Like entering Milton’s underworld, only with changing rooms and a staircase, a visit to the Köw Ata Underground Lake is a unique experience. You enter a cave at the base of a mountain and walk down a staircase, 65m underground, which takes you into a wonderfully sulphurous subterranean world. At the bottom awaits a superb lake of clear water naturally heated to about 36°C (96.8°F).
Underground swimming is one of Central Asia’s more unusual activities, and is worth it if you don’t mind the steep entry fee – particularly annoying given the facilities here are all in poor condition.
The turn-off to the lake is clearly marked along the main Ashgabat–Balkanabat road. By marshrutka or bus from Ashgabat to Balkanabat or Turkmenbashi you could easily ask the driver to stop at the Köw Ata turn-off, although it’s a good 90-minute walk from the road. There’s a trio of good shashlyk restaurants on-site here, making this a great lunch stop.