Hospitable and sunny Armenia is beautiful! This is an amazing corner of the Earth, which is filled with historical, architectural and natural attractions. Without a doubt, one of them is the beautiful Lake Sevan. It is not surprising that all guests coming to Armenia strive to see this picturesque place.
Name
It is believed that Lake Sevan, photos of which can be seen in all tourist brochures in Armenia, was named after the oldest structure - the Sev Vank Temple. It was built in the 9th century. This name is translated from Armenian as “black monastery”. It is indeed built from black tuff. There is another version of the appearance of this name. The Urartu tribe, which lived here long before the appearance of Armenians in these lands, called the lake Svini. However, experts do not always agree with this version of the origin of the modern name of this natural object.
Story
Once upon a time, the shores of Lake Sevan were covered with dense forests. Many valuable tree species grew here - oak, beech and others, which were used in shipbuilding. Today, the area of forests has decreased significantly.
At that time, the maximum length of the lake was 75 km, and its width was 37 km. The width at the narrowest section did not exceed 8 km.
Description
This natural site is located in the mountains at an altitude of 1900 m above sea level. The depth of Lake Sevan in some areas is 90 meters, its area is more than 1240 square meters. km.
The lake has two parts, which are called Small and Big Sevan. Great depth and rugged shores are characteristic of Small Sevan. This part of the lake contains the largest volume of water. In the second part the bottom is flat, the banks are slightly indented.
The length of Sevan is 70 km, its width is 35 km. 28 small rivers flow into it. Maerik is the largest of them (its length is less than 50 km). And the only river flowing out of the lake is Hrazdan, which is a tributary of the Araks. Lake Sevan, the photo of which you see in our article, was formed about 25 thousand years ago.
It amazes with its beauty. Its water surface has an unusual azure blue color, the water is clean and transparent. According to legend, only the gods and stars drank water from Sevan. In addition, the lake water can change color. On a bright sunny day it is soft turquoise, in bad weather - lead-gray, at night - silver.
Lake Sevan attracts tourists with its magnificent climate. Even in the most intense heat it is always cool here. The coastline is very picturesque. These include densely forested slopes, bare white rock cliffs, and mountain steppes turning into alpine meadows. There is a wide strip of pine trees and sea buckthorn here.
Flora and fauna
The flora and fauna in these places is very diverse. There are 1,600 species of plants, about 20 species of mammals and a lot of birds live on the shores of the lake: mallard, gray partridge, gull, firebuck and others. During the migration period, flamingos, pelicans, mute swans, cormorants, screaming swans and other birds stop to rest on the lake - up to 180 species in total. Many of them nest in these places. Lake Sevan today is a national park, which includes 5 reserves and 22 sanctuaries with a very rich flora and fauna.
monuments
The surroundings of this natural site are known for the numerous monuments that are located on its coast. As we have already said, Lake Sevan was named after the ancient monastery. Today on its banks you can see the ruins of an unknown church, defensive structures, and monastery cells.
Fish farming
Lake Sevan is rich in endemic fish species: Sevan beglu, Sevan khramulya, Sevan trout, which was previously represented by four subspecies. Many species are endangered due to competing varieties: anadromous whitefish brought from Lakes Ladoga and Lake Peipus, narrow-toed crayfish, silver crucian carp.
This is the only fishing area in Armenia where valuable species of fish are bred. Until the early 60s of the 20th century, the most valuable fish species living in Sevan was Sevan trout. People called her Ishkhan. Translated, this means “prince-fish”. It got its name because of its high taste and large size. According to fishermen, some specimens of Sevan trout weighed more than 12 kg.
Nowadays, the “fish prince” is under state protection. It was included in the Red Book of Armenia. The population of this fish is artificially maintained in 4 factories located on the shores of the lake. It must be said that while in Sevan trout is on the verge of extinction, it has taken root well in Lake Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan). It was brought there from Armenia.
Armenia, Lake Sevan: vacation
Today this picturesque place is not only a protected area, but also a popular holiday destination. Many sunny days, fresh mountain air, crystal clear springs, mineral springs, healing peat are the basis of Sevan’s resort resources. Modern comfortable hotel complexes and cottages equipped with infrastructure have been built in specially selected locations. The beach season here is short - only two months (July and August). At this time, Lake Sevan warms up to its maximum. The water temperature rises to +19-20 degrees.
