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The Area

ΜΥΗΣ AGIA

Nature

Just 9 km west of the city of Chania, in the area of Agia, lies an oasis of tranquility and natural beauty that is part of the NATURA 2000 ecological network.

The artificial lake of Agia is a small paradise covering 450 stremmas (45 hectares), near the Fasa Valley. The area is considered one of the wettest in Crete! Before the construction of the Small Hydroelectric Power Station (SHPP) and the pipeline, the lake was a swamp formed by the natural flow of a tributary of the Keritis River.

Today, the SHPP, the park, the walking path around the lake, and the area's flora and fauna offer every visitor a refreshing and rejuvenating break in nature.

Flora

In the Agia wetland, various plant species are found that create suitable conditions for the survival and wintering of important populations, primarily of birdlife. More than 130 plant species have been recorded, along with a significant variety of habitats (such as aquatic and riparian plant communities that develop around the lake), offering valuable shelter for fauna. The lake's wetland contains plane trees, reeds, willows, and other woody species, whose clusters serve as breeding and resting sites for birds.

Fauna

The artificial lake of Agia, like all riparian areas, is an important wetland that serves not only as a stopover for migratory birds traveling to Africa, but also as a wintering site for species arriving from the north.

Specifically, in the area around the lake, beyond insects, there is a wide variety of:

Migratory waders and waterbirds that either pass through or winter in western Crete, such as the Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), Gadwall (Anas strepera), Little Crake (Porzana parva), and Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca).
Amphibians like the Green Toad, Tree Frog, Cretan Frog, and Bullfrog.
Reptiles such as the Balkan Terrapin (Mauremys rivulata), Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), Turkish Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus), and Dice Snake (Natrix tessellata).
Mammals including the Eastern European Hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus), European Hare (Lepus europaeus), Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), Weasel (Mustela nivalis), and Beech Marten (Martes foina).
Fish, eels, and other introduced species such as mosquitofish and goldfish.

Source: Archive of A. Vazakas – M. Mandalakis

Geomorphology

Aghia is a large natural wetland. The area is located in a natural basin that gushes water from its soil. This water comes mainly from springs, which are fed by the aquifer of the wider area and the White Mountains.

The artificial lake of Aghia is located on the natural flow of the tributary "Xekolomenos" which originates to the east of it and constitutes an important part of the hydrological basin of the Keritis River. It gathers a multitude of springs whose excellent quality water comes from underground karst aquifers of the White Mountains. Chania is watered by these springs as they provide clean water, in contrast to river water through which a large amount of transported materials is transported.

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