7 Picturesque Lakes & Reservoirs around Pune for Your Next Weekend Getaway

[Ramesh Chauhan]

The vivid green city of Pune in the western state of Maharashtra is home to a wide variety of scenic lakes and dams that surround the metropolis in almost all its borders. These lakes add the very touch of green spaces, medium-height hillocks, serene waterfronts, and rejuvenation spots right at a ride or a drive of just a few hours.

The beauty of these lakes and dams pop up in complete glory during the rainy season. These lakes and dams offer ideal spots to escape the chaos of the urban concrete jungle and just unplug for a short getaway. Apart from just offering retreats to please the urban soul, these are also perfect joints to socialize amidst the lap of nature through a variety of nouveau activities like camping, sleeping under a starlit sky or spotting fireflies in the dark.

All in all, these lakes and dams situated around the urban center of Pune have been trending recently in categories of experiencing mild adventures and disconnecting with the world to connect with ourselves.  Considering this frequent desire to unplug and have meaningful weekends, we have curated a list of the best and the most picturesque lakes and dams around Pune to help you nurture yourself in the lap of nature.

1. Pawna Lake -

If you are a nature lover at heart, with an eye for relaxing yet soul-fulfilling adventures, then the Pawna Lake which is a cut out of the Pawna Dam perfectly suits your persona. It is located at a distance of 61 km from Pune and is a merry ride like none other. The Pawna Lake is the perfect place where you can ideally visualize yourself amidst crystal-clear waters portraying a play of magnificent reflections, and treating yourself with a fresh breeze amidst the loops of vivid natural panoramas and spend some quality time.

Apart from its wealthy tryst with nature, Pawna Lake Camping is also very famous among Mumbai and Pune travelers to catch up on weekends over some dashes of tasty barbecue savories, engage in some storytelling sessions over bonfire and sleep under a sky full of stars. If you wish to have a break from the urban monotony, then this should be the premier place to hop on to!

2. Panshet Dam -
   
   

Panshet Dam is also popularly known as Tanajisagar Dam and is located at a distance of 50 km from the city of Pune. The Panshet Dam offers the scenic location of Panshet Lake which is a part and parcel of the dam itself. This dam serves as yet another junction for nature lovers. Panshet Dam is coupled with brimming waterfalls and picturesque vistas of the Sahyadri ranges.

An added advantage of the Panshet Dam is that it offers a good variety of water sports to try out, like, kayaking, boating and riding a banana boat to name the ones that are most popular! It is also considered to be an ideal spot for picnicking, mild-level trekking and camping.   

3. Mulshi Dam -
   

Mulshi Dam sits on the Mula river of the Mulshi district in Pune. It is precisely located amidst dense thickets and widespread farms at a distance of approximately 41 km from the city. A lot of tourists choose Mulshi Dam to be their weekend hideout. With not too many things to do around, Mulshi Dam fits perfectly well for visitors with a flexible itinerary.

However, some of the activities that you'd want to have heads-up could be trekking and bird-watching. Apart from that, it is an ideal place to enjoy, relax and extend a night's stay in the hotels available nearby.

4. Katraj Lake -

Famed to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the city, the Katraj Lake is closely located to Pune just at a distance of about 10-15 km. Katraj lake stands out to be every Punekar's favorite because of its beautiful surroundings and the well-maintained jogging track around the lake that attracts a lot of fitness enthusiasts from different corners of the city.

This lake offers gorgeous views of the Sahyadri ranges. The ideal time to visit this place is either early in the morning or during the Sunsets. This could offer you the best of both worlds, from fiddly fit mornings to relaxed evening hours.

5. Pashan Lake -
   
   

Located at a distance of roughly about 12 km, the Pashan Lake is a man-made lake perched a little towards the outskirts of the main city center. The origin of this lake can be traced back to the British era when it was built to meet the water requirements of the city that skirted closely around the premise of the lake.

It is a perfect solitary gateway to just get back to the yore of reflection and enjoy the vivid spells of nature in the forms of Sunrises, Sunsets and the pleasant rains. It is ideal for spotting rare species of birds like little egret, grey heron, white-breasted kingfisher just to name a few.

6. Temghar Dam -

Beautifully tucked in between the parallel ranges of the Sahyadris, sits the Temghar Dam, on the Mutha river closely located to Mulashi in Pune. It is situated at a distance of 42 km from Pune city and is majorly used for the purposes of irrigation.

It is a very scenic spot in the middle of green spaces and hillocks and seems to be pulled out of a typical picture postcard that depicts the countryside scenes of Maharashtra. With not many commercial activities around, it gives a perfect glimpse of a place that is yet lesser-known.

7. Bhushi Dam -
   
   

Nestled at a distance of about 73 km from Pune, The Bhushi Dam actually falls in the foresty vicinity of Lonavala. Bhushi Dam stands out to be every Punekars favorite. It enjoys great historical extravaganza as it was built back in the 1860s for the Great Indian Peninsular Railway to feed water to the steam engines.

However, recently, back in 2014, it was promoted as a top tourist destination. Ideally, the best time to visit the Bhushi Dam is during the monsoons where it delights a lot of tourists of different age groups coming from Pune as well as Mumbai. That's also when the waters of the Bhushi Dam are in full brim and does not fail to offer a thrill of its own.