The world's most stunning lake districts

Lake Como, Italy

Como is not just Italy's deepest lake, it's also its most popular for leisure and pleasure seekers alike, with famous resident George Clooney, and Matt Damon, frequent visitors to the northern spot, which lies between Milan and the border with Switzerland. Shaped like the letter Y - from above the lake looks like a series of rivers - a plethora of picturesque towns and villages populate the shore, all best reached by the ferries that zigzag lazily across the lake. Perhaps the most famous of all the towns is Bellagio, which sits at the crossroads of the three different ‘rivers' of the lake, is a buzzing hub for boat enthusiasts and is renowned for its winding stone lanes and steep stairways that are beset with shops, restaurants and - the best bit - gelato bars. Or you could head to Laglio, a tiny town most famous for being home to the beautiful historic Villa Oleandra, a waterside mansion that belongs to Hollywood heavy-hitter, George Clooney, 51, and also boasts vineyards, olive groves, cute trattorias and ancient caves.

Lake Matheson, New Zealand

This eerily reflective lake is sometimes called Mirror Lake, because - especially at dawn - it shows off a nearly unruffled image of the two majestic mountains that loom over it, Aoraki and Mount Tasman. A 90-minute roundtrip from the nearest car park, a walk around the lake not only affords beautiful vistas from marked spots like View Of Views and Reflection Island, it's also home to a lovely little café that serves what is fabled to be some of the best Hummingbird cake in the country. The 14,000-year-old lake is very close to the beautiful Fox Glacier in the West Coast of the tranquil South Island of New Zealand, and if you're planning a visit to the country, stop by this stunning spot, where you can walk along rivers of ice that are juxtaposed against the lush, green mountain backdrop.

Crater Lake, United States

In a national park in Oregon you'll find this stirringly beautiful mountain lake, which was ‘born' when a huge volcanic blast in 4,680 BC sliced a kilometre through Mount Mazuma and created the azure pool of water. The site has had spiritual significance for the Klamath tribe of Native Americans for many years, but was only first sighted by European settlers in 1853. When visiting the lake - which is 1,958ft deep (that's two thirds of the Burj Khalifa) - you can scuba dive (the water is among the purest in the world), fish, hike around its vast circumference - it's almost 10 kilometres wide - or just check out the iconic surroundings, such as the "Old Man Of The Lake", a 30-foot-tall tree stump that has been floating in the lake for over 100 years. 

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

This beautiful 73,350-acre area in the mountainous Lika region in central Croatia was turned into a national park in 1949, and is made up of 16 lakes, which are separated by natural dams and connected by gushing waterfalls - the highest of which is 78 metres tall (that's about the same height as the tallest blast from the Dubai Fountain). The lakes and surrounding mountains are already immensely beautiful, but are made all the more unique by the fact they change colour - depending on the quantity of minerals in the water and the angle of the sunlight - from a near day-glo turquoise, to an emerald green and even a dove grey. Visit the park and you can walk and hike the many pathways and trails, and explore the area by boat. There are even four hotels so you can wake up within the national park - our favourite is the Hotel Jezero, which is simple but by far the most enviably located at just 300 metres from Kozjak, the largest lake in the park. 

Lake Nakuru, Kenya

A national park - called Lake Nakuru National Park - has been built up around this lake, largely because of its unique visitors: the amount of algae in the shallow waters means it attracts thousands of flamingos who call it home. Take the two-hour drive from Nairobi to visit and you'll witness the swarms of birds descending on the lake - which varies in size from five to 30 square kilometres - creating a carpet of pink. You're also likely to spy buffalo, black and white rhino, the Rothschild giraffe, zebras, lions and leopards, all of which come to drink from the lake. Plus, the nearby town, also called Nakuru, is a thriving market and transportation hub, and is home to 42 Kenyan tribes. 

Huanglong, China

In the northwest of the Sichuan province of China, you'll find the Huanglong Valley, layered lakes that flow into each other and are surrounded by azalea flowers in an area that is characterised by snow-capped peaks, diverse forests, limestone formations, waterfalls, hot springs and ice blue. The Unesco world heritage nature reserve is also home to a population of giant pandas and Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey, and is surrounded by beautiful small Tibetan villages. Visit from September to November to see the trees in all their autumnal glory, which is also a quieter time due to the cooler temperatures, and while you won't be able to stay in the park, there is plenty of accommodation just outside its grounds.