Almyros River (salty river)

The source of Almyros, known as ‘Mati’ (eye), has the largest reserves of water in Crete. The mouth of the river is near the sea and the water ends up in the sea through its wetlands.

A small artificial lake was created at the source in 1977 in an attempt to raise the level of the water and reduce its salinity which is caused by hydrostatic pressure. The attempt failed. There also used to be watermills around the source for grinding the grain of the region. Almyros starts its journey here and ends it in the sea, forming the most important wetlands in the whole of Crete along the way.

The wetlands of Almyros are home to many species of migratory birds. They are also host to the Cretan palm tree Phoenix Theophrasti which is indigenous to Crete.

Information: Municipality Malevizioy

Photo: Trikali,M. / Natural History Museum of Crete – University of Crete