Description of the attraction
Lake Voulismeni is a freshwater lake in the town of Agios Nikolaos. It is one of the two freshwater lakes of Crete. Lake Voulismeni is located in the city center and is a famous local landmark. The inhabitants of the city call it simply "the lake". It has the shape of a circle with a diameter of 137 m and a depth of 64 m. Lake Voulismeni is connected to the sea by a channel that was dug in 1867-1870. After that, the surface waters became salty, but at a depth below 30 m, the lake remains freshwater. Today the city port is located along the canal.
The lake has always been shrouded in legends. For a long time, local residents thought that the lake was bottomless. This place was considered inhabited by evil spirits, which caused the emergence of various superstitions. This myth was dispelled in 1853 when British Admiral Spratt measured the depth at the center of the lake to be 210 feet (64 m). Also, according to legend, the goddesses Athena and Artemis bathed in this lake.
The lake has distinctive vertical walls that resemble a volcanic crater. Therefore, for some time it was believed that the lake was formed on the site of a sunken volcano. To date, there is no evidence of this. In 1956, during the eruption of the Santorini volcano, the water overflowed the shores of the lake, which suggested that there was some kind of geological fault connecting Voulismeni and Santorini. This assumption also has not yet received evidence.
At the end of World War II, when the German army left the island, the locals flooded all weapons and armored vehicles in the lake as a symbol of liberation from the invaders.
The famous explorer of the depths of the sea, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, came to the city of Agios Nikolaos specifically to study the lake.
Every year on the eve of Easter, most of the city's population gathers at midnight near Lake Voulismeni and organize grand celebrations with fireworks.
The western part of the lake is surrounded by rocks, and its eastern side is occupied by numerous restaurants and cafes, which offer beautiful panoramic views. Lake Voulismeni is the focus of the city's evening life.
