The turquoise water
Among sharp mountains.
Bilal Javed Awan — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Khalid Akhtar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hassanzealous — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fahadullah16 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Azeemtariq9293 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Attabad Lake, also known as Hunza Lake, is a lake in the Gojal region of Gilgit-Baltistan, intensely turquoise among sharp mountains. It is very young, having formed in 2010. The Karakoram Highway runs past it, so it is among the main stops on any trip in northern Pakistan, and its clear colour amazes visitors on sunny days. The lake formed after a major landslide in Attabad village on 4 January 2010, about 14 km east of Karimabad. The landslide claimed twenty lives and blocked the Hunza River for five months. The water drowned parts of the Karakoram Highway, and new tunnels later restored the link through the valley. You stand at the shore and see turquoise water between grey and brown mountains, and you can take a boat or jet ski from the jetty, with resorts and cafes along the banks. In winter the water may drop and its colour change. Stay away from the landslide slopes, as the ground is unstable, above all after rain. It is about 19 km in a straight line from central Hunza and easy to reach by car. It combines well with Passu Cones to the north. Bring a warm layer, as the wind over the water is cold even in summer.
Among sharp mountains.
A trip from the jetty.
Passing through tunnels.
Gojal, Hunza Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
After a landslide in 2010 blocked the Hunza River.
We found no official guidance, and the water is very cold, so ask on the spot.