Greece · Crete

Bramiana Reservoir

Directions

Τεχνητή λίμνη Μπραμιανών

The Bramiana reservoir is an artificial lake about 5 km north-west of Ierapetra, beside the village of Bramiana, on the road towards Kalamafka. It holds water all year, and it is a major wetland of southern Crete, with reeds, plane trees, pines, poplars and tamarisks around it.

How it formed

The lake was built in 1986 to water the greenhouses around Ierapetra. It is fed by the springs at Kefalovrysi and Malavra, by streams from the Selakano forest and from the Korakas gorge near Meseleri. In some summers the Church of the Prophet Elias emerges from the lake bed.

Nature

The lake is a protected reserve and a well-known stopover for migrating birds, with more than 200 species recorded and the largest populations of waterfowl in Crete. Ferruginous ducks, moorhens, herons, lapwings, gulls and terns occur here, mallards have returned to nest, and black storks and lanner falcons are among the winter visitors. Frogs, terrapins, water snakes, hares and hedgehogs also live here.

Visit

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

A dirt road runs around the entire shore, good for walking and cycling. Birds can be watched all year, with the peak in spring and autumn, and early spring is when the water is highest.

Ierapetra, with its archaeological collection, is about 5 km away. The beach at Gra Lygia, the Korakas gorge and the monastery of Panagia Pantanassa at Vagionia are all within about 4 km.