Nestos

National Park of Nestos Delta and lakes Vistonida-Ismarida is in East Macedonia in northern Greece.



Understand
About 30 km east of Kavala lies the nature reserve of the Nestos river. The river basin of the Nestos is divided into the Nestos gorge at Toxotes and the Nestos delta at Chrysoupolis. Both are areas with a high bird population and unique natural beauty. Along the river Nestos there are a number of special ecosystems. The river delta of Nestos is a hydrobiotop with alluvial land, freshwater lakes and lagoons. In particular, due to its rich birdlife, the National Park was created, which also includes the eastern lakes Vistonida and Ismarida. The area is a resting place for many species of birds on their winter migration. Of particular importance is the floodplain forest on the banks of Nestos. Until the middle of the 20th century, very large parts of the original area of these river forests were cut down to gain agricultural land. Nestos Delta together with the Lake Vistonida and Lake Ismarida are part of the East Macedonia and Thrace National Park.

Landscape
The Nestos Delta is a typical flat alluvial plains with intensive agriculture such as mais, asparagus, kiwi, rice, cereals, networked with irrigation channels and ditches. Only along the Nestos river are the remains of a floodplain forest, where a rich bird life is at home. About 60 ha of it is fenced under nature conservation. The juxtaposition of forest and open meadows creates habitats for a variety of different bird species. On the western edge of the delta are extensive lagoons, spits and dunes, which are visited by many of the migratory birds as a resting place at the time of bird migration. The delta has many closely related ecosystems, which has a positive effect on fauna and flora. The area around the Nestos gorge is mountainous with the typical Mediterranean maccia growth.

Flora and fauna
Due to the multitude of ecosystems which are close to each other an unusually diverse fauna and flora can be found in the Nestos area. Three main ecosystems can be distinguished: 1) along the revine, 2) at the lagoons 3) along the river itself

In the Nestos ravine natural alluvial forests with poplars, plane trees, willows, alders, etc. grow directly on the river. On the slopes, the composition of the herbaceous vegetation changes according to their exposure to the sun (to the north = cooler, to the south = warmer).

At the lagoons, coastal dunes and inland inland dunes have very different herbaceous to bushy vegetation depending on the salinity of the soil and the water availability. Here, in addition to a variety of amphibians, reptiles (such as European toad, Moorish tortoise, arrow snake) and insect species live a rich bird life (flamingos, pelicans, etc.)

Along the river you will find the richest fauna and flora. On the river grows a lot of hardwood forest, within the flood dams softwood woodland forests (black alder, silver poplar) and on the edge of the fields often poplar forest. The under-growth is almost impenetrable, especially near the river. In the floodplain live, for example, Pale Skewers, Kingfishers, Mask Shrikes, Nightingales, Lesser Spotted Eagles, Sparrowhawks, and in the drier areas Bee-eaters, European reeds, Oriole, and others. Also many species of butterflies and dragonflies can be seen near the shore and on the islands in the river. Since the construction of the Nestos dam, the earlier winter floods have stopped and in summer the river carries more water. This has led to a major change in the river landscape. Increasingly large vegetation islands arise in the shallow riverbed, so that one usually no longer sees the other side of the river. On the edge of the floodplain forest in the meadows and also in the villages storks are frequently to be found. Almost every village has nesting sites.

Get in
Most visitors to the region come via, which is only 12 km from the village , the center for exploring the Nestos delta. From Kavala there are regular buses to  Chrysoupolis  or direction Xanthi with stop at, the village at Nestos Gorge. Visitors who want to explore the Nestos area from Thasos can either take the ferry to (near the mouth of Nestos into the sea) or via Kavala. From Keramoti regular buses run to Chrysoupolis, from where buses can be taken towards Xanthi to Nestos Gorge. You can reach the river from either the Macedonian west side or the Thracian east side. The Thracian side, with a predominantly Muslim population, is less touristy and therefore most visitors choose the west side of the river for their excursions. A bridge over the Nestos does not exist in the delta, so you have to drive to Toxotes if you want to get to the other side of the river.

The easiest way to reach the Nestos area is by car. Coming from Thessaloniki take the exit Chrysoupolis for the west side or at Evalo/Toxotes for the east side or the gorge.

Get around
You can reach all the interesting places by bus from Chrysoupolis, Keramoti or Toxotes, but with long foot walks from the bus stations. The most comfortable way to explore the area is by rental car, which can be rented directly at the airport. If you come by ferry boat from Thasos, you can also hire a car in Kavala (there are several suppliers between the port and the aqueduct) or even easier rent a car in Thasos and take the car ferry to Keramoti. Since the area is flat, you can also explore it by bike.

Buy
The best shopping is in Chrysoupolis. Several large supermarkets are located on the bypass, e.g. Lidl. In the city center you can find a rich selection of specialty shops. Smaller supermarkets and other daily necessities are also available in Keramoti. Nearly all smaller villages have bakeries and mini markets.

Eat
The largest selection of restaurants can be found in the tourist town of Keramoti. Chrysoupolis has a number of restaurants and fast food too. There is also at least one in each of the larger villages.

At the gorge:

At the lagoons:


 * In Agiasma there is a snack bar directly at the traffic light in the village center. Otherwise you can go in every village in a Kafeneio where you always can get small side dishes to the drinks (mese = tapas).

Drink
Every village has kafeneios (bars usually frequented by older men) and simple cafes. Chrysoupolis and Keramoti offer a wider rage of bars and nightlife, especially in the main tourist season.

Sleep
If you are mobile and do not want to stay in Chrysoupolis or Toxotes, Keramoti has a great selection of beach hotels that are much better.

Connect
All over the area you can have mobile internet and most cafes and restaurants offer free Wifi.

Safety

 * "Crime" is almost non-existent.
 * In the Nestos Delta you should bring enough mosquito repellent and suitable footwear.
 * In the Nestos Gorge, good footwear is required if you want to walk the path along the gorge. Here are also more snakes to be found than usual. The river is popular here for swimming. Although it is not deep, the current is quite strong and the water is very cold. Special attention must be paid to children.

Weblinks

 * Video Nestos
 * Video Rhodope Mountains & Nestos

Go next

 * Vistonida
 * Kavala
 * Thasos-Island
 * Pangaion Hills
 * Xanthi
 * Samothrace-island
 * Chalkidiki
 * Thessaloniki
 * Rhodope Mountains