Aktach: Geyser Lake, Cheybekkyol and the Red Gates

For a stay in Aktach, lakes and striking rock formations offer concrete points of interest. Nearby are Geyser Lake, Lake Cheybekkyol and the Red Gates. The Ulagan Plateau, the Akturu Glaciers, and the Shavla and Karakabak lakes are also easily accessible from Aktach. When choosing a holiday rental, you can weigh up whether you mainly want to explore nearby natural features or include other destinations in the region. Travel and access conditions may vary.

Lakes with contrasting landscapes

The name Geyser Lake may create a false expectation: there are no geysers in this small spring-fed pool. The lake is seven kilometres from the village of Aktach, near the Chuysky Tract, and measures 20 to 30 metres in diameter. Its clear water reveals the bluish lakebed, whose patterns resemble a cross-section of malachite. This combination of modest size and distinctive lakebed sets Geyser Lake apart from a lake whose character is shaped mainly by a wide valley or a river course.

A wide wooden walkway leads from the Malenkiy Ray tourist base, across its grounds, directly to Geyser Lake. As access conditions may change, check current access locally before your visit. This lets you align the described route with your actual visit plans without assuming that access is unrestricted.

At Lake Cheybekkyol, by contrast, the focus is on its setting in the landscape. It lies in the valley of the Chibitka River, near Aktach and the Chuysky Tract; its name means “elongated lake.” The river flows through the lake, feeding it with meltwater and mountain streams. Compared with Geyser Lake’s small spring-fed pool, the focus here is on the valley, the watercourse and its tributaries. The two lakes therefore offer contrasting features for anyone interested in the landscape and waterways of the area.

The Red Gates: colour and rock

At the Red Gates, the striking colour can be linked to their geology. The high cliffs consist of multicoloured igneous rocks formed from solidified lava. Cinnabar in the local rocks gives them their pinkish-red hue. The cliffs are designated a natural monument of the Altai Republic and lie 15 kilometres from Aktach on the Aktash–Ust-Ulagan road.

The road layout is also part of finding your way around this landmark: a road crosses the Chibitka River over a small bridge and runs between the cliffs. At the Red Gates, both the rock formations and their position along a distinctive stretch of road draw the eye. The geological explanation also sets them apart from the lakes: here, lava, rock and mineral colouring shape the landscape.

Getting there and choosing where to stay

The easiest way to reach Aktach is via the Chuysky Tract, a road often described as one of the most beautiful in the world. The journey along this route and the nearby natural attractions offer two different points of reference for your stay: one is the road connection to Aktach, the other the lakes and cliffs in the surrounding area.

If you are looking for a holiday rental in Aktach, you can base your choice on the landscapes you want to focus on during your trip. The Red Gates offer a geological contrast to the two lakes; Geyser Lake and Cheybekkyol, in turn, differ as a spring-fed pool and a valley lake. If you also want to include the Ulagan Plateau, the Akturu Glaciers, or the Shavla and Karakabak lakes, these provide further named destinations to help you plan. The key is which of these landscapes you want to shape your stay; when planning, take the applicable travel and access conditions into account.

Discover more destinations: Basargino, Aya, Zmeinogorsk, Souzga, Smolenskoye, Altayskoye, Barnaul, S. Manzherok.

Go to the main travel overview: Altai Region.