Photo: Glagoli · Public domainBulgaria · Rila · Southwestern Bulgaria
Okoto (Rila)
Glacial · natural
~0.4 kmaway
2,440 metreselevation
The Tear, the highest of the Seven Rila Lakes.
How it formed
At 2,535 m, Salzata is a small lake of about 0.7 ha, 4.5 m deep. It drains separately into Bliznaka far below.
Visit
Swimming
No reliable information
Tips
The usual start is Panichishte, above Sapareva Banya, about 1 hour 45 minutes by car from Sofia. The chairlift rises from about 1,570 m to about 2,100 m in 25 minutes, close to the Rila Lakes Hut (about 2,150 m). Check the time of the last ride down.
From Okoto, the last stretch takes about 15–20 minutes and is the most demanding part of the ascent, zigzagging over loose rock. The reward is the view of the lakes below, and on a clear day Pirin, Vitosha and the Rhodopes on the horizon. Winter walking needs winter gear. See the Seven Rila Lakes page for more.
Nearby lakes
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Sources & data
- OpenStreetMap: Сълзата (way 439492179), OpenStreetMap contributors
- Bulgarian Wikipedia: Седемте рилски езера, Wikimedia Foundation
- Hiking to the Seven Rila Lakes: a complete guide (2025), Olympus Mountaineering