Shatsk Lakes is a whole protected area located in the very north-west of Ukraine, on the border with Poland and Belarus. Here, on the territory of the national natural park, among pine and mixed forests and swamps, there are more than 30 lakes. True, only a few of them are of interest for beach tourism and water recreation. First of all, this is Lake Svityaz – the deepest and largest lake in Ukraine (this is if you do not count the Black Sea estuaries as lakes), as well as lakes Pesochnoye and Pulemetskoye. MashaPasha were only on Lake Svityaz, the other lakes were only seen while passing through, so most of all here we will talk about it.
Rest on the Shatsk Lakes. View of the Shatskie Lakes boarding house. The boarding house has its own sandy beach and pier. There is also a rental of kayaks, catamarans and boats.
Lake Svityaz – water temperature, beaches
Lake Svityaz could well be called a sea. Its greatest depth is about 58 meters (it is deeper than the Sea of Azov), and its maximum length and width are 9.3 and 4.8 km. At its widest point, the other shore of the lake is practically invisible.
The water in Lake Svityaz is very clear, the visibility of the bottom is up to 8 meters deep (although Masha Pasha did not swim to such a depth, but near the shore the water was crystal clear). According to local residents, the water in the lake has a slight mineralization and has healing properties. According to our feelings, the water here is slightly alkaline.
The water in Lake Svityaz is very clear, but there are algae. Pier near the Shatskie Lakes boarding house.
Due to its location and climate, the water in the lake will be cool even in summer, the maximum water temperature is +21, +22 degrees in sunny weather. Although in shallow waters the water may warm up even more in the evening. The bottom is sandy, in places there are algae, but in good weather there are no waves here and the algae do not interfere much.
There are no large sandy beaches on the Shatsk Lakes. The beaches here are usually small, and in some places people even relax right on the grass near the lake shore. Although, this is not a problem, since the bottom of the lake is still sand. In the place where we were, Lake Svityaz was quite shallow; we had to walk several tens of meters to the depth. Children would love such shallow water. But for those who want to swim, this is not very convenient.
Sandy beach on Lake Svityaz near the village of Svityaz. The water is shallow, the bottom is sand. There are activities for children on the water.
How to get to Shatsk Lakes
You need to go to the village of Shatsk along the road; there is no other connection with the Shatsk Lakes. The nearest large city is Kovel (you can get there by train, for example, from Kyiv). Buses to the Shatsk Lakes depart from the Kovel bus station (its address: Lesi Ukrainki Boulevard, 42). Travel time from Kovel to Shatsk by car is a little over an hour. The regular bus takes longer. The price of a ticket for a bus or minibus is from 40 to 60 UAH. Also, minibuses to the Shatsk Lakes go from Lutsk and Lvov. Driving time to the Shatsk Lakes by car from Lviv is about 4 hours. From Kyiv the trip will take about 7-8 hours (along the Warsaw highway).
Private sector in the villages of Shatsk and Svityaz. In recent years, many private houses and small hotels have been built here.
Shatsk Lakes resorts (recreation centers, hotels, houses)
You can relax on the Shatsk Lakes either as a savage (there are tent cities and campsites here) or as a civilized person in one of the local recreation centers or in a private house-hotel. The main vacation spots on Lake Svityaz are the villages of Shatsk, Svityaz, and Pulmo. On Lake Pesochnoe there are the villages of Melniki and Gaivka. The largest tourist complexes are the Shatskie Lakes boarding house and the Lesnaya Pesnya sanatorium. But many people prefer to relax in private homes and hotels. Lyakh.
Hotel Lago Casa is one of the best options for a holiday on the Shatsk Lakes.
Recently, many good complexes have appeared here. Masha Pasha recommends staying here at the Lago Casa Hotel. This is a completely new complex built in the village of Pulmo on the shores of Lake Svityaz (the hotel rating on Booking is very high – 9.1). The hotel has its own territory, and from the windows of the rooms there is a beautiful view of the lake. Three meals a day are included in the price. You can find out current prices, book a room, see photos of the hotel and read reviews on the Booking website.
Tent cities and campsites on the Shatsk Lakes – area of the village of Svityaz. Camping Forget-Me-not is located right in the forest. Be prepared to encounter mosquitoes here.
What to do on the Shatsk Lakes
There is no special infrastructure on the Shatsk Lakes. There are small shops and markets in the villages. In Shatsk there is a small supermarket “Nash Krai”, a pizzeria, a cafe, and a branch of the New Post Office. The nearest big city is Kovel (as we already wrote, it is an hour away by car).
In addition to relaxing by the water, on the Shatsk Lakes you can engage in green tourism; there are two hiking routes: the Forest Song trail (length 5.6 km) laid between the Pesochnoe and Peremut lakes and the Svityazyanka trail (length 5.2 km. ) running along Lake Svityaz. Many people also go to the forest to pick berries and mushrooms; fishing will also be good here.
Shatsk Lakes – recreation on the water. Svityaz village area – here you can rent a boat or catamaran.
Masha Pasha warns: Your holiday on the Shatsky Lakes can be ruined by mosquitoes. This is a swampy region and there are a lot of mosquitoes here. Moreover, they fly not only at sunset, but even during the day (especially in the shade of trees). Therefore, if you really don’t like mosquitoes, gadflies and other flying insects, then it’s probably better not to come here.
The shore of Lake Svityaz – there are few beaches here, the grass goes right to the water itself. The water near the shore is shallow, you have to go to the depth.
