Cholpon-Ata

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A boulder-strewn slope at Cholpon-Ata has numerous examples of petroglyphs, many showing people hunting animals which are now extinct or scarce in the area

Cholpon-Ata (Чолпоната in Kyrgyz) is a resort town on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan) with a year-round population of about 8,000.

The town contains numerous large and small sanatoria, hotels and guesthouses to accommodate the many visitors who descend upon the lake in summer. During the Soviet era it was much frequented by vacationers brought here in organized mass tours from other parts of the USSR. Holidaymakers now usually visit on their own or in small groups and originate mainly from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. To attract more demanding foreign tourists will require substantial upgrading of the existing facilities, but the location is certainly attractive. The view of the imposing alpine ranges of the Tian Shan across the lake is impressive.