Aktau

Kyzylkup consists of gently sloping hills made up of layers of multicolored rock that alternate with one another, creating a breathtaking landscape. The colors of the layers come from various mineral deposits. The white layers are made of chalk, while the red layers contain iron. Because of its unusual layered structure, the area is often referred to as “Tiramisu” by locals and visitors. Its official name comes from a body of water that once existed nearby.
The Ustyurt Plateau was once the seabed of the ancient Tethys Ocean. Over millions of years, layers of sediment accumulated there, including clay, sand, and the remains of various organisms. It is therefore no surprise that the landscape changes color throughout the day. In sunny daylight, it appears bright white; in the evening, it takes on creamy tones; and at sunset, it turns purple.
There is also a local “Sphinx” here — a huge rock protruding from the top of a mountain and resembling a human head. Tourists often take photos beside it.

The Mangystau Desert is a land of unique landscapes, spectacular canyons, and ancient formations that once lay beneath the waters of the Tethys Ocean. Local landscapes are often compared to those of Mars.

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Aktau

Airakty – Valley of Castles

Ayrakty-Shomanay, or simply Ayrakty, is a system of isolated rocky mountains in Mangystau. They became known as the “Valley of Castles of Ayrakty” thanks to the drawings of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko. The surroundings of Ayrakty resemble a mysterious desert city with ruined formations resembling towers and castles with spires. It is recommended to climb the mountain for the best view of the area from a flat plateau. From there, you can also see the Aktau Mountains.
As you walk along the trail to the site, you may encounter wild steppe horses and mouflons, while scorpions and turtles can be found at the foot of the mountain. Like Bozzhyra, Ayrakty was covered by the Tethys Sea in ancient times.
This is one of the reasons why the Mangyshlak Peninsula is so fascinating. It was formed around 25 million years ago as a result of the uplift of the Earth’s crust caused by tectonic activity.

Ybyk — a porous canyon

Ibykty Say Canyon is a limestone formation with unique and bizarre shapes, ranging from 3 to 6 meters in height. Tourists describe the patterns on the rock walls as porous chocolate, sea coral, delicate lace, and even honeycombs. Everyone who visits sees something different. This is a place that leaves no one indifferent.
Grottoes, sheer walls, cave floors, labyrinths of passages, and natural arches can be explored for hours. At the deepest part of the canyon, the gap between one side and the other can be as narrow as one meter. Of course, you can simply step across it. But when you look down into the crevice, you may suddenly feel a sense of fear — the fear of the unknown and the abyss, mixed with a feeling of awe.
In moments like these, you immediately understand what it means to be “terrifyingly beautiful.” It is a feeling that stays with you for a long time.
The formation of this small yet beautiful canyon took an enormous amount of time. Millions of years ago, powerful river currents carved their way through every obstacle, forming gorges and mountain valleys. As the rivers gradually became shallower, some of the most beautiful natural formations — canyons — emerged in their place. Time, water, and wind came together to create this natural wonder.
Ibykty Say Canyon can be considered one of the oldest natural landmarks in the region. The canyon formed approximately 66–41 million years ago, around the time when the dinosaurs became extinct.
The canyon changes throughout the day due to sunlight entering from above through a long, narrow opening. The sun's rays reflect off the rocks, creating incredible patterns of light and shadow. It is therefore no surprise that tourists often spend almost an entire day here, enjoying the canyon's beauty and taking unforgettable photographs.

Tuzbair - salt marsh

The main attraction of Tuzbair is the salt flat of the same name. In Kazakh, it is called a “sor,” a type of shallow, landlocked salt flat with no drainage. Sors form in low-lying areas no more than about 1.5 meters deep.
During the spring snowmelt, the salt flat becomes covered with a layer of water, creating beautiful reflections of the sky. In summer, the salt crust hardens and you can walk across it freely, although your feet may sometimes sink 10–15 centimeters into the salt deposits. Therefore, if you want to walk across the salt flat, it is best to wear rubber boots or other waterproof footwear with high shafts. Alternatively, you can simply walk barefoot.
Every year, vehicles get stuck in the marshy parts of the salt flat, and getting them out can be extremely difficult. For this reason, it is recommended to visit the area with local guides who know the safe and reliable routes.
According to scientists, the present-day Mangystau region was once the seabed of the Tethys Ocean, which lay between the supercontinents Laurasia and Gondwana around 250 million years ago.
Evidence of this can be found in the shark skeletons and teeth that are occasionally discovered in the valley.
Over time, as the water receded, the combination of wind and rain shaped the landscape, creating beautiful sculpted chalk cliffs, steep drops, and depressions.
It is believed that the Tuzbair salt flat, along with the surrounding plateaus, gorges, and ravines, was formed through the erosion of softer rock layers.

Torysh - Valley of Balls

The unusual Valley of Balls, which stretches across the Torysh tract, is considered one of the most mysterious places in the Mangystau Region.
Steppe winds and high temperatures, along with rain and frost, gradually crack these geological formations and cover them with a network of fissures.
Tourists can sometimes find fossilized remains of ancient ocean inhabitants here, including snails, ammonites, mollusks, as well as shark teeth, bones, and other traces of life from the ancient sea.
For many years, scientists have tried to unravel the mystery behind these unusual, almost perfectly spherical formations. Over time, they begin to crumble like an onion, gradually losing one layer after another.
They are believed to have formed approximately 180–120 million years ago, during the Mesozoic Era. According to another theory, the spheres formed more than 120 million years ago, when the Tethys Ocean covered this area and contained enormous amounts of plankton. These organisms became the basis for the formation of spherical concretions, which gradually grew larger over time. Eventually, the sea began to recede, leaving the fossilized spheres exposed on land.
It is still difficult to determine which theory is correct. Professor Asima Koshim of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University explains that there are two main scientific theories regarding the origin of these spheres.
According to the first theory, they formed as a result of an earthquake in an area of tectonic faults. As the tectonic plates shifted, the rocks were subjected to intense pressure and electrical discharges, melted, and formed into clumps. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that there is a grain or nucleus at the center of the stones, which gradually became surrounded by layers of sand and clay.

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