Hotels
All those who come on vacation are offered to stay in well-equipped campsites and hotels built right on the shore of the lake. In the summer it is very crowded, so hotels are often overcrowded. Guests can choose from 3*, 4* and 5* hotels. They offer various services: indoor and outdoor swimming pools, sauna, water park, spa treatments, beauty salon, tennis court, table tennis, basketball courts, playgrounds, billiards and others. The staff of many hotels speaks foreign languages, including Russian and English.
Every year the infrastructure in these picturesque places is developing. The level of service is increasing and it is becoming more diverse. This undoubtedly has a positive effect on the quality of rest.
Many tourists love beach holidays on Lake Sevan. The beaches here are sandy, sometimes with small pebbles. Most hotels have well-equipped private beaches, but there are also wild ones. Travelers enjoy a variety of water activities.
Nutrition
Numerous cafes and restaurants located on the banks of Sevan will offer you amazing dishes of Armenian cuisine. Residents of Armenia often come here to enjoy delicious Sevan trout, skillfully prepared by local chefs. In addition, we recommend that you try crayfish kebab and whitefish kebab. It's really very tasty. And even the most sophisticated gourmets will appreciate it.
In addition to Armenian cuisine, you can choose any other to your taste: Chinese and Arabic, European or Georgian. And you can drink the water here from the tap - it is completely clean. In almost all of Armenia, the water is very clean, and local residents are very proud of this fact.
Almost all hotels in the neighborhood have numerous shops and shops where you can purchase various goods. Be sure to buy Armenian wine and, of course, the famous cognac.
You can also buy original souvenirs, but the prices are quite high.
What to see
Holidays on Lake Sevan (reviews from tourists suggest this) are not only about magnificent beaches. Here you can take interesting excursions to ancient monuments.
Be sure to visit the peninsula to see the ancient Sevanavank monastery. It was founded in 874 by the charming princess Mariam, who was the daughter of Ashot I the Great, the prince who later became king of Armenia. Currently, a theological seminary operates in this monastery.
Try to go on an excursion to the Selim Gorge. In ancient times, the Silk Road passed along it, connecting East Asia and the Mediterranean. There were countless camel caravans carrying jewelry and other cargo. And since all merchants and travelers needed at least a short-term rest, Prince Chesar Orbelyan issued a decree on the construction of the Selim caravanserai here.
Of particular interest to tourists is the excursion on the steamship "Cilicia", built according to ancient drawings. It made a most interesting trip around the world. Nowadays, it hosts fascinating excursions around the lake.
Lake Sevan - archaeological find
This amazing lake has not yet been fully surveyed, although active work has been going on for four years now. Underwater surveys are aimed at obtaining accurate topographical data that is necessary for archaeological excavations.
These studies were initiated by French submariners, as well as Armenian specialists - Stephane Kojayan and Claude Tulumdjian. A year ago they created an underwater diving research center. The work of the past three years allowed them not only to photograph a huge part of the bottom of the lake, but also to take part in clearing it of debris.
Tourists often ask tour guides the question: “What did they find on Lake Sevan?” Last year, during an underwater expedition, a wooden sunken ship 18 meters long was discovered at a depth of sixteen meters. Diver Vahe Melkonyan managed to find him. This find on Lake Sevan was named “Vahe” after him. Today, experts are determining the age of this priceless object.
In 2014, the researchers' work was carried out over 8 days (from July 20 to July 28). At a press conference, the head of the group of scientists, Stepan Kojayan, announced good news: the state of Lake Sevan in environmental terms has improved significantly in recent years. The water level has noticeably increased, and this allows the lake not to become swampy. Various types of fauna and flora were recorded in Sevan, and the number of harmful algae decreased significantly.
Lake Day
Every last Sunday in August, since 1999, Lake Day is celebrated in Armenia. The Sevan conservation program includes activities related to this day, including cleaning the coast. Scout and environmental groups are involved in this work.
Sevan is a large, cold lake in the mountains in eastern Armenia at an altitude of almost 2000 meters. Incredible views, a prickly piercing wind, white triangles of mountains, laughing seagulls and all shades of blue among this splendor.
