Were it in a country less blessed with attractions, Turkey’s Lake District due north of Antalya around Isparta in Western Anatolia would be much more of a drawcard. As it is it mainly attracts trekkers walking the St Paul’s Trail and enthusiastic mountaineers.
Less adventurous types put up at the pensions in Eğirdir and the small island connected to it by a causeway and then take a boat ride round a lake surprisingly lacking in facilities for water-sports enthusiasts.
Come in May to see the pink roses in bloom around Isparta, or in the fall when russet apples piled up by the roadside inject more colour into a landscape already made glorious by the autumnal foliage. In the 2020s Instagrammers also discovered (and mobbed) Lavanta Köyü/Kuyucak Köyü where the lavender fields have proved just too picturesque to ignore. Driving you’d get to them most easily from Burdur or Isparta.
The three largest lakes are Beyşehir Gölü (Lake Beyşehir), Eğirdir Gölu (Lake Eğirdir) and Burdur Gölü (Lake Burdur) although there are several smaller lakes too, including Salda Gölü (Lake Salda), beyond Burdur, which, unlike the others, is a crater lake. Its white-sand beaches had been well protected until 2020 when the start of construction work for a ‘national garden” rang alarm bells in some quarters.
This main Lake District should not be confused with the smaller lake districts around Sapanca Gölu, Abant Gölü and Yedigöller in the northwest of the country, and Çildır Gölü (Lake Çildır) and several Karagöls (Blacks Lakes) around Ardahan and Borçka in the northeast.
Sleeping
The nicest place to stay is Eğirdir where most of the hotels and pensions are close to the water. Isparta has a good choice of business hotels. Burdur has fewer hotels but is a very pleasant place to stay. Beyşehir is a little out on a limb, with more limited accommodation options.
Transport info
The main airport for the Lakes is at Isparta which also has the biggest bus station and the best network of local bus services.
Places to visit in the Lake District
