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Here’s our pick of the world’s most beautiful, serene and mesmerising lakes. Izabela Russell took the heart-stoppingly beautiful image, above.

 

 

Lake Taal – Philippines

  • Region: Luzon Island
  • Surrounds: Volcanoes draped in rainforest
  • What makes it special: A small yet highly active volcano dominates its centre

 

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Lake Como – Italy

  • Region: Lombardy
  • Surrounds: Snow-capped mountains
  • What makes it special: Shoreline lined with grand villas (including George Clooney’s)

 

 

 

Plitvice Lakes – Croatia

  • Region: National park in Lika-Senj and Karlovac counties
  • Surrounds: Jagged, undulating and forested karst formations
  • What makes it special: The staggering turquoise water which cascades between these 16 interconnected lakes

 

 

Lake Bled – Slovenia

  • Region: Julian Alps
  • Surrounds: Forest nearby and mountains in the distance
  • What makes it special: The small island in its centre adorned with a fairytale looking 15th century church

 

 

Lake Atitlán – Guatemala

  • Region: Western Highlands
  • Surrounds: Forested volcanoes blanketed in mist
  • What makes it special: Flanked by three towering volcanoes to the south

 

 

Lake Matheson – New Zealand

  • Region: South Westland
  • Surrounds: Forest in the shadows of New Zealand’s highest peaks, Aoraki (Mount Cook) and Mount Tasman
  • What makes it special: The spectacular mountainous landscape mirrored on the perfectly still, dark organic leached water

 

 

Peyto Lake – Canada

  • Region: Banff National Park, the Rockies
  • Surrounds: Pine forest on the shore, vertical barren valley faces beyond
  • What makes it special: The colour juxtaposition between the pale grey valley rock, the lush green pines and the lake’s bright turquoise water

 

 

Diablo Lake – USA

  • Region: Cascade Mountains, Washington State
  • Surrounds: Densely forested mountains
  • What makes it special: The intensely turquoise hue of the glacial water

 

 

Lake Titicaca – Bolivia/Peru

  • Region: The Andes
  • Surrounds: Arid high-altitude plains and snow-capped mountains
  • What makes it special: The many and varied indigenous communities that have settled and evolved around its vast shoreline

 

 

Sheosar Lake – Pakistan

  • Region: Deosai National Park, in Gilgit-Baltistan province
  • Surrounds: High-altitude, arid plains (4,142 metres (13,589 ft) above sea-level)
  • What makes it special: Tranquil, remote location

 

 

Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…

About the author

Brett AckroydBrett hopes to one day reach the shores of far-flung Tristan da Cunha, the most remote of all the inhabited archipelagos on Earth…as to what he’ll do when he gets there, he hasn’t a clue. Over the last 10 years, London, New York, Cape Town and Pondicherry have all proudly been referred to as home. Now it’s Copenhagen’s turn, where he lends his travel expertise to momondo.com.

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