Lake Sevan: a first-timer's guide to Armenia's great lake

Why go

The colour of the water alone is worth the trip, changing from turquoise to deep blue as clouds pass over the surrounding mountains. In summer, families from Yerevan escape the heat to swim, eat grilled fish and sleep in lakeside cottages. Outside summer the lake is quiet and beautiful, and the views of snow on the ridges in spring and autumn are some of the best in Armenia.

Top things to do

**Sevanavank** is the classic stop: two small ninth century churches on top of what used to be an island, now a peninsula since the lake level dropped in the Soviet era. Climb the steps for the view across the water, then browse the craft stalls at the bottom. Below the peninsula, the stretch around the town of Sevan has many beaches and fish restaurants.

Drive down the western shore to **Noratus**, where a field of hundreds of medieval khachkars, Armenian carved cross stones, stands in an old cemetery. It is one of the largest collections in the country and feels timeless, especially in late afternoon light. Nearby, **Hayravank** monastery sits on a rocky headland above the water with very few visitors.

On the eastern side, the yellow sands near **Shorzha** are a favourite for camping and wild swimming, and much quieter than the beaches near Sevan town. Lake Sevan sits within **Sevan National Park**, and birdwatchers come for gulls, pelicans and waterfowl in the shallows.

If you are continuing south, the old road over the **Selim pass** leads to a fourteenth century Silk Road caravanserai, one of the best preserved in the region.

Eating

The lake is famous for fish. Ishkhan, the native Sevan trout, is now rare and protected, so what you are served is usually farmed trout or whitefish, grilled whole or cooked with herbs. Crayfish from the lake are a popular summer snack. Many roadside restaurants on the north western shore have terraces right over the water.

Where to stay

Most visitors come as a day trip or a lunch stop on the way to Dilijan. In summer there are many resort hotels, cottages and guesthouses around Sevan town and the peninsula, but some close outside the season. The Sevan Writers' Resort, a striking Soviet modernist building on the peninsula, is a landmark in its own right.

Practical tips

The water is cold even in high summer, warming to swimmable temperatures only from late June to early September. Weather changes fast at this altitude, so bring a warm layer even on hot days, and sunscreen because the sun is strong. Weekends in July and August are busy with day trippers from Yerevan. The eastern and southern shores lie closer to the border with Azerbaijan; check current government travel advice before exploring the far side of the lake.

How to plan your day

A good plan is to leave Yerevan early, climb Sevanavank before the tour buses arrive, have a fish lunch on the shore, drive down to Noratus and Hayravank in the afternoon and then continue to Dilijan for the night. In summer, swap the afternoon sightseeing for a swim.