About Charvak
Charvak Reservoir (Uzbek Chorvoq suv ombori) is a large mountain reservoir in the Bostanlyk district of the Tashkent region, about 87 km north-east of Tashkent. Locals call it the “Uzbek sea”.
It was formed by the 168-metre rock-fill dam of the Charvak hydroelectric station. Filling began in 1970. Three mountain rivers feed it — the Chatkal, Pskem and Koksu.
The surface covers roughly 37–40 km², the lake runs about 22 km long, and the shoreline stretches nearly 95 km. The water sits at around 860 m above sea level, with an average depth of about 36 m.
The turquoise colour comes from glacial meltwater and the minerals the mountain rivers carry. By midsummer the water warms to a comfortable 23–25 °C.
What to do: swimming and beaches, boats and jet skis, paragliding over the water, viewpoints above the dam, and sunsets over the lake.
Balandda sits higher up, in Chimgan — about 20 km from the shore. A day by the water, an evening in the mountains.
Summer
Beaches, swimming and a boat across turquoise water.
Shoulder season
Quiet, clear air and views without the crowds.