Lake Salda (turkish name:Salda Gölü) is a mountain lake in Turkey, which is a popular tourist destination, and, due to the color of the water and sand, is known as the Turkish Maldives (Türkiye'nin Maldivler'i).
Lake Salda is a crater. It was formed in the crater of an extinct volcano.
Salda is located in the south-west of Turkey, within the Yesilov district of Burdur province.
The lake has an area of 44 km2 without runoff and a depth of up to 184 meters.
Due to the fact that Lake Salda is located between the Taurus Mountains at an altitude of 1,193 meters from the sea, has a magnesium-rich structure, as well as clear water of a bright azure hue and white beaches due to magnesium in the water, this lake looks very picturesque, forming unique landscapes that are compared with Maldives.
Today, Lake Salda is a natural attraction and a popular tourist destination in Turkey.
Mud of Lake Salda
The lake is also popular because of the hydromagnesite mineral, which is believed to help with some dermatological diseases and nourishes the skin. Here people take mud baths or just smear themselves with lake clay.
Stromatolite formations in Lake Salda are a rare example in the world, and the lake has ecological uniqueness in this aspect.
Beaches of Lake Salda
There are public beaches on the lake, which mainly consist of hard and fine white sand. In fact, the sand on the lake is not sand, but hydromagnesite - a white sedimentary rock formed from volcanic magma.
The bottom of Lake Salda has a clay, muddy and loose structure, so it is worth going into the water carefully and it is not recommended to swim outside the bathing areas of the lake (defined by buoys) in order to avoid accidents.
On some beaches there are areas with sun loungers and umbrellas, showers and changing cabins are installed.
From the beaches on Lake Salda
The Forest Beach Natural Park (Tabiat Parkı Orman Plajı) is one of the most beautiful, but also the most visited beaches where you can swim on Lake Salda.
The fact that this area is the most suitable beach for swimming, as well as suitable for picnics, makes it extremely attractive.
There is a playground, a cafe and a buffet on the beach.
The public beach of the municipality of Yesilova (Yeşilova Belediye Halk Plajı) where you can also have a picnic, set up camp, rent a bungalow and take mud baths.
Near the beach there are cafes, restaurants, bungalow houses, a picnic area and camping places.
Maldives Beach or Salda Maldives (Maldivler Plajı) is exactly the beach that played a big role in the reputation and promotion of Lake Salda as the "Maldives of Turkey".
The beach is located on the shore of the city of Salda, from which the lake got its name.
The coastline here has loose soil and a slippery structure.
Maldives Beach is also the area of Lake Salda, where white islets and wide milky-white beaches formed from the magnesium and magnesite structure of the lake can be seen most clearly. And this is exactly the place from which you can see most of the photos posted in booklets and magazines.
You can also take a mud bath on the beach; there is a cafe, a souvenir shop and an information center.
Doganbaba Beach (Doğanbaba Plajı) is not particularly popular among tourists, as it is located away from the main beaches on the lake.
This beach is mainly visited by local picnic lovers. It's quieter here than on other beaches.
Doganbaba beach is also one of the beaches where you can swim, only the soil here is not sand, but a rocky structure, so you need to be careful when entering the lake, because you can injure your feet.
Entertainment of Lake Salda
In addition to beaches, swimming in the lake, taking photos and mud baths on the lake, you can take a bike tour around the lake or do paragliding.
The paragliding flight starts from the "Salda Ski Center", which is located about 15 kilometers from the lake, and ends at the public beach of the municipality of Yeshilov. The flight takes about 30 minutes, depending on weather conditions. In addition to single flights, you can make a "tandem" flight.
Not far from Lake Salda is ski center "Salda Kayak Merkezi", which has lifts and 5 trails, the longest of which is 1600 meters, and the shortest is 500 meters.
Visit to Lake Salda
Lake Salda is located 5 kilometers from Yeshilov, 60 km from Burdur, 100 km away. from Denizli and 160 km. from Antalya.
You can visit Lake Salda on your own, while getting there by public buses.
By public intercity buses you can get to Burdur, then by minibuses to Yeshilov, which depart approximately every hour from the Burdur bus station, and then to Lake Salda, which is 5 kilometers from Yeshilov. Minibuses from Burdur to Yeshilov do not run in the evening.
You can get from the Denizli Bus station by minibuses plying to Yeshilova.
From Antalya Bus Station, you can also get to Yeshilov by minibuses.
It is most convenient to visit Lake Salda on your own on by car, can also be reached by taxi.
You can also visit Lake Salda with excursions, both to the lake and combining a visit to the lake with other sights of Turkey, for example, the ancient city of Sagalassos or Pamukkale.
Excursions to Lake Salda
Where to stay at Lake Salda
If you decide to come to Lake Salda and stay there overnight or for a few days, then you can stay at the Yeshilov campsite or directly in the village of Yeshilov itself, as well as in the village of Salda.
All accommodation facilities near Lake Salda, as well as other resorts and cities in Turkey, can be view and book here 
Practical information
Coordinates of Lake Salda: 37°33'00.0"N 29°41'00.0"E (37.550000, 29.683333).
Lake Salda website: saldagolu.gov.tr.
Remark! In addition to Lake Salda, there is another place in Turkey that is called the "Turkish Maldives" - this is a small uninhabited Suluada Island with picturesque beaches and nature.
