The Samal gorge is a rarity for Mangystau: a small freshwater stream runs here all year round. Hawthorn and blackthorn cover the slopes, poppies redden the floor in spring and the air smells of mint.
The Samal gorge is one of the few places in Mangystau where the water never dries up. Among the peninsula's many salt and brackish wells, freshwater springs are real wealth — and here a stream runs all year round.
The gorge has long been overgrown with hawthorn, blackthorn, reeds and medicinal herbs. The air fills with the sweetish smell of mint on the approach to the spring, and in spring the floor of the gorge turns red with poppies.
The place is small and quiet: people stop for a short walk along the floor to the spring and then drive on. Locals draw water from the spring, but visitors are better off boiling it.
Honest numbers before you take the wheel. We are not selling an adventure — we are explaining what you would be dealing with.
Driving here yourself requires four-wheel drive and a water supply: there are no fuel stations or services on the route.
Shots from our trips — click to enlarge
Leave the logistics to people who drive here all year round: prepared vehicles, satellite communication and a guide who knows where the ground holds and where it does not.
Kapamsay Canyon → The Shakpak-Ata mosque → Shakpak-Ata Sai and 5 more stops
The Valley of the Stone Balls → Kok-Kala → Samal Gorge and 15 more stops