Mangystau – The “Treasure” Peninsula

Bozzhyra – the calling card of Mangystau. A vast depression, or rather the bottom of an ancient ocean, with sheer cliffs and grand chalk towers known as buttes.
Valley of Castles (Ayrakty / Sherkala) – a group of butte-like mountains whose walls resemble man-made structures.
Torysh – “Valley of Stone Balls” – a scattering of thousands of massive spherical boulders (concretions), some over 3 meters in diameter.
Tuzbair Salt Flat – a giant salt lake with stunningly beautiful steep white chalk cliffs.
Karagiye Depression (132 meters below sea level) – the lowest point in the former USSR.
Ybykty Canyon – a picturesque gorge with “lace-like” walls made of white limestone.
Kyzylkup (Tiramisu) – a valley of layered red-and-white hills resembling pastries.
Zhygylygan – a massive sinkhole formed by karst rock collapse.
Underground Mosques Carved into Rock – Beket-Ata, Shakpak-Ata, Sultan-Epe – pilgrimage sites for believers from across Kazakhstan.
Two thousand years ago, the Great Silk Road passed through Mangystau from south to north and further northwest, across the Ustyurt Plateau, through the Shetpe Gates to the Caspian coast.
Scenic Caspian Coastline – with many kilometers of sandy beaches.
All journeys begin in the region’s capital – the extraordinary city of Aktau.