Lake Göygöl: the blue lake an earthquake made

If one place in Azerbaijan turns up on nearly every "most beautiful lake in the country" list, it is Göygöl - "the blue lake". It sits on the slopes of the Lesser Caucasus about an hour from Ganja, and it is why a lot of visitors stretch a day in the city into two.

A lake born from a disaster

The story behind Göygöl is part of its pull. On the accepted account, the lake was created by the great earthquake of 1139: a collapse on Mount Kapaz dammed the Aghsu river, and the trapped water formed Göygöl and several smaller lakes in the same basin. Sources disagree on the exact date within that year - some give 25 September, others 30 September, others simply "autumn". Some also point to traces of ancient glaciation in the area.

The result is a mountain lake set among forested slopes, with the blue-green water that gave it its name.

Altitude, park and area - where the sources part company

Figure	What is reported
Lake altitude	about 1,500 m in one source, 1,556 m in another
Park altitude range	1,000 to 3,600 m
Status	a reserve from 1925 on one account; national park from 2008
Area	12,755 hectares in most sources; one listing says 6,732

The gap on area is too large to paper over, so it is given here as it stands rather than smoothed into a single number. What is not in dispute: this is an active national park, and the lake sits inside it.

What there is to see

The lake itself is the attraction - walking paths along the shore, viewpoints above it, and forest that turns colour in autumn. The same basin holds further lakes, among them Maralgöl, which draws fewer visitors. Above it all stands Mount Kapaz, the mountain whose collapse made the lake almost nine centuries ago.

This is a place for a breath of air rather than adrenaline: most visitors walk, photograph, eat something and head back.

Getting there, and when

From Ganja the drive takes about an hour, by local bus or shared taxi, and many people fold the lake into a day trip from the city. A nominal park entry fee is reported - one guide gives 2 manat - but the details are not well documented publicly, so confirm with the park administration before travelling.

The comfortable season runs from spring to autumn. At this altitude the summer is far cooler than the lowlands, which is exactly why the lake fills with local visitors in July and August.

Where this fits in a wider trip

Göygöl is the natural partner to Ganja, Azerbaijan's second city - a day in town, a day at the lake. Anyone after mountains with more developed resort infrastructure will find it in Gabala, a different drive altogether.

Sources: Wikipedia (Göygöl National Park, Goygol District), eurasia.travel and Sygic Travel guides. Checked 22.10.2026. Opening hours and entry fees change - confirm before travelling.