Everything About Salda Lake, Beaches, Transportation, Accommodation

I spent my childhood in the Karamanlı district of Burdur. The deepest and cleanest lake of the Lake District almost every 10-15 days of the summer. Lake Salda camping on the coast. At that time, Lake Salda had not been this popular, nor had it gained the title of Turkey's Maldives. In this article, you will find everything you want to know about Salda Lake, the most beautiful lake of the Lake District with its white sandy beach, soda water, pine forests descending to the shore, and clean air. Where is Salda Lake, how to get there, where to stay, what to eat, Salda Lake beaches and more are waiting for you, happy reading!

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Structure of Salda Lake

Salda Lake is one of the most interesting places in Turkey with its geographical structure. One of the two unique places in the world that bears the most resemblance to Mars, along with a lake in Canada, is Lake Salda. Although Lake Salda is known as karst, it is a tectonic lake.

Not to mention the white beaches that you are not used to seeing in lakes due to the lake's soda/mineral waters. These sands were formed by minerals and bacteria coming into contact with water for thousands of years. The total time of formation is estimated at 3000 years.

Salda Lake, with a depth of 184 meters, has the distinction of being Turkey's third deepest lake and the cleanest lake. It is also preferred as a holiday destination because it is a swimming lake.

Is it possible to swim in Salda Lake?

Almost everywhere around the lake, there are signs "It is dangerous and forbidden to enter the lake", but no one pays attention to these warnings. Unfortunately, there are deaths every year.

The water of the lake is not salty, so the buoyancy is very low, and when there is mud at the bottom, someone who does not swim well can easily panic, which unfortunately often results in death. Therefore, if you intend to swim in Salda Lake, I recommend you to be very, very careful.

Salda Lake Beaches

If you are coming to Salda Lake and want to enter the water, you can enter from several points. Below you will find the list of Salda Lake beaches where you can swim.

Yeşilova Municipality Public Beach – Will Become a Public Garden

This was the closest facility to the center of Yeşilova, which used to be operated by Yeşilova Municipality. With the decision taken at the beginning of 2020, this is the area where the National Garden will be built. All the facilities of the municipality were demolished and removed. Before it was demolished, there was a tent camping area, bungalow and restaurant here. I didn't like the beach part of this place. Since the trees have just been planted, the shade is less. We'll see what it will look like when the National Garden is built.

You can take the minibuses going from Yeşilova to Denizli and get off in front of this facility, so there is public transportation.

Kayadibi Beach

Kayadibi beach, located just ahead of Belediye Beach, is surrounded by pine trees. You can reach here by minibuses as well as the municipality beach.

Nature Park Beach

Salda Lake Nature Park The beach where you will see the sign is the place where I spent my childhood. This is the most beautiful beach with pine forests that go down to the waterfront and restaurant facilities. There is a restaurant inside, you can also bring your own supplies and have a picnic, there are many picnic tables.

In the past, tents could be set up here, but it is not allowed anymore. The entrance fee is 2020 TL for cars for 12.

There is no direct public transport here. When you get on the minibuses going to Denizli direction, you have to get off in front of the "Salda Lake Nature Park" sign and walk for about 1 kilometer to the place where the facilities are located.

Turkey's Maldives White Islands – Saldives Beach

The place famous as Turkey's Maldives is Saldives Beach. No one would go here until the beach, which is close to Salda Village, has become popular in recent years. There are small kiosks here, it is forbidden to bring food and drink to the beach.

The entrance, which was free before, is now 10 TL for vehicles, as a parking fee.

There is no public transport here. You can reach it by your own vehicle or by taxi.

Doganbaba Beach

A little further from the White Islands, after passing Salda Village, you reach Doğanbaba Beach. There is a pide shop where you can eat. Entry is free.

Although there is a village minibus to reach here, it is useful to ask the times from Yeşilova bus station, it may not be very often.

Where is Salda Lake, How to Go?

Salda Lake is located within the borders of Yeşilova district of Burdur, on the Burdur-Denizli road, between the 70th and 80th kilometers. You can reach the lake by plane or by road, coming to Burdur and/or Denizli and taking the Yeşilova buses from there. To see the location on google maps click here.

Transportation by Plane

Salda Lake is 70 kilometers from the center of Burdur and 30 kilometers from Denizli-Çardak Airport. If you are thinking of coming by plane, I recommend you to choose Denizli Airport.

There is no service from Denizli Airport to Salda Lake for now, I hope they will soon. You can reach Salda in half an hour by renting a car from the airport.

Transportation by Public Transport

I am often asked how we can go to Salda Lake by public transport. There are several options.

• You can come to Burdur by intercity buses and take the Yeşilova buses from Burdur bus station. It takes about 1 hour between Burdur and Yeşilova. You can also go to Salda Lake by taxi from Yeşilova because the lake is only 4 kilometers from the city center.
• You can reach Denizli by intercity buses and then take the buses or minibuses going in the direction of Fethiye - Yeşilova. You can get off these buses in front of the municipal beach.

What to Eat and Where to Eat in Salda Lake?

There are not many restaurants and facilities to eat around Salda Lake. Do not expect rich options in this regard. Especially the places where you can find local food are very limited. You can find ground beef toast, which is the most popular dish of Salda and Yeşilova, not on the shore of Salda Lake, but in Yeşilova district center.

Salda Lake is not a lake with many fish due to its soda water. For this reason, there are places around Salda Lake where you can taste the trout living in the surrounding streams instead of lake fish.

The most famous place to eat trout is Sultan Pınarı restaurant, which has been there for as long as I can remember. Located on the Yesilova-Denizli road, the restaurant overlooks Salda Lake from above and has a beautiful view. There is a fresh water spring, a spring, as it is named. You can also stop to drink water from this spring. You can find foods such as trout, shepherd's roast, which is very popular in this region, and breakfast in Sultan Pınarı restaurant. Unfortunately, Sultan Pınarı was completely destroyed in 2020. I did not want to remove it from this article, so that the memory will live on.

All of the beaches I mentioned above have facilities where you can eat. However, instead of traditional dishes there, you can find dishes such as kebab and pide that you can find all over Turkey. You are unlikely to find even Burdur's famous Burdur Shish in these facilities. You can eat in Yeşilova district center.

Salda Lake Tips

I wrote down the things that you would like to know before coming to Salda Lake, you will be praying for me 🙂

• Salda Lake has a highland atmosphere with its height above 1000 meters. For this reason, the weather is generally cool, even in summer the evenings are cool. If you are deceived by the sun and dress thinly, it will catch a cold.
• The water of Salda Lake is soda. It covers your skin like a layer when you enter and exit the lake. Let it stay on your skin for a while, it will be good for your skin.
• Even though the weather is cool, the sun is burning when the white sands on the beaches of Salda Lake have a reflection effect. Do not forget to use high factor sunscreen, do not be fooled by the sweet breeze.
• Due to the popularity of Salda Lake in recent years, it can be very crowded in summer, especially on weekends. If you have time, try to go on weekdays. In fact, if you go like September after the schools open, it will be a little cooler but much more secluded.

Burdur Travel Writings

If you have included Salda Lake in your travel route, I recommend you to visit other places to visit in Burdur. Below you can see my articles where you can find most of the places you can see when you come to Burdur.

• If you want to see where to go to Burdur; Burdur places to visit
• thousands of years of history Sagalassos Ancient City
• Little-known ancient city; Kibyra Ancient City
• For Burdur dishes; What to eat in Burdur, where to eat?
• A house of culture that no one knows: Mursel Village Culture House
• A hidden paradise: Darkdere Canyon

Stay on the Road!