Koyashskoye Salt Lake – Wonderful Pink Magic

One of the most remarkable lakes in the world can be found on one of the most prominent peninsulas of one of the most famous peninsulas in Eastern Europe.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most interesting facts about the Koyashskoye Salt Lake, an astonishing wonder of nature for a particular reason.

Where is the Koyashskoye Salt Lake located?

The Koyashskoye Salt Lake is also sometimes referred to as the Koyashs’ke Salt Lake and is located on the Crimea Peninsula, a strategic piece of land claimed by both Russia and Ukraine.

This peninsula was originally referred to as the “Tauris Peninsula and has been an important location since antiquity as it’s almost surrounded by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. This almost explains why both Russia and Ukraine are so keen on claiming it.

This amazing pink lake is located on the so-called Kerch Peninsula, one of the most prominent peninsulae in Crimea. The largest city in the area is also named Kerch and is situated just to the northeast of the lake.

Koyaskoye salt lake location
The lake is located in the utmost right bottom corner of this image / Wiki Commons

How big is the Koyashskoye Salt Lake?

The size of the lake isn’t what makes this piece of nature so wonderful. It only covers an area of 5.01 square kilometers (1.93 square miles), has a maximum length of 3.89 kilometers (2.42 miles), and maximum width of 2.39 kilometers (1.49 miles) when full.

You can also pretty much walk right across it as it only reaches a maximum depth of 1 meter (3.3 feet). So yes, the pink hue it reflects is what makes the Koyashskoye Salt Lake such a remarkable attraction.

This hue is created by microscopic algae living in the water.

It’s the saltiest lake in the area

One of the most fascinating facts about the lake is that it’s only separated by a small strip of land from the nearby Black Sea. This is pretty similar to the location of Lake Hillier in Australia on the Middle Island of the Recherche Archipelago.

This also results in the fact that this lake is extremely saline, measuring about 350 grams of salt per liter of water (46.73 ounces per gallon), which is an extremely high level. This makes it the saltiest lake in Crimea as well.

Koyashskoye Salt Lake interesting facts
The fascinating pink salt lake / Wiki Commons

It becomes even more fascinating when the salt evaporates

The lake is situated in a protected area referred to as the Opukske Nature Reserve, and we don’t really have to wonder why.

The magic only increases when the water evaporates and the lake reaches its lowest level. Not only does the lake become even pinkier, but the salt in the lake also crystallizes the stones on its shores, producing a fascinating spectacle!.

The lake is believed to have healing properties

Apart from some rare species of shrimps and the algae that actually turn the lake pink, it’s pretty much uninhabitable for anything else, including both plants and animals.

The silt left behind on the shores of the lake is considered to possess healing properties by the local population and has been used for numerous centuries to cure all sorts of diseases.

To make it even better, this crystallized salt has the scent of the viola as well, an amazing-smelling flowering plant of the violet family. This scent completely makes you forget the power struggle going on in the Crimea Peninsula.

kayashkoye lake healing properties
The lake with healing properties / Dissolver / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en