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Aktau
ℹ️Practical info — Aktau
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🌤 Weather — 5 days
📍 Nearby
Sights nearby
💡 Tips
- Navigate using the numbers of the microdistricts instead of street names, just like the locals do.
- Watch the spectacular sunset over the Caspian Sea from the rocky shoreline.
- Drink bottled water, as the tap water is desalinated and has an unusual taste.
- Use ride-hailing apps like Yandex Go for cheap and safe transportation.
- Look out for the unusual lighthouse built directly on the roof of a residential building.
🍽 Food
Try fresh fish from the Caspian Sea at the seaside restaurants.
A traditional Kazakh meat dish served in local eateries.
Taste some fermented camel milk, which you can find at the local markets.
🛍 Shopping · 🧘 Quiet spots
An authentic place to buy local food and spices.
A modern shopping mall for clothing and international brands.
A long, paved path by the sea, good for relaxing evening strolls.
Slightly outside the center, the cliffs offer peace away from the city noise.
Water temperature…
Aktau, located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, is one of Kazakhstan's youngest and architecturally most unique cities. Founded in the 1960s as a settlement for uranium industry workers, the city was named Shevchenko until 1991. A distinctive feature of Aktau is its lack of natural freshwater sources; the entire water supply is provided through seawater desalination, which previously utilized the world's first commercial fast breeder reactor, the BN-350. Urban planning follows a strict grid system without street names; instead, addresses are designated by micro-district numbers. Today, Aktau serves as Kazakhstan's primary seaport and a hub for oil extraction in the Mangystau Region. The seaside promenade and surrounding sandy beaches are increasingly becoming popular destinations for domestic tourism. The climate is desert-like, characterized by very hot summers and mild winters.
- Location: Kazakhstan
- Top sights: RC Melovoy · Istoriko-kraevedcheskii muzei · Muzykalno-dramaticheskii teatr im.Nurmukhana Zhanturina
- Population: ~147.443 (2026)
Best time to visit & climate
The most pleasant time to visit is May, Jun, Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °C | 2 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 18 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 14 | 8 | 3 |
| Rain mm | 12 | 8 | 15 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 17 | 12 |
Geography
Facts
- Founded in 1961 as the settlement of Aktau, granted city status in 1963.
- Until 1991, the city was named Shevchenko in honor of the Ukrainian poet.
- Aktau has no official street names, only micro-districts and building numbers.
- The BN-350 reactor was the world's first combined nuclear power and desalination plant.
- Aktau port is a central hub for the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
- A lighthouse is uniquely located on the roof of a residential apartment building.
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Notable places around
Route planner — Car & Motorhome
Where do you start? We build the route here, with stops and country notes along the way.
© OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenRouteService
Sights in the town Aktau (10)
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