The world’s 20 most spectacular lakes to put on your bucket list

There are many lakes in the world – about 117 million of them, in fact – and they range from tiny tarns to inland seas, and from lively and crowded to wild and remote.

In Australia, albeit the driest continent, there are an estimated 11,400 natural and large artificial lakes. That actually places Down Under in the top 10 countries in respect to the number of lakes.

Wherever you encounter them, some lakes are good to simply admire, while others beg to be paddled on, swum in, walked around or cruised across. It’s a tough call, but here are our choices of the best, plus five more closer to home.

Mamma mia. How to choose between the Italian lakes? Garda is the biggest. Como the most glamorous. But Maggiore, less crowded than both, ticks the most boxes. It combines Italian and Swiss cultures, and Mediterranean and Alpine vibes, thanks to its mountain backdrop and unique microclimate. There are opportunities for hiking, cycling, swimming and water sports, plus visits to the exquisite gardens and palaces of the Borromean Islands. It’s easy to combine with offbeat Lake Orta, too. See illagomaggiore.com

In Rajasthan’s desert-like conditions, it’s no wonder that Udaipur, which has several lakes, is associated with aristocratic pleasures. The landscape surrounding Lake Pichola is one of modest hills, and all eyes turn to the massive City Palace on the shoreline and the diminutive summer retreat (now a luxury hotel) on a tiny island. Another island, Jag Mandir, has a small yellow palace and bird-filled gardens. Meanwhile, from the romantic hilltop ruins of the Monsoon Palace outside town, you get fine views over lush scenery and several lakes. See incredibleindia.gov.in/en

Constance is a constant source of delight. On the Rhine, flanked by three countries, it’s one of central Europe’s largest lakes, and it offers cultural variety and a bewitching Alpine backdrop. Particularly satisfying is completing a circuit by bike: a largely flat, largely off-road, 270-kilometre border-hopping cycle path loops the lake, taking in a succession of medieval towns – fairytale Meersburg, frescoed Stein am Rhein, island-set Lindau – as well as Bavarian wine villages, the Rhine Delta nature reserve, Zeppelin museums, spa resorts and chocolate shops. See bodensee.eu/en

This almost fluorescent green saltwater lake in a limestone depression on uninhabited Eil Island in Palau, east of the Philippines, is home to millions of golden jellyfish that drift across the lake and back each day with the moving sun. You can’t swim without gently brushing your way through them (their stings are