The landscapes around Sevan reminded me of Kazakhstan. The same color, the same wind and cold. I love this. The water in the lake is always icy, but in the summer Armenians manage to swim.
Unforgettable Lake Sevan
Roads to Lake Sevan
Three roads lead to Sevan: from Yerevan, from the north from Alaverdi and from the south of Armenia through the Selim Pass.
Road from Yerevan(70 km) straight, level, high-speed, cleared of snow. In an hour you find yourself in Sevan.
Road from the north also decent for Sevan.
Road from the south Armenia through the Selim Pass is good, newly repaired, there are holes only 20 km at the entrance to the lake. In summer, driving along this road is most likely a pleasure. We traveled in the spring and encountered major problems due to snow, I will write about this below.
The road through the Selim Pass at the end of March What to see in Sevan
We drove around the lake along the west coast from south to north. Perhaps the east coast also has attractions worth visiting, but it seems there are not. If I'm wrong, I hope knowledgeable people will correct me in the comments.
The most interesting places in Sevan are in the west and northwest. This is the khachkar cemetery Noratus, monastery Hayravank, monastery Sevanavank on the Sevan Peninsula.
Not far from the lake (30 km) there is a popular Armenian ski resort Tsaghkadzor, so in winter you can combine a ski holiday and a trip to Sevan.
In summer you can go boating on the lake. This option is not available in spring.
Cemetery of khachkars Noratus 
Hayravank Monastery above Sevan 
Sevanavank Monastery on the Sevan Peninsula Restaurants in Sevan
Lake Sevan is famous for its fish and crayfish. On the highway along Sevan and on the peninsula near the monasteries there are dozens of eateries, kebab houses and cafes. I don’t know how they set their prices, but the food there is almost golden.
Fortunately, during our trip from Tbilisi to Yerevan we came across a wonderful driver, Ararat, who showed us places worth visiting along the way. He recommended a restaurant on the lake.
called Collette Restaurant(Semoi mot)
Address: M-4 Sevan-Dilijan Highway, 8th km, Armenia
It is located right on the highway on the right when you drive from the Sevan Peninsula towards Dilijan along the M4
The restaurant is around here somewhere 
Restaurant Collette - a two-story green building on the shore of Sevan It is on foursquare, but mobile internet in Sevan is not available everywhere, so it is better to remember the address in advance.
Compared to the neighboring eateries with the sign “fish”, the restaurant looks expensive and well built. It is located right on the shore of Sevan, but the prices there are lower than in roadside smoky kebab shops. Not marked on maps.
We took two servings of Sevan whitefish shish kebab (such a fish), vegetables, compote, fried potatoes in rings, pita bread, sauce, tea. Gave for everything 8000 dram (16$ ).
Sevan whitefish shashlik A portion of fish kebab costs 1500 drams ( 3$ ), there was also crayfish kebab, kebab with crab, pork, beef, and lamb kebab for the same price. The service is top notch, the food is the most delicious I have ever eaten in Armenia.
By the way, fishing in Sevan is prohibited, but in cafes in Yerevan and along the lake you can order Sevan fish everywhere. And along the highway along the lake there are guys standing in the “I want a hug” pose. They also sell fish.
Hotels in Sevan
There are practically no budget hotels on Lake Sevan. If the goal is to save money, and vacation in Sevan is not a priority, you can go to Dilijan or return to Yerevan for the night, depending on the travel route.
You can rent an apartment in Yerevan or a hotel in Dilijan cheaper than a simple room in Sevan. If you still want to stay by Lake Sevan, then the best recommendations are from the Tsaghkunq guest house ($37 with breakfast) and the Tsovasar apart-hotel ($75 with insurance)
Sevan hotels with good reviews ↓ ↓
Our trip to Lake Sevan
We seem to have sorted out the general information, now I’ll tell you about our particular case. The route for the day was as follows:
1. Yeghegis village with a flat church and a Jewish cemetery
2. Selim Pass, aka Vardenyats Pass
3. Selim caravanserai, on the Google map it is called Orbelian Caravansarai
4. Noratus(Noratus) - khachkar cemetery near the city of Gavar
5. Hayravank Monastery(Hayravank) above Sevan near Gavar
6. Sevan Peninsula and Sevanavank Monastery - the most visited and tourist place on the lake
7. Restaurant Collette above Sevan - the best food in Armenia
8. Dilijan
We drove to Sevan from the south of Armenia through the Selim Pass. We spent the second night in the town of Vayk in a good hotel by Armenian standards ☞Vayk for 15,000 drams ( 30$ ) and hit the road. The first stop is a village with a flat church.
