BEST LAKES
The world's most striking bodies of water
Alpine lakes, crater lakes, and great freshwater seas — each shaped by a different geological story.
Argentina
Lago Argentino
Patagonia, Argentina
The largest freshwater lake in Argentina, in southern Patagonia. Fed by Andean glaciers, its milky blue arms reach the calving front of the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park.
Nahuel Huapi
Bariloche, Argentina
A large glacial lake with a branching, fjord-like shape in the Argentine Lake District, at the heart of Nahuel Huapi National Park. The resort town of Bariloche sits on its southern shore.
Austria
Canada
Emerald Lake
Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
A vivid green glacial lake in Yoho National Park in the Canadian Rockies, colored by suspended rock flour. Backed by the President Range, it is a popular canoeing and hiking base.
Lake Louise
Banff, Alberta, Canada
A turquoise glacial lake in Banff National Park, overlooked by a grand lakeside hotel and the Victoria Glacier at its far end. A hub for canoeing, hiking, and winter ice skating.
Maligne Lake
Jasper, Alberta, Canada
The largest natural lake in Jasper National Park and the largest glacier-fed lake in the Canadian Rockies. Boat tours reach Spirit Island, a small tree-covered islet framed by surrounding peaks.
Moraine Lake
Banff, Alberta, Canada
A glacially fed lake in Banff National Park set in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, its intense blue coming from suspended rock flour. The rockpile viewpoint yields one of the Rockies’ most iconic vistas.
Peyto Lake
Icefields Parkway, Alberta, Canada
A glacier-fed lake along the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park, known for its striking wolf-head shape and vivid blue color when meltwater peaks in summer. Viewed from an easy overlook above.
Chile
Croatia
Plitvice Lakes
Lika-Senj, Croatia
A UNESCO-listed national park where a chain of terraced lakes descends through travertine barriers, linked by cascades and waterfalls. Wooden boardwalks thread across the water through dense forest.
Finland
France
Lake Annecy
Haute-Savoie, France
An alpine lake in the French Savoy region, famed for exceptionally clear water thanks to strict conservation. The medieval town of Annecy sits at its northern tip, laced with canals.
Germany
Guatemala
Iceland
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Vatnaجökull, Iceland
A glacial lagoon at the edge of Vatnaجökull, Iceland’s largest ice cap, where icebergs calve from a retreating glacier tongue and drift toward the sea. Now the deepest lake in Iceland.
India
Indonesia
Israel / Jordan
Italy
Lake Como
Lombardy, Italy
A deep, Y-shaped glacial lake in the Lombardy foothills of the Alps, lined with historic villas and gardens. One of the deepest lakes in Europe and a long-established resort destination.
Lake Garda
Trentino / Lombardy / Veneto, Italy
The largest lake in Italy, straddling three regions between the Alps and the Po plain. Its mild, almost Mediterranean climate supports olive and lemon groves, and stiff northern winds make it a windsurfing hub.
Japan
Lake Kawaguchi
Yamanashi, Japan
One of the Fuji Five Lakes at the northern base of Mount Fuji, popular for its mirror reflection of the peak on calm mornings. A year-round resort area with hot springs and lakeside views.
Kenya
Kyrgyzstan
Malawi / Mozambique / Tanzania
Mexico
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
Phewa Lake
Pokhara, Nepal
A freshwater lake beside the city of Pokhara in central Nepal, reflecting the Annapurna range on clear days. The Tal Barahi temple stands on a small island near its shore.
New Zealand
Lake Wanaka
Otago, New Zealand
A large glacial lake in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park. The lone tree standing in its shallows, “That Wanaka Tree,” is a widely photographed landmark.
Tongariro Emerald Lakes
Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
Small crater lakes along the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, colored bright green by dissolved volcanic minerals. They sit within a dual UNESCO World Heritage park of active volcanoes.
North Macedonia / Albania
Peru / Bolivia
Lake Titicaca
Peru / Bolivia
The largest lake in South America by volume and the highest large navigable lake in the world, shared by Peru and Bolivia in the Andes. Known for the Uros people’s reed islands.
Russia
Rwanda / DR Congo
Slovenia
Lake Bled
Bled, Slovenia
A small glacial lake in the Julian Alps, ringed by mountains and known for the tiny island at its center, topped by a pilgrimage church, and a cliff-top medieval castle.
Lake Bohinj
Triglav National Park, Slovenia
The largest permanent lake in Slovenia, set within Triglav National Park in the Julian Alps. Quieter and wilder than nearby Bled, it is fed by alpine streams and popular for hiking and swimming.
Switzerland
Lake Geneva (Lac Léman)
Geneva / Lausanne, Switzerland / France
A large crescent-shaped lake on the course of the Rhône, shared by Switzerland and France. Its shores hold Geneva, Lausanne, and the terraced Lavaux vineyards, with the Alps rising to the south.
Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee)
Lucerne, Switzerland
A branching, fjord-like lake in central Switzerland surrounded by steep peaks such as Pilatus and Rigi. Tied to the founding legends of the Swiss Confederation and served by historic paddle steamers.
Lake Zürich
Zürich, Switzerland
A curving lowland lake stretching southeast from the city of Zürich, framed by rolling hills and vineyards. Popular for lakeside swimming areas, promenades, and steamer cruises.
Oeschinen Lake
Kandersteg, Switzerland
A high mountain lake above Kandersteg in the Bernese Oberland, cradled by peaks of the Blüemlisalp. Reached by gondola and a short hike, it is fed by surrounding glaciers.
Tajikistan
Uganda / Tanzania / Kenya
United Kingdom
Loch Lomond
Trossachs, Scotland
The largest lake by surface area in Great Britain, at the heart of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Dotted with wooded islands, it marks the edge of the Scottish Highlands.
Loch Ness
Scottish Highlands, Scotland
A long, deep loch along the Great Glen fault in the Scottish Highlands, holding more fresh water than all English and Welsh lakes combined. Famous for the folklore of its legendary monster.
United States
Lake Tahoe
California / Nevada, United States
A large, deep alpine lake straddling California and Nevada in the Sierra Nevada, ringed by forested peaks and ski resorts. Noted for its clarity and its year-round mix of skiing and beach recreation.
Lake Coeur d'Alene
Idaho Panhandle, United States
A 25-mile glacial lake in the Idaho Panhandle, hemmed in by forested ridges and fed by the Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe rivers, with one of the largest wintering bald-eagle gatherings in the western United States.
Vietnam
Ha Long Bay (Freshwater: Ba Bể Lake)
Bắc Kạn, Vietnam
The largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam, set within Ba Bể National Park among karst limestone peaks and forest. Its name means Three Bays, and boat trips pass caves and waterfalls.