7 Of Egypt’s Most Fascinating Lakes

Egypt may be famous for a lot of things and, somehow, lakes aren't one of them - yet the land of everlasting sunshine boasts a number of beautiful and historical lakes. We rounded up seven of Egypt's most fascinating lakes for when you want to go skinny dipping next - at your own risk, of course.

Magic Lake

Magic Lake is a small, relatively unknown, freshwater lake in Fayyum that's located in the heart of the desert and surrounded on all sides by sand mountains. Famous for its azure waters, it has come to be known as Magic Lake due to its formation remaining unknown. (Photo courtesy of Real Egypt Tours) 

Lake Nasser

One of the world’s largest artificial lakes, the Nasser Lake (a.k.a Aswan Lake) is the Aswan High Dam’s reservoir. At its bottom rests the fortress of Buhen and other ancient Egyptian sites that were flooded upon the dam’s construction, a fate the Abu Simbel temples were spared as they were physically moved to prevent their destruction. The lake boasts the world’s best freshwater fishing for Nile perch and tigerfish. (Photo retrieved from Wikipedia)

Lake Moeris

Prehistorically a freshwater lake, the ancient Lake Moeris is a now a smaller brackish lake commonly referred to as Birket Qarun (Arabic for Qarun’s Pond). It is located in the northwest of the Fayyum Oasis. (Photo by Muhammed Hakem)          

Lake Bardawil

Separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow sandbar, Lake Bardawil is a large, shallow saline lagoon on the north coast of the Sinai Peninsula, embedded in sandy dunes whose colours change from brown to yellow to pink as the day progresses. It is also a bird-watching attraction. The inland sea lies in an area that was once disputed territory between Egypt and the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. (Photo courtesy of Fragile Oasis)     

Wadi El Rayan Lakes

The valley of Wadi El Rayan is a unique nature reserve located in southwest Fayyum. It boasts not one but two freshwater lakes - an upper and a lower one with a waterfall running in between them. (Photo by Muhammed Moussa)

Paralus Lake

More commonly known as Lake Burullus, the brackish water lake is located in Kafr El Sheikh, east of Rosetta. It is considered Egypt’s second largest lake. Beneath its waters lies the historical settlement of Paralus. More noteworthy is that in March of 2008, a white whale carcass was found tossing by its waves. (Photo by Philip Plisson)       

Salt Lakes of Siwa

The Siwa Oasis is home to freshwater springs and salty lakes alike, most notably Birket Elmaraqi (Elmaraqi Pond) and Birket Siwa (Siwa Pond). These lakes are so salty that no marine life could ever survive in them, and the salt crystals are visible through the water.