Yeghegis village
I included the village in the route just to see non-tourist Armenia. Plus, according to forecasts, there should have been a church, unique for Armenia, without a hall, and ancient cemeteries (Azerbaijani and Jewish).
The church was never found, the shoes were dirty, and a goat was almost knocked over. I don't see any good reason to include this place in your travel itinerary. But the road to the village is very good.
An amazing phenomenon. To get to Tatev and the cable car (one of the most popular attractions in the country), you need to drive 100 km through pits, and you can fly to some mountain village on excellent asphalt.
Armenian village Yeghegis 
Morning in the Armenian village of Yeghegis 
This is not the church you were looking for, but better than nothing 
Cemetery near the church in Yeghegis Selim Pass
Selim Pass— mountain pass at an altitude of 2500 meters.
Almost the most beautiful road in Armenia leads to it. I no longer believe that there is anything most beautiful in the Caucasus, because each new road we pass on surpasses the previous one in the beauty of its views. The fact is that the road to the pass is cool and in the summer it must be interesting to drive along it, but not as interesting as at the end of March.
We were traveling in the spring and stopped at the pass out of the kindness of our hearts. They tried to let the truck through. There was also a bad driver there. He stood next to us on the road and, seeing that we were stuck, did not want to move anywhere. I waited until we moved. There is ice and frozen snowdrifts. For the first time in my life I was so scared when the back of the car merrily slid right onto the truck.
A truck and its stubborn driver at Selim Pass Then four Armenians spent about 15 minutes pushing the car out of the wet snowdrifts. The truck driver was also miraculously persuaded to move off the road. They shouted at him, waved their hands, and eventually convinced him.
Thus, if the snow is not cleared, it is difficult to travel to Sevan through the Selim Pass. Even if the road is clear at first, there may be deposits of snow in the mountains. About 30 km to the lake we crawled through snow and muddy slush.
It is a big problem to pass an oncoming car, since only one track was made. We were unlucky, because in those days it got sharply cold in the south of Armenia and a lot of snow fell in the mountains. In order not to take risks, it is better to travel along that road from the end of April to November.
Selim caravanserai
We initially climbed to the Selim Pass to see the ancient “hotel” - a caravanserai (built in the 14th century).
Just south of the top of the pass there is a house for camels traveling through Armenia along the Silk Road. I have long been concerned about the life and everyday life of camels, so I try to include in my routes places where caravans once passed.
Along this section of the Great Silk Road, camels walked from Persia to the Armenian Dilijan, and from there through Georgia to the Black Sea. What can I say? I feel sorry for the animals if they came to the caravanserai and saw what we saw.
The road to the caravanserai has been cleared of snow 
Caravanserai covered with snow Cemetery of khachkars Noratus
Khachkars are a purely Armenian phenomenon, both a shrine and an architectural monument. Stone stele with an image of a cross. Until now, the secrets of most khachkars have not been solved.
Noratus is not so much a cemetery as an open-air museum, where you can see 800 khachkars at the same time. From ancient to young. Some khachkars are about a thousand years old. Many depict life stories of people buried under the khachkar.
There is a modern part of this cemetery, but it is not so interesting.
Noratus khachkar cemetery 
No khachkar is alike 
Hayravank Monastery
There are two monasteries near Sevan: the rarely visited Hayravank and the more popular Sevanavank. I liked the first one much more. Small, made of rough-hewn stones, dark and sinister inside.
From Hayravank, the views of Sevan are impressive, there are no people at all. There is one chapel and several khachkars on the hill. Under the hill is a huge lake. The stones near Hayravank and the walls of the monastery are covered with a red coating. On the steps, a grandfather in a sheepskin coat sells candles.
The wind on the hill and in general near the lake whistles like crazy, but if you stand near one of the graves next to the monastery, it doesn’t blow at all. There is silence. It's getting warm. You take a step back and again the wind blows your hat off your head. Mystery.
