Lake Beletsi

Lake Beletsi is a small lake located at an altitude of approximately 600 meters on the eastern slopes of Mount Parnitha, in the Holy Trinity area of the community of Afidnae, northwest of the homonymous peak Beletsi. It is an artificial lake which was created at the expense of George Nastos and Athanasios Pantos during the 1973-75 biennium as a reservoir of water for projects that were then being built in the area and also as a future habitat. As a result of its construction, the route of the road that connected Saint Merkourios with Afidnae (formerly Kiourka) was changed. This artificial work retained, on the one hand, the waters of the spring located to the north, and on the other hand, the rainwater from the hill above, resulting in the formation of the lake. The lake has a maximum diameter of approximately 130 meters and a maximum depth of 9 meters, while its total area reaches 7,000 square meters. It is an important wetland of the area as it is home to migratory birds as well as permanent waterfowl (ducks, swans) as well as water turtles and fish, mainly carp and eels. In Lake Beletsi, you can easily find many of the floral "diamonds" of Parnitha, but also the Mallard (Aix sponsa), an American species that escaped from captivity and has adapted to the lake over the years. In autumn and winter, it is visited by kingfishers and cormorants.