Lake Agia in the west of Chania is one of the two fresh water lakes in Crete (the other one being the better known tourist attraction Lake Kournas). Lake Agia or Lake Agias is man made, so an artificial lake, and it is considered a water reservoir.
Lake Agia can be reached by taking the exit to Omalos on the Chania - Kissamos road. The lake is a peaceful place with special flowers and birds and a small church on its shores. In my opinion it is better than Lake Kournas because maybe it is not as picturesque as Kournas but it is peaceful and it is not as commercial as this other sweet water lake. Lake Kournas is more like a tourist attraction and quite spectacular, but to Agias Lake you come to make a quiet walk and enjoy the nature and the birds.
At Lake Kournas you can rent a pedal boat or a kano, and there are parasols and sunbeds for rent. At Lake Agia the birds are more or less left undisturbed. On two sides of the lake there is a taverna where you can have a drink or something to eat and that is it: no souvenir shops, hotels and houses. If you want to have some rest and sit down to watch the birds and the nature there are wooden benches along the paths.
The lake that was once built for irrigation and water supply purposes has resulted in a small eco system and nowadays Lake Agia attracts all kinds of migrating water birds, but there are also turtles in its waters. The shores of the lake are surrounded by reed beds and trees and you can walk around a part of it (not all) also because of a new bridge. The area around Lake Agia is fertile and you can find many orange tree groves here. The only reminder of the turbulent past of Lake Agia is the prison on the main road. During the German occupation the area was known as Prison Valley and it was one of the main landing areas for German paratroopers during their first attack on Chania.
