Lake Sevan, Armenia

Armenia, as a destination, is fascinating and charming; the only thing is that it’s landlocked. The fact that the Armenians don’t have access to seaside, doesn’t mean that they don’t get to enjoy activities at the beach. In fact, Armenia has its own beautiful lake called Sevan. It’s a treasure and pride for locals, kind of like Issyk-Kyl for the Kyrgyz. It’s, also, the most popular place to visit in the summer, similar to Charvak reservoir in Uzbekistan. It’s unlikely to find even one Armenian who hasn’t been there. 

Lake Sevan has tremendous significance for the country. The largest lake in the country is, also, one of the largest alpine lakes in Eurasia. It occupies 5% of Armenia’s surface and gives 90% of the fish catch of the country. During Soviet times, it was used for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. Fortunately, unlike the Aral Sea, it didn’t shrink significantly. The lake has 28 rivers feeding it and only one river flowing from it. 

Lake Sevan has such well-developed infrastructure because it’s located just 60 km away from Yerevan. The lake is a perfect touristic place in every sense. It’s a perfect and closest get away from severe summer heat. Travelers are exposed to a bunch of activities in water: swimming, jet-skiing, or boat riding. Getting that sun kissed look on beaches is another option.  Cusinie on Lake Sevan is a huge part of anyone’s trip there. The locals have some excellent, must-try meals from fresh fish. For lovers of history there’s one very popular and off the beaten track one. The more popular one – Sevanavank Monastery, was built in 9^th century, but is in excellent condition today. Off the beaten track one – Hayravank Monastery, was built in 10^th century, but it’s forgotten. However, lack of tourists helped to preserve that ancient atmosphere and it’s still worth-visiting. No doubts, Lake Sevan should be on everyone’s bucket lists!