The Emerald Lakes are situated in the Tongariro National Park, New Zealand. These lakes have yellow edges and are the water in them is pure turquoise. They are situated near the summit of Mt. Tongariro and they fill the craters which were created by the explosions in that area. The brilliance of their colors is mostly due to dissolved minerals in them, which are washed down from the nearby Red crater. Naturally, the mineral content of the water means you can’t drink or swim but the sheer beauty of these lakes is enough to mesmerize anyone who comes to see them so get to it and book your flights to New Zealand!

These lakes contrast very well with barren landscape all around them and make for a beautiful picturesque piece of nature’s work. The hill which leads to these lakes can appear to be an easy one to climb but the realization sets in as soon as the trekking is started that it is a very difficult one to trek.  As this picture shows though, the summit is worth the walk.

IF YOU GO: The park has plenty of road access points and sits right in the center of New Zealand’s north island.  In addition to the general access points there are also a few shuttles from the nearby town.  One thing to keep in mind is that this park is a dual world heritage site; it is not only beautiful to look at but an important cultural site for the Maori people.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Flickr user Antoine Hubert via a creative commons license.