Greece · Crete

Lake Agia

Directions

Λίμνη Αγιάς

A reservoir on Crete made in the early twentieth century for a hydroelectric plant that no longer runs. Now an important habitat in a Natura 2000 area.

How it formed

Before 1927 this was a swamp, in one of the wettest parts of Crete, a basin fed by springs and by water from the White Mountains. The lake of about 45 hectares was made near the Fasas valley, on the Xekolomenos stream, a main source of the Keritis river, and a small power plant opened in 1928. The building is now an exhibition space with educational and cultural programmes. The lake also supplies Chania with water and irrigates orchards and avocado groves.

In the dry summer of 2025 its level fell to historic lows, with pumping blamed and patches of bare lake bed showing.

Nature

More than 200 species of birds are recorded, including marsh harriers, booted eagles, peregrines and gadwall. The lake is a stopover on the way to Africa and a wintering ground for birds from the north. More than 130 plant species grow here, among them plane trees, reeds, willows and rare ferns, along with dragonflies and rare amphibians.

Visit

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

The lake is about 9–10 km west of Chania, reached by car or on a tour. A path starting beyond the bridge circles the lake in about an hour at an easy pace, and the path on the western bank leads over a small arched bridge to the old power plant. Two cafés look over the water.

Spring and autumn are best for birds, early in the morning or just before sunset. The villages of Alikianos, Fournes, Meskla and Theriso are close by, and the White Mountains rise beyond them.