Photo: Karakoy99 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lake Karla is the only lake in the plain of Thessaly, at the northern end of the Magnesia regional unit in the Pineios basin, next to the mountains Pelion and Mavrovouni, with the town of Kanalia on its eastern shore. In ancient times it was called Boibeis, after the nearby city of Boibe. The old lake was drained completely in 1962 to gain farmland, which ended a fishing culture in which fishermen lived in reed huts on the lake for much of the year. Because farming never succeeded in the salty soil of the lake bed, the lake was later restored in part.
How it formed
The old lake covered about 180 km² and was among the largest wetlands in Europe. Restoration began in 2009 with EU funds, using embankments to create one large and six small reservoirs.
Nature
More than 200 bird species have been documented, and the lake is important for Dalmatian pelicans, with 660 counted in 2015. Pygmy cormorants, spoonbills, black storks, long-legged buzzards and lesser kestrels are also seen. Low water, poor quality and summer heat have brought die-offs of pelicans and herons in some years.
Gallery
Photo: Karakoy99 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Demyanagennisi · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Demyanagennisi · CC BY-SA 4.0
Visit
Getting there
Nearest settlement: Larissa
Swimming
No reliable information
Tips
Halfway between Volos and Larissa, at Stefanovikeio, look for the sign to the Lake Karla Exhibition Centre at Kanalia. A car is needed to get there, and you can park wherever you like. Paved and unpaved roads circle the lake, so you can view it from different sides on foot or by bicycle.
You can see birds all year, with spring and summer the best seasons. The land is flat, open and without shade, and there is no hide, so bring sun protection, binoculars and a telescope if you have one. Few visiting birdwatchers know the lake, so it is usually quiet.
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Sources & data
- Greece's 2022 Water Framework Directive reporting to the EEA: lake (LW) and transitional (TW) water bodies, field cArea, European Environment Agency (WISE WFD), reported by Greece, 2022
- OpenStreetMap: Λίμνη Κάρλα (relation 12301781), OpenStreetMap contributors
- English Wikipedia: Lake Karla, Wikimedia Foundation
- Wikidata: Lake Karla (Q6476415), Wikimedia Foundation
- Environmental restoration of Lake Karla revives Greek wildlife and locals, Euronews
- Karla lake in Thessaly: one of the most important wetlands in the Mediterranean, Travel.gr
- Lake Karla, Birdingplaces
- What is killing birds at Karla lake? (2017), 10,000 Birds