Aralsk
Kazakhstan · Kyzylorda Region · 60 m
Description
Aralsk was the main port of the Aral Sea and now stands twenty kilometres from any water, with its quay, its cranes and its empty harbour basin left in place. What makes it worth the journey is that the water is coming back. The Kokaral dam raised the northern basin, fish returned to it, and fishing villages along the new shore are working again, which is the opposite of the story on the Uzbek side. The famous ships in the sand have mostly been cut up for scrap, and only a couple of hulls remain near Zhalanash. The town museum keeps photographs of the harbour from when it still held ships.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 4 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May or September – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Aralsk regional museum
- Dry harbour basin and its cranes
- Kokaral dam and the returned water(Day trip)
- Station mosaic of the Aral fishermen
- Ship hulls near Zhalanash(Day trip)
- Tastubek fishing village and its yurts(Day trip)
- North Aral shoreline at Karateren(Day trip)
- Camel herds on the former seabed
- Fish smokehouses and the bazaar
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Aralsk