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Ihlara Valley
A 15-kilometer green canyon in southwest Cappadocia: Byzantine rock churches, a Seljuk sultan named in a…
Photo: Turkey Your Way
Salt Lake (Tuz Gölü)
Turkey's second-largest lake, a shallow salt pan on the Anatolian steppe that turns white in late summer.
Overview
The Salt Lake, Tuz Gölü in Turkish, is the second-largest lake in Turkey after Lake Van. It spreads across the borders of Ankara, Konya and Aksaray provinces, on the high steppe of central Anatolia. Yet the water is so shallow that most of it dries up in summer. Then a crust of salt covers the bed, and from July to November the lake turns white.
Salt Lake in Turkey's central steppe
The lake lies in the lowest part of a wide hollow. Around it rise the Kızılırmak massif to the east and the Obruk plateau to the south. The Cihanbeyli plateau closes the west, and the Haymana plateau the north. Its surface lies 905 meters (2,969 feet) above sea level.
The lake and its basin are protected as a Special Environmental Protection Area of 7,414 square kilometers (2,863 square miles). Under international criteria, the basin counts as an A-class wetland, and the lake is registered as a first-degree natural site.
Quick facts
- Good for: wide white views, birds, sunset photos
- Best combined with: an underground city, Ihlara Valley, Sultanhanı Caravanserai
How the Salt Lake Works
A shallow lake in a closed basin
Tectonic movement formed the lake, and no river flows out of it. In many places, the water is less than half a meter (20 inches) deep. So in spring, when the water is highest, the lake can spread over 164,200 hectares (634 square miles).
Four main streams feed it. The Peçenek stream comes in from Şereflikoçhisar in the east, while a drainage canal from the Konya plain arrives in the southwest. From the west flows the İnsuyu, down from Cihanbeyli, and from Aksaray in the southeast comes the Uluırmak.
The white crust of summer
In winter, the water rises, and from May it begins to pull back. Several of the streams dry up in summer before they reach the lake. Then, with strong evaporation, almost the whole lake dries out. Where it does, a layer of salt up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) thick forms on the bed.
This makes Tuz Gölü one of the saltiest lakes in the world. No water plants can grow in it. Around the shore, only a thin cover of salt-loving plants holds on.
Wildlife at the Salt Lake
Flamingos and migrating birds
The lake lies on a migration route, and there is no other large wetland in the surrounding steppe. So migrating birds come down here to rest, winter and breed. Because of its salt, the lake does not freeze in winter, which makes it a good shelter.
In total, 85 bird species have been recorded, and the lake ranks among the richest in Turkey for birds. Look for flamingos, cranes, wild geese, avocets, ruddy shelducks, plovers and wild ducks. Near İzmir, the Gediz Delta holds one of Türkiye’s main flamingo colonies. Around the small ponds and marshes on the edge, pratincoles, shelducks and gulls also live. For other wetlands, see our guide to birdwatching in Turkey.
Plants found nowhere else
Salt flats rarely hold endemic species, but this one does. Around the lake grow 38 endemic plant species, many of them tolerant of salt and drought, and found nowhere else in the world. Fifteen mammal species live in the area as well.
Visiting the Salt Lake
When to walk on the salt
The season decides what you see. After the water starts to pull back in May, you can walk out on the lake from June. From July to November, the walk takes you onto the bright white salt crust. At sunset, the red light falls on the surface, and photographers come for that glow. A multi-stage ultra marathon is also run on and around the lake.
Getting to the Salt Lake from Cappadocia
Aksaray province is part of Cappadocia today, and the lake lies 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Aksaray city center. From there, public transport runs every hour to the town of Eskil, the access point on the Aksaray side. Two more Aksaray sights fit the same day: Ihlara Valley, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Aksaray, and the Sultanhanı Caravanserai, 42 kilometers (26 miles) west of the city. We plan the stop at Tuz Gölü on the road to Cappadocia. For the valleys and fairy chimneys, start with our Cappadocia guide.
Updated: October 26, 2026.
Seeing the Salt Lake with Us
Would you like to see the Salt Lake on your way through central Turkey? On our Blue Cruise and Cappadocia tour, the Antalya to Istanbul tour with a blue cruise and the All Around Turkey tour with a blue cruise, the Cappadocia day takes in an underground city and then the lake. The salt flats are one stop on the Cappadocia day; let us know when you cross Anatolia and we will time it. The lake also touches the Konya and Ankara provinces.
Things to See & Do
Map
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Frequently asked questions
Where is the Salt Lake?
Tuz Gölü spreads across Ankara, Konya and Aksaray provinces, on the high steppe of central Anatolia. It lies 50 km (31 miles) from Aksaray city center, and the town of Eskil is the access point on the Aksaray side.
When does the Salt Lake turn white?
From July to November, when most of the water dries up and a crust of salt covers the bed. You can walk out on the lake from June.
What can we see at the Salt Lake?
Wide white views and red sunset light on the salt, and in season flamingos, cranes and other migrating birds. In total, 85 bird species have been recorded there.
Which of your tours stop at the Salt Lake?
On our Blue Cruise and Cappadocia tour, the Antalya to Istanbul tour with a blue cruise and the All Around Turkey tour with a blue cruise, the Cappadocia day takes in an underground city and then the lake. Ihlara Valley and the Sultanhanı Caravanserai fit the same day.
