THE KERKINI LAKE

The Kerkini lake must be one of the most amazing places to visit in Greece - and it´s only one and a half hour beautiful drive from us.

This is actually an artificial dam, made to regulate the river Strymonas and to irrigate the farmland in the Serres-area.

Now a national park, because of the rich bird and animal life in and around the lake.

If you´d like birding in Greece make sure to also check out bird watching holidays at Kairos Garden.

Water buffalos

Here you can find the largest water buffalo population in Greece.

You can see the buffalos nearby the village of Livadia (the north-west corner of the lake), Megalochori (the north-east corner of the lake) and Chrysochorafia (south-east corner).

Water buffalo meat can be bought at the butchers in the villages around the lake - if you want you can bring it back to our restaurant and we´ll cook it for you.

They also serve buffalo at several restaurants in the area, for instance the one on the main square as well as in the oak forest of the picturesque village Ano Poroïa (worth a visit!).

The unique bird life

The bird life in and around the lake is attracting ornithologists from all over the world.

300 bird species has been observed in this national park. 134 species nestle in the lake, while the rest either spend the winter there or use it as a stop on their migratory flights.

Here you can find rare species of eagles and falcons, as well as flamingos (in the winter) and pelicans.

I was trying to make a list of what kind of birds you can see when, but I am not an ornithologist, so it made no sense to me! If you´re really into birds visit the official Kerkini website instead, where you´ll get more detailed information.

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