Many people think that the nature of Kazakhstan is only endless steppe landscapes. Picturesque mountains, lakes with clear turquoise water, canyons and gorges attract many tourists from different countries. Unique natural attractions are located in different parts of this large country. Therefore, it is important for tourists to plan a travel route in advance.
Most natural monuments can only be reached by car. There are organized tours to the most interesting places from large cities - Nur-Sultan or Almaty. On large lakes, such as Balkhash or Borovoe, there is a developed tourist infrastructure. Resorts have been built, many excursion programs are provided. Many independent travelers prefer wild camping on the lakes.
The most interesting natural monuments in Kazakhstan
Charyn canyon
Located 200 km from the city of Almaty. It is called a miniature copy of the Grand Canyon in America. The age of the Charyn canyon is more than 12 million years. The height of the mountains reaches 300 meters. The most popular excursion to the Valley of the Canyon Castles. This gorge is about three kilometers long with rocks of unusual red color. You can only walk along the canyon. A unique grove of relict ash and turangovaya grove have been preserved in the canyon.
Burkhan-Bulak waterfall
The cascading waterfall is 168 meters high. This makes it the highest in Kazakhstan. Located in the gorge of the Kora River in Dzungaria. Most of the organized excursions to the falls take three days due to the difficulty of the route. The nearest settlement - the city of Tekeli is 50 km away. A dangerous mountain road leads to the waterfall. The gorge itself and the Burkhan-Bulak waterfall were considered sacred, many beautiful legends were written about them.
Lake Balkhash
The uniqueness of the lake is that it is half fresh in the western part and half salty in the eastern part. In recent years, the tourist infrastructure has been actively developing on the lake. It is mainly concentrated near large cities - Balkhash, Priozersk. But the most popular type of rest is independent "wild" rest with tents. Long sandy beaches, warm waters and hot summers contribute to this.
Issyk lake
Until 1963, the most popular resort in Kazakhstan. In 1963, a mudflow devastated the reservoir, destroying the dam. The destruction of most of the city has claimed thousands of lives. By now, restoration work has been carried out, the previous volume of the lake has almost recovered. Tourists are attracted by the proximity to nature and silence. The color of the water in the lake is interesting - it changes from gray to blue or green, depending on the weather.
Sunken forest of Kaindy lake
This unique place was formed after the earthquake in 1911. Then the gorge was blocked by a landslide and filled with water. The valley forest is completely sunk in the water. The lake with a sunken forest is especially popular with divers. But even without submersion in the water, there is plenty to do. Walking along the shore with picturesque views and the clear water of the lake will not leave anyone indifferent. There are no fish in the lake, although the water is very clean.
Boszhira tract
A ridge of rock formations at the bottom of the canyon of the Ustyurt plateau. In the Mesozoic era, this place was completely hidden by water. The rocks of the tract are formed by chalk layers and sandstone. Over the millennia, they have acquired an unusual relief. At the entrance to the tract there are "fangs" - two peaks 200 meters high. The landscape of the tract is often compared to the extraterrestrial. Scorpions are found in the gorge, so independent travelers need to be careful when hiking.
Singing dune in Altyn Emel
A sand mountain 3 km long and 150 meters high. It is a natural phenomenon. In dry weather, the dune makes sounds similar to the sounds of an organ. They are caused by friction of grains of sand against each other. In addition, tourists are attracted by the picturesque view from the dune. The river, mountains with purple and lilac-blue hues, a ridge behind white clouds and ridges of light-colored sand are an unusual sight.
Kokshetau Upland
Located in the north of the country. The upland with protruding rock massifs is 400 km long and up to 200 km wide. The top of the hill is Mount Sinyukha, 947 meters high above sea level. The rocks of Kokshetau attract fans of sports tourism with many routes of varying degrees of difficulty among pine forests. For lovers of quiet rest, the Burabay resort on the Borovoe lake is attractive.
Charyn ash grove
A unique grove with a length of 20 km is the pride of the Charyn canyon. Ash trees in this place reach 20 meters in height. The type of trees "Sogdian ash" is more than 25 million years old, it survived the ice age. A small river flows near the grove. The air is clean and fresh. Several guest houses have been built near the grove, there is a cafe. There are two similar relict groves in the world, the second is in North America.
