10 Best Pink Lakes in the World to Visit

It’s one thing to go swimming in a lake on a warm day. It’s a whole other experience to go swimming in a lake that’s bright pink! The water of a lake can appear pink for a number of reasons and the shade of pink might vary, but you can’t deny the unique colors of these waters!

Below you will find the best pink lakes in the world – where you can have a truly unique experience.

Best Pink Lakes In the World

1. Lake Hillier

Location: Middle Island, Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia 

Coordinates: 34°05’45″S 123°12’10″E

Situated on Middle Island, this is perhaps the most famous Pink Lake on the list. The water in Lake Hillier is permanently pink – even if you take a water sample from the lake, it won’t change colors! The shore of the lake is covered in salt deposits, and samples of the water show a high level of salinity as well.

There are many theories as to why this salt lake looks like a giant blob of bubble gum from the sky. The most plausible suggests this is due to the presence of a species of algae called Dunaliella Salina, which thrives in the high salt concentrations found in this vibrant pink lake.

Lake Hillier is difficult, if not impossible, to access via land due to the dense vegetation that surrounds the island lake.

The best way to visit is with a licensed tour operator from a nearby agency, and typically includes an aerial tour with a guide who can tell you about the rich history of this stunning lake – which was discovered in the early 1800s and used for salt mining in the 1900s.

2. Lake Retba (Lac Rose)

Location: Dakar, Senegal 

Coordinates: 14°50’14″N 17°13’50″W

The salt content in Lake Retba is right around 40%, which means it is almost as salty as the Dead Sea is in Israel. That means you can float quite easily in these waters, but you won’t want to stay in there too long because it can damage your skin!

To safely access the salt or work in the pink waters, the local population smears a butter-based oil over their skin to protect it from the high concentration of salt. The distinct pink hue of this lake is also dependent on the amount of sunlight that strikes it.

Lake Retba, also known as Lac Rose is a vital source of salt for food preparation and preservation in West Africa, with a sizable salt production industry devoted to harvesting, processing, and shipping these pink salt crystals.

See Related: Best Tourist Destination in the World

3. Hutt Lagoon

Location: Yallabatharra, Western Australia 

Coordinates: 28°09’13″S 114°14’31″E

Fed by the Hutt River, the salty Hutt Lagoon on Australia’s Coral Coast is one of several Pink Lakes in Australia and one of the most stunning destinations on the western coast.

Hutt Lagoon gets its color from the pink algae that are washed into the lake water from the Indian Ocean that spills into the lake but is separated by a series of barrier dunes.

If you’re looking for places to stay close to Hutt Lagoon there are the Lucky Bay Shacks and the Port Gregory Caravan Park for those who want to enjoy the great outdoors.

If you’re looking for something a little more luxurious, head south to Geraldton and book a room at the delightful Ocean Centre Hotel.

4. Pink Lake

Location: Murray-Sunset National Park, Victoria, Australia 

Coordinates: 35°01’50″S 141°43’51″E

It’s called Pink Lake, but it only turns pink when the right mixture of salt and sunlight interacts with the algae that call this lake home.

It is supremely nice, however, because the sands around the lake also take on the pink hue in different shades, giving you a unique red/pink color that you won’t find in many places around the world.

Not only that, even some of the wildlife here turn pink from eating the algae and other various tiny water critters!

5. Las Salinas de Torrevieja

Location: Torrevieja, Spain 

Coordinates: 38°00’52″N 0°42’30″W

Torrevieja, Spain, used to be a fishing and commercial salt mining community on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It also has one of the most stunning pink lakes in the world today. Unlike other pink lakes on this list, (and despite formerly sharing a home with the salt production industry) Las Salinas de Torrevieja isn’t quite as salty as the others.

Not only is the lake a stunning spectacle, but the town is also one of the most beautiful in this corner of Mediterranean Spain.

Much of the city sits on an isthmus between the sea and the lake, providing a nice little microclimate for Torrevieja that makes it a wonderful place to visit virtually any time of year.

Visitors with kids should check out Hotel Playas de Torrevieja, which is just a few minutes walk from the beach and even has its own water park.

If you’re after a more luxurious stay, try out the chic Isla Verde Apartment, which enjoys a central location in town, with easy access to Torrevieja’s best restaurants, retailers, and the beach.

6. Dusty Rose Lake

Location: Cariboo J, British Columbia, Canada 

Coordinates: 52°33’39″N 126°20’32″W

Unlike most other rosy natural wonders in this piece, this pink lake in Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area doesn’t have any algae and there isn’t any salt content contributing to the color.

No one definitely knows why this Canadian lake is permanently pink, but the most popular theory is it gets its coloring from pigmentation leeching in from the soil.

This masterpiece in British Columbia is a marvel that draws visitors every year, although it might also be one of the most difficult pink lakes to access with its remote location.

There’s not much in the way of trails to reach it and your best chance of seeing it is on a flight from Vancouver to Terrace, so long as you get a window seat on the side of the plane that faces east.

Dusty Rose Lake is also completely lifeless, even on a microbial level, so if you do plan to visit Dusty Rose Lake up close and take a dip, you’ll be the only living thing in there!

See Related: Travel Guide to Visiting Yellowstone

7. Masazir Lake

Location: Masazır Gölü, Azerbaijan 

Coordinates: 40°30’35″N 49°46’13″E

It’s definitely the high salinity that makes this lake pink! For over 200 years, the locals have mined and exported salt from this lake. Today it’s quite heavily commercialized, with an estimated 1.7 billion tons of salt crust waiting to be harvested.

For added fun, there are extensive sulfur deposits in the surrounding area contributing to that wonderful rotting egg smell!

See Related: Most Beautiful Places in America to Vacation

8. Quairading Pink Lake

Location: Badjaling, Western Australia 

Coordinates: 31°58’25″S 117°30’18″E

What makes this lake unique is not that there’s a road that cuts through the lake. It’s not for the fact that it is in a fairly remote part of the country. It’s the fact that the lake generally develops two different shades of pink throughout the year because of the road passing through it!

Calling it a lake, however, is a bit generous. This one might fit better in a top list of pink ponds…but that would be a pretty short list.

9. Laguna Colorada

Location: Bolivia 

Coordinates: 22°12’07″S 67°46’37″W

The flamingos that call this lake home have the perfect camouflage – and they are also pink because of what they eat in this pink lake.

Found in the vast Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, the color of this lake is caused by a combination of red mineral sentiments, a heavy concentration of borax, and those same algae in the water that’s been showing up in this list.

Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve is a brilliant site for hiking and camping, but if you’re looking for accommodation close to the park try the vibrant Hotel Jardines de Mallku Cueva, only 30 miles away.

See Related: Best Fishing Spots in the World

10. Champagne Pool

Location: Waiotapu, New Zealand 

Coordinates: 38°21’32″S 176°22’09″E

This geothermal pool offers a unique experience because carbon dioxide bubbles up from the bottom of the lake, reminiscent of a glass of Champagne.

Although the entire pool isn’t pink, as there are a number of different colors based on the different currents and levels of halophilic bacteria, there are times of the year when there is a rich pink hue to the waters.

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