Lake Batur

Volcanic crater lake filling most of the Batur caldera floor

Lake Batur is a volcanic crater lake that fills a large portion of the Batur caldera floor. At about 16 kilometres long and 8 kilometres wide, it is the largest lake in Bali. The water is deep and clear, and the lake is encircled by the outer caldera wall — from Songan's shore you look across the lake to the volcanic peak of Mount Batur rising from its centre, an arrangement that makes for a striking view at almost any hour.

The lake supports a fishing community whose outrigger boats are out in the early mornings. The fish — a local freshwater species — is served at restaurants throughout the villages around the caldera. The water from the lake is considered sacred and connects, according to Balinese Hindu belief, with springs across the island; the Pura Ulun Danu Batur temple is dedicated to the lake deity. Swimming is possible but not especially common given the cultural significance of the water.

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A story
Lake Batur sits inside one of the largest calderas in the world — the outer caldera is about 14 kilometres across, with an inner caldera nested inside it. The lake occupies the bottom of the inner caldera. The arrangement means that from Songan, you look across flat water to a volcanic cone rising from the caldera floor, with the caldera walls rising behind it in a double ring — a geological configuration rare enough that the Batur Geopark carries UNESCO recognition.