Lake Kivu

Lake Kivu

Lake Kivu, French Lac Kivu, one of the great lakes of East Africa, situated between Congo (Kinshasa) to the west and Rwanda to the east. Lying at 4,790 feet (1,460 metres) above sea level, it occupies 1,040 square miles (2,700 square km) and is 55 miles (90 km) long (north-south) and 30 miles wide (east-west). From an average depth of 722 feet (220 metres), it plunges to a maximum of 1,558 feet (475 metres). Lake Kivu has a rough, jagged coast and contains numerous islands, the largest of which is Idjwi. It was at one time part of a larger body of water that filled a structural trough in the Earth. Volcanic outpourings along its northern shore created a dam that separated Kivu from Lake Edward (Lake Idi Amin Dada), barred Kivu’s northern outflow, and reversed its drainage to the south through the Ruzizi (Rusizi) River into Lake Tanganyika.

After all your outdoor adventures, you'll be ready to kick up your feet—and there's no better place to relax in Rwanda than at Lake Kivu. The 2,700-square-kilometer, emerald-green oasis, surrounded by misty mountains, is Rwanda's largest lake.

Soak it all up from Rubavu, a resort town on the northern tip of Lake Kivu. It has a lively waterfront, sandy beach, and stunning resorts. A few days in this peaceful town will leave you restored.