Hayravank Monastery on a hill 
The wind dies down 
Khachkars and several graves near the Hayravank Monastery 
Sevan Peninsula and Sevanavank Monastery
Sevanavank is a 9th-century black monastery standing on a hill on the Sevan Peninsula.
You climb the staircase with wobbly steps and see a platform filled with tourists.
We traveled around Armenia in the low season and were alone almost everywhere, but suddenly we found ourselves in the thick of the tourist bustle. Endless photo sessions, people running around churches with selfie sticks, paintings and magnets at the entrance to the monastery - all the attributes of a popular tourist attraction.
This is the most visited monastery in Sevan and almost in all of Armenia. Sightseeing buses arrive here in orderly rows, tourists buy souvenirs in an organized manner at the market at the foot of the stairs. I’m not against people, I’m just explaining why I liked Hayravank more, even though it’s less spectacular.
Sevanavank Monastery 
Sevanavank Monastery on the Sevan Peninsula Lake Sevan is a miracle of nature, neighboring in the sky, the most beautiful of the high-mountain lakes, located in a huge bowl of mountains at an altitude of 1916 m above sea level. Its water is clear and pure; according to legend, only the stars and gods drank from it.
One of the most beautiful sights of Armenia is Lake Sevan and its surroundings. There are several hypotheses about the origin of Sevan. Most likely, this lake was born several thousand years ago as a result of volcanic processes that occurred in the Geghama mountains surrounding it. On the southern slopes to the lake there are several dozen geometric round craters filled with fresh water.
In ancient times, Lake Sevan was located within the ancient Armenian province of Syunik and was called in Armenian Lake Gelamov, Geghama (Gelama) Sea (Armenian: Գեղամա ծով), Gegharkunik (Armenian: Գեղարքունիք) (Gelarkuni), Sevang. In ancient Armenian sources, Lake Sevan was also called “sea”.
It is believed that the lake got its name from the name of the ancient temple of Sev Vank, built on the northwestern peninsula in the 9th century. This name means “Black Monastery” in Armenian, and the temple is indeed made of black tuff. There is a version about an even more ancient origin of the name: deciphering cuneiform on a stone found on the shore of a lake, which dates back to the 9th-6th centuries. BC e., made it possible to establish the origin of Sevan from the Urartian sunia - “lake”.
There are several legends about the origin of the name “Sevan”. According to one of them, the Armenians of Van, forced to leave their region, moved to the shores of Lake Sevan, which reminded them of their homeland. But they did not like the cold and harsh highland climate. Remembering the soft and warm air of Lake Van, they exclaimed bitterly: “Black Van (sev Van) got to us, black Van!”
Movses Khorenatsi, an Armenian author of the 5th century, preserved a legend about the history of the origin of the ancient name of the lake - Gelam (Gegham). Thus, talking about the settlement of the descendants of Hayk, the legendary ancestor of the Armenians, Khorenatsi writes:
As the years passed, Gelam gave birth to Kharma in Armavir and, leaving him to live in Armavir along with his sons, he himself went to the northeast to another mountain, to the shore of a lake. He builds and populates the shore of the lake and he also gives names after his name to this mountain - Gel, and to the villages - Gelarkuni; the lake is also called.
In 921, the Armenian king Ashot II the Iron, having fortified himself on the island of Sevan, defeated the Arab army of the military leader Beshir on the shore of the lake, clearing the Ani kingdom from foreign invaders. The battle went down in history as the Battle of Sevan.
28 rivers flow into Sevan, all small, the largest - Maerik - does not reach even 50 km. Only Hrazdan flows out of the lake. However, it will not be possible to restore the previous supply and water level using the waters of the flowing rivers alone, because evaporation in the hot treeless cauldron between the mountains accounts for 88% of the water brought by the rivers. Therefore, it was decided to permanently release additional water into Sevan from the south, from the Arpa basin through a 48 km long tunnel under the Vardenis ridge, and to afforest the mountain slopes surrounding Sevan. The area of the lake itself is 1200 sq. km, its basin is approximately four times larger - 4850 sq. km. There are 2 cities, two towns, about 100 villages, where more than 250,000 people live.
Once upon a time, the shores of Sevan were covered with dense forests - beech, oak and other valuable types of trees that were used in shipbuilding. Nowadays, forest areas have become scarce, and therefore forest planting is being intensively carried out in coastal zones.
