Feature October 7, 2017 at 2:00 pm

There’s A Secret Lake In Riyadh Known As A Hidden Gem And This Blogger Wishes To Keep Its Location A Secret

ByShereen Ahmed

(Image Credits: /ScreenGrab/ BlueAbaya.com)

Finnish blogger, Laura of Blue Abaya, coined the ‘Secret Lake’ name for this glorious earthly place spotted just around Riyadh. Not a lot of people seem to know about the existence of this hidden gem, Laura blogged, hence when she featured it in a post- she decided to just give out coordinates in an ebook instead of publicly marking it on social media.

And you might appreciate the reason why:

The blogger’s explanation as to why she wants The Secret Lake to remain ‘a secret’

‘Keeping its location To protect the nature of the area’, Laura wrote in a post about the lake.

Isn’t this water just an amazing hue of blue?! The best kept secret in Riyadh-The Secret Lake. Btw, to address some common misperceptions about this lake, it’s not the Ha’ir lakes, nor is it formed of sewage water. The lake is not in wadi hanifa or inside diplomatic quarter. It’s also not the lakes you find up north in Thumamah which are nice, but crowded and trashed. Secret lake is far from Lake Kharrarh destruction by thousands of Saudis who visit that lake every weekend,leaving it in a very sad state. There is a reason I call it the Secret Lake and that’s because it actually IS unknown to public. Which is for the best! I’ve actually protected its location since 2012 when I first wrote about it on www.blueabaya.com. Since then, I’ve been asked to post the coordinates publicly probably thousand times!! Had I given the GPS coordinates out in public back then, this would be just another picnic spot ruined by trash. We all know how the Saudi culture mostly does not value preserving nature from how much garbage is thrown around everywhere, even in the most beautiful locations, you will find it trashed. It’s really a nasty and disgusting habit. I would Hate if this were to happen to this lake! If you wish to visit this hidden gem you can find it with a copy of my guidebook there, which I’ve put a lot of time and work into creating. Link to ebook in bio. I figured only responsible, respectful people would go through the “trouble” of having to buy a guidebook. So this way the location remains secret and hidden from the hoards of people who’d destroy it in no time. Happy exploring! Please Leave ONLY footprints at the Secret Lake!! #riyadhhiddengems Ps pic is from customer review of the ebook, she loved the lake experience and praised the detailed instructions I’ve written in the book.

Just look at how beautiful the ‘Secret Lake’ is ..

Blue waters, clear skies and you can even sight fish

‘It’s a 25 min drive out of the city and is only accessible by 4X4’

Good morning! Did you know that Riyadh has a hidden lake, in the middle of the desert there is an area where rain water gathers and forms this seasonal lake. The lake is large and is quite deep in some parts 3-4 m clear water in it. It’s about 25 min drive out of the city and only accessible with 4×4 vehicle. The Secret Lake is clean and every time I went there nobody else was around so the location is not known to general public, which I think is for the best to protect this unique and beautiful picnic spot. For those wishing to experience the tranquility of the Secret Lake can find it with my ebook guide to the lake, containing detailed instructions and maps how to get there. Link to post in my bio. #secretlake #riyadh #riyadhtrends #riyadhguide #nature #discover #saudiarabia #beauty #serene #sauditourism #RiyadhHiddenGems

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How peaceful… definitely worth a drive

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A post shared by ????????Viking in Arabia ????????Laura (@blueabaya) on Feb 14, 2016 at 1:51am PST