Lake Havasu is man made, formed by damming the Colorado River. The resulting mass of water, headed by the massive Parker Dam in the south and infamous Hoover Dam to the north, has 45 miles of shoreline to explore. The city itself is home to the famous London Bridge, designed in 1799 and originally spanning London's River Thames until it was dismantled, brought to the USA in 1964 then rebuilt, re-opening in 1971.
The London Bridge is such a popular local attraction that a resort has sprung up around it.
Lake Havasu is a new city built in the early 1960s, planned by the bloke who designed Disneyland. There are 60 miles of lake and rivers and more than 400 miles of gorgeous coastline, famed for watersports, lovely beaches, camping sites and hiking trails.
-
Lake Havasu with its sandy beaches, perfect for swimming with no waves to speak of
-
Shop like a local at excellent Lake Havasu City retail outlets
-
Visit Sara Park for superb hiking with epic views and fascinating 'slot canyons'
Grab a place on a floating casino and have a good lunch while you're there. Then take a private boat tour on the lake.
Cycle the Island Trail, a paved 3.6 mile loop around the interior of the island across the London Bridge and Bridgewater Channel, or bike round Sara Park for a rugged two-wheel adventure.
Havasu is one of the finest boating lakes in the nation. There are plenty of places to hire boats plus guided trips.
-
Enjoy Lake Havasu City Aquatic Center
-
After dark the city lights up with bars, clubs, restaurants and live music venues
-
Visitors flock to Northwest Arizona to tour breweries, distilleries and vineyards
Treat yourself to award winning, hand-brewed beers and food at the College Street Brewhouse and Pub, with panoramic views of the deep blue lake.
The lake is famously, remarkably blue, an amazing colour you won't see anywhere else. In fact 'Havasu' is a Mojave word for 'blue water'.
Beaches 'r' us! Spend a day at Rotary Beach, the city’s biggest and easy to get to by boat or car, 40 acres complete with cool picnic areas, public BBQs and children's playgrounds – including one for 'special needs' kids. You'll find beach volleyball courts and ball fields, a designated swimming area, loos, a scenic walking path and a skate park. Visit the dams, an extraordinary sight and get an adrenaline rush courtesy of a water jetpack adventure, water buzz flyboarding, jetskiing, water skiing, jetboat or segway tour. London Bridge beach itself features a huge community stage, basketball courts and volleyball courts, handy picnic and BBQ areas, playground, special swimming area and lots of lovely green grass to lounge on.
The city's famous one-third-scale lighthouses are all replicas of the real deal, actual lighthouses found in the Great Lakes region. On the west side of the lake you'll find replicas of US West Coast lighthouses, with East Coast replicas to the east. You can take a two hour guided tour to see more than a dozen of them, or grab a map and discover the accessible ones for yourself. The entire lake shore is enticing, breathtakingly beautiful, and there's enough to do to keep the family happy for weeks. No wonder the Americans love it so much.