The 9 best lakes in the world

Want sandy beaches, gentle waves, extraordinary aquatic life and vast stretches of open water? Think beyond the ocean – for some of the dreamiest water-forward escapes can be found inland.

Spanning high-desert plateaus and mountain valleys to lush lowland jungles, the world’s greatest lakes showcase nature at its most diverse and dramatic. We’ve selected a few of our favorites, a list that offers adventure, culture, nature...as well as the opportunity to do absolutely nothing.

These are the nine best lakes in the world, for every kind of traveler.

1. Lake Malawi, Malawi

Best for beach bums

Malawi may seem an unlikely place to fulfill your beach fantasies – but there are golden sands aplenty and a neat beach culture around the country’s namesake body of water, one of Africa’s Great Lakes. Lake Malawi’s shores are lined with laid-back villages and pristine coves, and the clear, calm waters swarm with clouds of colorful cichlid fish.

When it’s time to sleep, there are dozens of options – from the backpacker resorts of Cape Maclear and Nkhata Bay to full-blown eco-luxe at Kaya Mawa and Nkwichi Lodge. Adventurers can cruise the lake on the vintage MV Ilala ferry, bedding down on the deck beneath the stars.

Also great: Bacalar Lagoon, Mexico

In the south of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, tranquil, freshwater Bacalar Lagoon is great for camping, swimming, kayaking and simply lazing around.

2. Lake Michigan, Chicago

Best for urbanites

Take to Chicago’s 18-mile-long (29km-long) lakefront trail and you can jog, walk, bike or rollerblade with the blue waters of Lake Michigan to one side and a mixture of parkland and dramatic skyscrapers on the other.

Got a car? Enjoy the mighty city views from Lakeshore Dr, which runs alongside the trail, finishing in the diverse lakeside community of Edgewater. The lake’s many beaches pack out with sunbathers in the summer months; on the lake, you can paddleboard, Jet Ski or hop on a boat for a cruise with dazzling views indeed.

Also great: Kandy Lake, Sri Lanka

The centerpiece of Sri Lanka’s vibrant second city, surrounded by verdant hills and colorful old buildings, Kandy Lake is the perfect place for a city stroll.

3. Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand

Best for adventure sports

If you’ve ever wanted to throw yourself out of a plane or jump off a mountain, then Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown – the self-appointed adventure capital of New Zealand – is the place to go. You can bungee from Queenstown’s Kawarau Bridge or take in views of the lake while on a tandem skydive from 15,000 feet (4500m). Then there’s jet boating, zip-lining and – for those of a less adventurous bent – hikes along the lakeshore. When you’re done, you can take the edge off that adrenaline buzz in one of Queenstown’s lively bars.

Also great: Lake District, United Kingdom

Head to England’s lovely Lake District to get your mountain biking, abseiling and kayaking groove on.

4. Lake Nakuru, Kenya

Best for wildlife watching

You can’t dip even a toe into the noxious waters of Kenya’s Lake Nakuru, one of the Rift Valley’s famous “soda lakes.” (All have high alkalinity.). But rather than azure waters, the surrounding wildlife is the big pull here. While most of the once-plentiful flamingos have moved on, animal enthusiasts will be more than happy with the lions, leopards, black and white rhinos and endangered Rothschild giraffes that roam the surrounding grasslands and forests.

To get up close, hire a jeep, or take an organized safari, which you can book in nearby Nakuru town or through one of the lodges dotting the surrounding national park.

Also great: Lake Clark, Alaska

Wild, remote and beautiful, Lake Clark in Alaska is a fantastic place to see brown and black bears in their natural environment.

5. Lake Como, Italy

Best for architecture buffs

Yes, Italy’s Lake Como is surrounded by snow-topped mountains and deep green hills – but the real stars here are the chic homes, lakeside palazzos, and enchanting towns and villages that brim with storied old buildings. Among the best are famous Bellagio, a jumble of winding stone staircases, red roofs and flower-filled gardens; and 18th-century Villa Balbianello, whose elegant facade, exquisite art-filled interior and sculpted gardens come with stunning lake views.

To explore, rent a car and zip around the lakeside highway; hire a bike to navigate the hills; or, in high season, take to the water and hop from idyllic town to idyllic town on a boat.

Also great: Lake Pichola, India

India’s Lake Pichola is backed by the forested Aravalli Hills and the palaces, temples and havelis of enchanting Udaipur.

6. Lake Titicaca, Peru

Best for culture

Deep-blue Lake Titicaca, peppered with golden islands and backed by snowcapped mountains, is also shrouded in myth and legend – and it’s a wonderful place to learn about local highland cultures. On the Peruvian side are the famous reed islands of the Uros Indians. They’re easily visited by ferry from nearby Puno – or you could stay overnight in the reed huts of Uros Khantati.

Over the border in Bolivia, the serene islands of Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna are home to traditional communities, pre-Columbian ruins and the beguiling religious center of Copacabana.

Also great: Lake Constance, Germany, Austria and Switzerland

A cycle path, combined with the use of cross-lake ferries on Central Europe’s second-largest freshwater body of water, lets you get a taste of Germany, Austria and Switzerland in as little as a single day.

7. Lake Louise, Canada

Best for winter activities

Surrounded by the snowy peaks of the Canadian Rockies, turquoise, glacier-fed Lake Louise in Banff National Park is spectacular enough in summer. Yet it truly shines in winter, when it turns into one of the most beautiful ice rinks in the world.

If skating isn’t your thing, make the most of the lake through world-class skiing and sleigh rides, as well as ice sculptures galore at the Ice Magic Festival; the crisp night air is also perfect for stargazing. When you get a bit too chilly, enjoy the fondue-guzzling, hot chocolate-slurping, beer-drinking après-ski scene in the resort town of Banff.

Also great: Lake Åresjön, Sweden

Sweden’s Lake Åresjön becomes a giant frozen ice sheet in winter, and there’s fantastic skiing around the tiny, historic mountain town of Åre.

8. Loch Lomond, Scotland

Best for walking

The epitome of Scottish natural beauty, Loch Lomond is best off-season, when the crowds of tourists and day-trippers have thinned out and you’ll have more of its haunting splendor to yourself.

The iconic West Highland Way runs along the loch’s eastern shores; across the way, Luss Heritage Path winds through the gentle countryside and the ancient and charming Luss village. West of Loch Lomond itself are the steep Arrochar Alps; to the east are the Trossachs – a gorgeous landscape of forest, lakes and hills. The sheer variety means that there are routes for everyone – from gentle strolls to hardcore, multiday hikes.

Also great: Gokyo Lakes, Nepal

At the Gokyo Lakes in Nepal’s Everest region, you can traverse dramatic scenery at an altitude of 16,400ft (5000m) – and, if you're brave enough, even take a dip.

9. Laguna Colorada, Bolivia

Best for otherworldly scenery

Part of Bolivia’s astonishing Uyuni salt flats, the shallow Laguna Colorada sits among hot springs, volcanoes and twisted rock formations, its rust-red waters dotted with bright white pools of sodium, magnesium and borax. The effect is more Mission to Mars than Planet Earth – and it’s a scene made all the more bizarre by the presence of huge crowds of lurid pink flamingos.

Also great: Lake Natron, Tanzania

Remote and desolate, Tanzania’s caustic Lake Natron turns the animals that die there into eerie “mummified” statues.