Turkey's Maldives, Lake Salda, ready for summer

Lake Salda in the Yeşilova district of Burdur province, which resembles the Maldives with its white beach and clear water, is ready for visitors this summer.

Mesmerizing with its gorgeous beauty, the lake is 1.84 meters deep, 6.8 kilometers wide and 9.18 kilometers long. It is 56 kilometers from the city center. Located on a tectonic pit and closed basin, it houses 110 bird species, four fishes species and 301 aquatic and terrestrial plants.

Due to new arrangements, Lake Salda has summer campsites better able to host visitors. A natural park is located on the lakeside.

The 6th Regional Director of the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs Nature Conservation and National Parks Department, Rıza Kamil, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Lake Salda and its environment have been a natural protected area since 1989.

Since Lake Salda has magnesium-bearing white rocks that have some features similar to the surface of Mars, Kamil said, "Only the Maldives and Turkey's Lake Salda have these features in the world."

Discussing the work for the lake by the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, Kamil said: "There are many visitors even if it is the beginning of the summer. This is why we built a restaurant. We installed social facility equipment, picnic units and tables. We built a wooden playground for children. This work has been done to better serve visitors without spoiling the area. Lake Salda attracts both Turkish and foreign tourists. Their number is increasing day by day. It is Ramadan now. After this month, schools will have the summer break. We think the number will increase more after that."

Inviting visitors to the lake, Kamil said they expect visitors to protect the area like their houses.

Fatma Işık, who came from Denizli province, stressed that Lake Salda is really close to where they live. "The water of the lake is really clear, and the beach is white. It is known as the Maldives of Turkey. I highly recommend everyone to see this place," she added.

Gülten Akkaya from Afyon province came to the lake at the recommendation of a friend. She said: "The water is so beautiful. It is a place in touch with nature. There are areas for picnics. You can spend time in nature."

Mustafa Mert Karademir came from Balıkesir province to see this unique place. He said: "White beaches, green areas, the blue of the water and the sound of the sea waves make people relaxed. People can be discharged, visiting it on weekends."

Another visitor, Doğan Çelebi, reported that his friends came from Bitlis province to see the lake.