By Nicolas Bard

Lake Kaiafa is, as its name implies, in the Loutropolis of Kaiafa Ilias. The lake is a breath away from the sea, has thermal waters, and there are many sports activities, such as water skiing. It is 5 kilometers from Zacharo and every summer the area is full of life, with holidaymakers from both the surrounding areas and from all over Greece.

According to surveys, the lake was created around 6 AD. century, after a major earthquake that occurred in the area.

In antiquity, as we read in Pausanias, at the point where the lake is today there was the river Anigros, who went from the source of the Nymphs, located in a cave at the foot of Mount Lapitha. The waters of the source of the Nymphs, as well as of Geranius Andros, were known since ancient times for their healing properties, which people attributed to the Nymphs Pigia, Hassis and Kalliafia, which according to legend lived there.

This beautiful lake covers a surface of 1,500 acres, 3 kilometers long, and its depth does not exceed 2 meters. Inside the lake there is the small islet of St. Catherine and on its banks is built the spa town of Kaiafa, in a lush and extremely picturesque, Mediterranean setting.

The coastal front in Kaiafa

The lake may be small in size, but it is a great wetland. It is separated by the sea by a strip of land, covered with pine trees and bears the name “Strofylia”. There you will also see large dunes, which have been sculpted over the years by nature itself. It is a protected location of the Natura 2000 network. The lake flora includes densely common reeds, the threatened species of Kladi the Marisk (“Kopsias”) and Scirpetum Maritimi. It is also a reproduction area for Caretta Careta turtles, while on its surface we find waterflies, Mediterranean turtles, barrels, stacked turtles, rhinos and other rare species.

However, this unique ecosystem is in danger nowadays, and has undergone great interventions, lesions and destruction due to human activity (rubbish, rubbish, etc.), poaching and illegal logging, which has taken on uncontrolled dimensions. Even over -tourism seems to disturb the balance of the ecosystem, as all activities inside and around the lake significantly affect both the fauna and the flora of the area. Thus, instead of protecting and emerging, it is downgraded day by day and loses its original identity.

The state must immediately intervene drastically, in order to rescue this rare wetland and find the proper balance between human activity and the preservation of the ecological importance of the lake. It is an area of ​​great natural beauty, which can only positively offer to the locals. However, its exploitation and promotion must be prioritized by the ecosystem itself, and not on the basis of self -interest.