Borovoe lake
It is located in the Burabay National Park near the resort village of the same name. The shores on this eastern side of the lake are sandy. On the other sides, the banks are rocky and granite. A popular excursion on the lake is a walk on the water to the island of Zhumbaktas (Sphinx) in the Blue Bay. The water in the lake is clear and clean, it is considered curative. The length of the lake is almost five kilometers and the depth reaches seven meters.
Mount Belukha
The border of Kazakhstan and Russia passes through the massif of this mountain. From the Russian side, it is located on the territory of the Altai Republic. From the side of Kazakhstan - on the territory of the Katon-Karagandi Natural Park. Belukha's height is 4506 meters. Mountain rivers and mountain lakes in these places are very picturesque. The area of Belukha Mountain is a zone of seismic activity. Because of this, avalanches are frequent, and the rocks are covered with faults and cracks.
Konyr-Aulie cave
A sacred place of pilgrimage for locals and tourists. According to one of the legends, Genghis Khan is buried in this cave. There is a belief that immersion in the waters of a lake in a cave heals many diseases. The depth of the lake reaches 5 meters with a very modest size of 18 by 15 meters. Wooden stairs and gazebos were erected in the grotto. The cave has not been fully explored because of the narrow arches above the water, through which it is difficult to penetrate further.
Bektau-Ata tract
An unusual and contrasting sight is these mountains in the middle of the steppe. The height of the highest peak is 1214 meters. The tract was formed as a result of a tectonic fault. The volcano melted rocks, but the eruption never happened. The volcanic lava froze and formed pink granite rocks. Over the millennia of weathering, the rocks have received bizarre shapes and unusual names - Coffin, Turtle, Chest.
Imantau lake island
The unusual shape of the island in the form of a heart attracts many tourists vacationing on the lake. It is located four kilometers from the coast. The maximum depth of the lake is more than 10 meters, so tourists need to carefully consider the choice of means of transportation to the island. Most often this is a boat as part of an organized excursion group. The island has unique vegetation, especially the juniper grove.
Chinturgen relict moss spruce forests
They are a natural monument. They are located on the territory of the Ile-Alatau National Park. Under the moss of the spruce forest there are permafrost massifs, the thickness of the ice reaches three meters. An ecological path has been laid from the entrance to the Chinturgen gorge. It is difficult to walk along it to the spruce forests - the gorge is narrow, there are many taluses and fallen firs. Relict spruce forests grow at an altitude of 1850 meters. The landscape is unusual for this height, similar to the forest-tundra zone.
Rock Baba Yaga in Bayanaul
In Kazakh, the name sounds like Kempirtas - Old Woman-Stone. An excursion to this rock is one of the most popular among tourists in the Bayanaul National Park. When viewed from a certain angle, the boulder really looks like a grinning, ugly bald old woman. Located near Lake Zhasybay. Benches and a barrier are installed near the cliff, there is a house for guards.
Small Aral Sea
It arose after the drying up of the northern part of the Aral Sea. It got its modern look in 2005 after the construction of the Kokaral dam. The water level in the Small Aral has almost recovered, the water has become fresher. Fishing has recovered - pike perch, carp, flounder are found. The restoration of the Small Aral Sea is an important environmental challenge for Kazakhstan. This will significantly improve the ecology and climate in the region.
Goose flight
It is located on the banks of the Irtysh River in Pavlodar region. This is a large burial of fossil animals. An open-air park complex is being developed. Here you can watch the excavations of the bones of such animals as the saber-toothed tiger, sinotherium (rhinoceros), and the deer of Tragoceros. Every year after a flood and erosion of the coast, local residents can find the bones of animals that lived here about 25 million years ago.
Hill "Eagle Mountain"
It is also known under the name Zhaman-Sopka, from the Kazakh language it is translated as "bad hill". Once the hill served as a landmark for travelers in the steppe. The robbers who robbed trade caravans knew about it. The robbers set up their shelter just near the hill. In Soviet times, a special regime colony was formed near the hill. Tourism in these places is not common. Mostly the hill is visited by independent autotravellers.
Hill "Two Brothers"
The hill consists of two parts, the separation takes place at an altitude of 300 meters. A path has been laid to the Ayyrtauchik lake at the foot of the hill from the Turpan recreation center, which passes through a pine and birch forest. There is an observation deck at the top with a beautiful view. The length of the slope up to it is 500 meters. The hills owe their name to a beautiful legend about brothers who died defending their native land from invaders.
