Lake Sevan, found in the heart of Armenia, is the country’s largest lake and a beautiful place to visit during a break in the country. The lake is surrounded by some stunning monasteries – the most impressive of them being arguably the Sevanavank Monastery – providing a glorious scenic backdrop to a relaxing trip. Windsurfing is among the recreation activities available at the lake, which also has a wide choice of excellent seafood restaurants along its shore. Lake Sevan has a number of popular beaches and, as the country has no coastline, this is the best place in Armenia to sunbathe, with Sevan Bay and its surrounding mountains providing spectacular scenery.
The lake is part of Sevan National Park, which, apart from the lake, includes 24,800 ha of surrounding land. Established in 1978, the park comprises three zones – reserve, recreation and economic. There are no clear boundaries set between the economic and recreation zones, therefore only researchers are allowed in the reserve zone.
Sevan Lake has a high mountain location, which means that the climate here is is cooler compared to other places in Armenia. The average temperature here is around 5°C (41°F). In January, the temperature can even reach -6°C (21°F), and in the summer months it might be as high as 16°C (60°F). Do note that the area is generally characterized as being windy, so make sure to bring a light cardigan or a warm sweater depending on the season.
Sevan Lake offers several public beaches, which are clean and safe with free access to beach chairs. The most popular coasts are those located next to the Peninsula and in the city of Sevan.
The Legend of Lake Sevan
Lake Seven sits upon the Armenian plateau. Out of all the highland lakes around the world, it is special — its sparkling waters have given a home to many legends and well told stories.
There was once a land with bountiful fertile soil and beautiful gardens. The land was watered by a nearby spring. It was a small but strong spring and once the water flowed from it, the flow had to be stopped by a boulder.
One day a playful young beauty was filling jugs with water at the spring, all the while daydreaming and not paying attention to what she was doing. Once the jugs were full she left the spring, forgetting to replace the boulder. She went home and when evening came she went to bed. During the night disaster struck—the water from the spring poured out and became a small river, flooding the entire neighborhood. People woke and saw the waters rising. They started to climb trees to avoid the flood water, but the waters kept rising higher and higher. All the while the girl slept.
An old man, angered by someone’s carelessness, shouted “May the person who did this turn to stone!” At that moment the forgetful girl awoke and walked out of her house. As soon as she stepped into the street she turned to stone. The powerful waters were still rising and eventually they formed a lake with a rocky island. Today this rocky island still dominates the blue surface of Lake Sevan, looking like the head of a neglectful girl.
How to get from Yerevan to Sevan Lake
The lake is located only 60 km (37 mi) away from Yerevan and is well connected to the capital with a number of different public transportation options.
The best way to travel to the lake is via minibus from the Northern Bus Station that runs every 20 minutes or so. The minibus, or marshrutka, will take you to the city of Sevan, but you can ask the driver to if he can take you to the lake. A ticket to Sevan costs around 500 Armenian dram (US$1). From Sevan, you can take a taxi to the lake for 1000 dram (US$2). Do the same for coming back to Yerevan.
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