide network of UNESCO biosphere reserves. In the mountainous area around Issyk-Kul, natural habitats exist alongside traditional culture. This combination of nature and culture adds another perspective on the region to travel ideas focused more on beaches, water sports or trekking.

History can also be discovered at specific sites. The Karakol Historical Museum is housed in a building that forms part of the city’s historic architecture and preserves architectural features from the late 19th century. The medieval settlement site of Tosor is in the Issyk-Kul Region. The Tamga-Tash stones are a natural site in the region. These places can add a cultural or historical focus to your travel plans, without requiring your holiday to be centred exclusively on the lake or the mountains.

Other subregions

The region also includes the subregions of Dolinka, Issyk-Kul, Ananyevo, Kaji-Say, Tosor, Chong-Sary-Oy, Barskoon, Teploklyuchenka, Balykchy, Tamchy, Ak-Su, Grigorievka, Bokonbayevo, Kuturga and Tamga.

For the general travel overview: Kyrgyzstan.