Experience the best of Lake Havasu

Lake Havasu City stands on the eastern shore of Lake Havasu, a long reservoir on the Colorado River formed by Parker Dam, in the Sonoran Desert of western Arizona. The city was planned in the 1960s by Robert McCulloch, who bought the old London Bridge, had it taken apart stone by stone in the late 1960s and rebuilt it here by 1971 over a channel to an island. The granite bridge once crossed the River Thames, and an English-style village of shops stands beside it.

Out on the water the lake has red cliffs, coves and sandy beaches reached by boat, with the desert ranges of California across the water. Lake Havasu State Park and Sara Park offer desert trails, and replica lighthouses ring the waterfront. Topock Gorge, a canyon on the river upstream, is a favourite for kayaking, and the old mining village of Oatman lies a drive to the north.

Dining here means waterfront grills serving burgers, fish tacos and cold drinks on terraces above the channel. In summer the thermometer often climbs past forty degrees Celsius and the lake fills with boats, while winters are mild and sunny.