Nestos

Discover Nestos

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. 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.