Pink Lake Candy Cane Mountains and Beshbarmaq Tour Baku

The Pink Lake at Masazir

The Pink Lake is a salt lake at Masazir on the Absheron peninsula, about 40 minutes from central Baku. Its water is very salty, and in warm, dry weather the lake takes on a pink colour, caused by tiny algae and salt-loving organisms that thrive in the brine. The shade changes with the season and the light, so the lake is not always the same colour.

This is the first stop of the tour, and about half an hour is given for photographs and a walk along the shore. Many people search for a Pink Lake tour from Baku because the setting looks so unusual, with white salt crusts around the edges. Bring sunglasses, because the glare from the salt can be strong on bright days.

Bibiheybat Mosque and the first oil well

Bibiheybat Mosque stands on the shore south of the city centre. A mosque was first built here in the 13th century around the shrine of Hakima Khanum, was demolished in 1936 and was rebuilt in the late 1990s. It is a calm building with a wide courtyard, and the guide explains its history during a short visit.

Nearby is the site of the first industrially drilled oil well, from 1846, which explains how Baku became one of the earliest oil cities in the world. The two stops together take about 40 minutes and give the day a historical base. Please dress modestly for the mosque, with shoulders and knees covered.

The Candy Cane Mountains

The Candy Cane Mountains rise from open steppe in the Khizi district, about 90 minutes north-west of Baku. Bands of red, pink, white and ochre run across the slopes, layers of clay and soft rock that wind and rain have shaped over millions of years. From a distance the ridges look like candy stripes, which gives the mountains their name.

The group spends about half an hour here, walking along the ridge and taking photographs. The colours look richest in low morning light, which is why many travellers ask about the best time to visit the Candy Cane Mountains; a morning departure like this one is ideal. Sturdy shoes help on the dusty slopes.

Beshbarmaq Mountain, the Five Fingers

Beshbarmaq means Five Fingers in Azerbaijani, a name that comes from the rocky summit whose peaks look like the fingers of a hand. Local people treat the mountain as a sacred place and tell legends about it, and it has long been visited by pilgrims. From the top, the view stretches over the countryside towards the Caspian Sea.

The final ascent is a short, easy walk, and the guide tells the stories connected with the mountain. If heavy rain has made the road difficult, the last part may need a 4x4 transfer for safety, which is paid on the day. On a clear day this is the finest viewpoint of the tour.