9 of the world’s most beautiful lakes to visit, from George Clooney favourite Lake Como to mythical Loch Ness and Canada’s Moraine Lake
- Lakes serve as resources, habitats for wildlife and recreational spaces. The most Instagrammable ones include Moraine Lake in Canada and Scotland’s Loch Ness
- Indonesian volcano Kelimutu has three lakes that regularly change colour, while Italy’s Lake Como has been attracting tourists since Roman times
From mirror-like reflections in the calm of early morning to waters crowded with kayaks and ferries, speedboats and pedalos, lakes evoke a sense of tranquillity and a space for recreational activities.
They also serve as a resource for hydroelectricity generation, agricultural irrigation and wildlife habitats, as well as providing food and drinking water for humans.
The following nine lakes are renowned for their beauty, status as a national treasure or as the fabled home of an elusive monster.
1. Hangzhou West Lake
If further evidence of the World Heritage site’s status as a tourist attraction were needed, visitors can view the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon scene that appears on China’s one yuan banknote.
Hop on a ferry or hire a boat and skipper to take you to gardens, pagodas, temples and islands. Alternatively, rent a bike and pedal the 7km Northwest Route, a flat path that connects many of the beauty spot’s most celebrated sights.
2. Kelimutu
Visitors get no fewer than three crater lakes to swoon over at Kelimutu, on the Indonesian island of Flores. Even better, they change colour every so often, from bottle green to electric blue, red, brown and black, as a result of chemical reactions triggered by volcanic activity.
