Naryn - Son Kul Lake

Son-Kul Lake (also Song-Kul, Son-Kyol, Sonkul, etc.) is a large mountain lake, the second largest in Kyrgyzstan, located in Naryn Province, about 280 km from Bishkek.

Son-Kul Lake is situated at an altitude of 3,000 metres in a large inter-mountain valley of the Naryn region, bounded by the Son-Kul-Too ridge to the north and the Moldo-Too ridge to the south. The lake is fresh and quite deep - its maximum depth is 14 metres. It freezes over in mid-November and does not thaw again until mid-April.

The area around the lake is very picturesque, especially in summer. Son-Kul is surrounded by low hills, behind which you can see the jagged peaks and snowfields of the central Tien Shan ridges. Because of the high altitude, there are no trees here, only low, sturdy grass and numerous edelweiss.

The lake is not very large, but its shores are very different. The southern and eastern shores are quite gentle and in some places marshy, while the northern and western shores are rather steep and the road along the lake winds along the hills, which sometimes rise steeply above the water level, sometimes drop steeply. It is particularly nice to cycle, as the best view of the lake is from the western shore.

Son-Kul is a rather inaccessible place, so anthropogenic influence here is minimal. Only in summer do the nomadic herds from the villages in the neighbouring Jumgal Valley and from Naryn come here. At other times, the Son Kul valley is completely uninhabited.

On the northern shore of the lake is the only stone building in the entire valley - the mausoleum of Taylak Baatyr, built in the late 19th century.

Lake Son-Kul is a very popular tourist destination in the Naryn region. There are numerous tourist routes, and thanks to the lake's favourable geographical location, a trip from one part of the country to another can be easily combined with a visit to Son-Kul. Son-Kul is also interesting because in summer you can experience the nomadic way of life at first hand and spend a few days away from civilisation.