At the same time, the maximum length of the lake from the villages. Tsovagyugh in the northwest to the port of Tsovak in the southeast was 75 km, and the maximum width from the shore of Artung Bay to the north to the regional center of Martuni in the south was 37 km. The minimum width from the lighthouse on the Shogel Spit in the south to Cape Uchtash in the north was only 8 km. The part of the lake to the west of this narrow bridge is called Small Sevan, and the maximum depth there was 84 m, in the east, at the exit from Artung Bay - 51 m, and on the bridge between these parts - 58 m.
The flora and fauna of this area are quite diverse: about 1,600 species of plants and trees grow here, almost 20 species of mammals live here, but there are especially many birds. These are the stone gray partridge, mallard, ogre, gulls, and during the migration period pelicans, flamingos, mute swan, screamer swan, cormorants and others rest on the lake - up to 180 species in total, some of them nest.
Tourists can travel around Sevan in different ways: by bicycle, motorcycle or car along the ring road, or by rowing and sailing boats along the coast. The length of travel by any means around Sevan is now at least 200 km.
The lake is home to endemic fish species: Sevan beglu (barbel) (Barbus goktschaicus), Sevan khramulya (Varicorhinus capoeta sevangi), Sevan trout (ishkhan, Salmo ischchan). The latter was previously represented by 4 subspecies (today the winter bahtak and bojak subspecies have become extinct); is endemic to Sevan, but its existence is under threat due to competing fish species introduced or introduced into the lake from other places. These are: whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus), which was brought from Lakes Ladoga and Lake Peipus, silver crucian carp (Carassius gibelio) and narrow-toed crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus).
On the shore of the lake, fish farms were created for the artificial propagation of Ishkhan. While the Ishkhan is under threat of extinction in Sevan, it appears to have taken root well in Lake Issyk-Kul, where it was brought from Lake Sevan.
In the Lake Sevan basin, the Sevan National Park has been created with four nature reserves and ten game reserves. The lake is an important population center for the Armenian gull (Larus armenicus), the number of which reaches 4000-5000 pairs. Other birds that stop at the lake are the American swan (Cygnus columbianus), the lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus), the red-crested pochard (Netta rufina), the white-eyed pochard (Aythya nyroca) and the black-headed gull (Larus ichthyaetus).
Lake Sevan is famous for its cultural monuments and recreational resources located on the coast: mineral springs, clean air, beautiful nature. On the shore of the lake there is an artificial forest (pine, broad-leaved species and sea buckthorn).
On July 26, 2012, at the bottom of Sevan, at a depth of about 16 meters, a sunken 18-meter wooden ship was discovered. According to the discoverers, part of the find was preserved almost entirely, the other part was damaged. Underwater excavations are planned to be carried out at the site where the ship was discovered.
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In Armenia there is a unique high-mountain lake Sevan. It is very popular among tourists, and all guests visiting this country definitely want to admire its unprecedented beauty. The peculiarity of the lake is that the water in it is fresh. The residents themselves call it “blue-eyed”, because of the incredible tints of blue and blue colors, smoothly turning into azure shades.
Often, the play of the sun's rays on the surface of the water creates the feeling that it is “a piece of heaven on earth” (this is exactly what enthusiastic tourists say about it).
The lake appeared, according to geologists, 25,000 years ago and is of tectonic origin.
Geography and climate
The height of Sevan is 1916 m above sea level, its dimensions reach 35 km (width) and 75 km (length). Mirror area 1914 sq. km. Conventionally, Sevan is divided into two parts – Big and Small. The depth of the first reaches 50 m, and the second 100 m and it has very strong underwater currents. Oddly enough, 28 different streams, springs and rivers flow into the lake, but only one large river, Hrazdan, flows out, passing through the whole of Yerevan, and subsequently uniting with the border river Araks.
Among the fauna of the lake, the “prince fish” or Sevan trout (another name is Ishkhan) is well known. The latter is considered a special delicacy - it has a “competitor” - whitefish, which was brought in 1920 from Lake Ladoga. We must not forget about the crayfish of Sevan, the taste of which is known far beyond the borders of Armenia.
