Greece · Central Macedonia · Western Macedonia

Lake Vegoritida

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Λίμνη Βεγορίτιδα

Lake Vegoritida, historically also called Lake Ostrovo, is one of the largest natural lakes in northern Greece. It lies in Greek Macedonia, between the towns of Amyntaio and Edessa, and spans parts of the Florina and Pella regional units, with the Voras Mountains rising as a scenic backdrop to the north. Its historical name, Ostrovo, lives on in the name of the Ostrovo Unit of the Scottish Women's Hospitals of the First World War.

How it formed

The lake is the deepest surviving part of the ancient Lake Eordaia and the lowest point of a chain that runs through Zazari, Chimaditida and Petron, linked by canals. Four large streams also feed it. From 1955 water was taken for the Agras power station, and the lake’s level has moved by up to 30 m over the last 50 years, falling heavily and then partly recovering. It is one of the deepest lakes in Greece.

Local legend tells of a young girl and a well, whose water flooded the village and the plain.

Nature

About 160 bird species are recorded here, 87 of them nesting, and thousands of migrants stop when the other lakes of the area freeze. Dalmatian and great white pelicans, golden eagles and lanner falcons are among them. Some twenty native fish, including carp, wels catfish, eels and pike, live in the water, with crayfish in the deepest parts.

Gallery

3 photos

Photo: w:Подпоручикъ · CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: w:подпоручикъ · CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Miltiadis Seferlis · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Visit

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

Arnissa and Agios Panteleimonas are the main communities on the shore, and you can cycle and hike along it or go out in a plava, the local keel-less boat. Windsurfing, sailing, kayaking and kitesurfing are popular. June to August is the swimming season, from several shore access points and small beaches, with no lifeguards; stay near the shore, watch for boats and check for blue-green algae warnings.

Spring and autumn suit walks and birdwatching, and mosquitoes can be bad on summer evenings. The Alpha Estate vineyards are nearby, and a restaurant in Agios Panteleimonas overlooks the lake.