It should be noted that the local climatic conditions are very harsh. In twenty minutes you can see a thunderstorm, sun, rainbow, fog and hail. Although the main factor that you should pay special attention to is ultraviolet radiation. The sun in Sevan is very “evil” and protective means (creams and sprays) practically do not work here. You can get burns even while sitting under an awning. 
Tourist Information
The swimming season itself is very short (from mid-July to early September), but despite this, a holiday here leaves an unforgettable impression. It gets quite chilly at night, but the sight of thousands of reflected swaying stars and the sound of the surf make you forget about it completely.
The lake is surrounded by three huge mountain ranges, which, like caring guards, monitor its peace. Only they failed to save Sevan from the officials. In the mid-30s, a decision was made to build a canal for a hydroelectric power station, and, due to the powerful outflow of water, the level began to drop very quickly.
As a result, the only island on Sevan turned into a peninsula. The 9th century Sevanavank monastery, located on the shore of the lake, played a special role in the spiritual and historical life of the Armenian people. At the moment, the monastery has a theological seminary, opened after the collapse of communist power. 
As time has shown, many guests who have visited here take a piece of this “azure paradise” forever in their hearts. Lake Sevan is definitely worth a visit and it will leave an unforgettable impression for many years!
On the banks of Sevan there are several more Armenian monasteries of varying degrees of antiquity: Ayrivank on the western slope and the Vanevan monastery in the village of Artsvaninst. You should not ignore several khachkar cemeteries (khachkar literally means “stone cross” in Armenian).
When to go?
You can come to Lake Sevan for swimming for a short period in July and August. On the shore of the lake you always feel a slight coolness, even in the hottest weather. This is why local residents appreciate holidays in Sevan during the hot months of summer. In winter the climate is unfavorable, usually sub-zero temperatures, but the lake itself is sometimes not covered with ice at all. The landscapes in Sevan are beautiful at all times of the year.
- one of the main resorts in Armenia. There is no sea in the country, and some people go to Georgian Batumi, but getting there is much longer and more expensive. And here it is only 70 km from Yerevan to sandy beaches and clean water. That’s why the locals call it the Armenian Sea.
Sevan and its surroundings are one of the most beautiful sights in Armenia, which are definitely worth a visit if you come to this country. The lake is located at an altitude of 1900 m above sea level among the mountains and is the largest in the Caucasus. 28 rivers flow into Sevan, and the only river that flows out is Hrazdan (as on Lake Baikal).
Sevan in summer
In July and August, the water warms up to +20 degrees, which already allows swimming. Residents of Yerevan and the Ararat Plain come to Lake Sevan to escape the unbearable summer heat; it is indeed much cooler here than in the valley.
This is the only place in Armenia where you can catch crayfish or trout (or buy them in shops) and cook them right there. On the sandy beaches there are sun loungers, volleyball courts, and you can rent a boat or jet ski here - everything is like at a real resort, only the water is still cool, not like in the sea.
View from the peninsula to the lake
Sights of Sevan and surrounding areas
The most famous landmark of Sevan is Sevanavank monastery, located on an elevated peninsula. From here you have excellent views of the turquoise surface of the lake. Interestingly, the monastery was originally built on an island, but due to lower water levels, the island turned into a peninsula. The monastery was built by monks in the 8th century from black volcanic tuff, by the way, “sev” in Armenian means black.
Be sure to check out Hayravank Monastery, which is on the western shore of the lake, is also more than 1100 years old. There is a much more peaceful atmosphere here than in Sevanovanka with its sellers and crowds of people.
A little further south there is an ancient Armenian village Noratus(sometimes called Noraduz) and the world's largest cemetery of khachkars not far from it. Khachkars are large boulders with crosses carved on them, they can be found everywhere in Armenia, but there are a lot of them at once. Even near Noratus you will find secluded beaches, on the peninsula everything is occupied by hotels-restaurants.
You can make a trip around Sevan by car, motorcycle or even a bicycle along the circular road. The entire journey takes about 200 km, but it will certainly be an interesting experience.
Small towns on the west coast haven't changed much since the days of the Soviet Union, but you can still find a couple of hotels in them to spend the night. From Martuni, the road goes to the Selim pass towards Yeghegnadzor, but do not try to drive along it in winter, it may be impassable due to snow drifts. On the southern coast you will find several more monasteries hidden from all eyes: Vanevank and Makenis.
