Birdwatching in the wetlands of Northern Greece

Private eco-tour in the Vistonida & Ismarida lakes

Vistonida Lake is a complex of lagoons which belongs to the wetland of International Importance of the Ramsar Convention. Along with the Nestos river delta which stretches to the west, lakes Vistonida and Ismarida compose the Natural park of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. This unique ecosystem is ideal for bird-watching in Northern Greece. 

The wetland Vistonida – Porto Lagos is as variform as few others. The northern and southern shores of the lake are lined with reedy areas and tamarisk shrubs and with periodically flooded marshes of saline and fresh water. 21 to 37 species of fish, depending on the season, that have been recorded in the lake attract about 300 bird species such as the Little Egret, the Flamingo, the Pelican, the Great White Egret and some of which are extremely rare as the White Headed Duck , the Pygmy Cormorant and the Lesser White Fronted Goose .

Our guides will pick you up from our hotel early in the morning and begin the bird-watching tour alongside Kosinthos River till its estuary at Vistonida Lake and set up our first bird watching point. We will continue the tour along the west side of the lake through reeds, tamarisks and salt meadows and reach the National Park Information Center at Porto Lagos. Afterwards we head to the second bird watching point at the center of the lake near Ag. Nikolaos church. Then we follow the road to Fanari and stop sequentially at Xsirolimni, Aliki, Ptelea lagoons and arrive in the afternoon at Ismarida Lake which is our last bird watching point. After the sunset we start our journey back to Xanthi or elsewhere around in Northern Greece having the option to stop for dinner at one of Porto Lagos’ fish taverns.

How to book

This full day tour is ideal for families with children of all ages and it operates throughout the year depending on weather conditions.

This tour cannot be booked independently, but as part of a multi-day tailormade trip in northern Greece. Please contact your MAMAKITA family travel specialist to tailor your trip to your family needs, budget and age of kids by filling in this form. We strongly advise you to make your request at least one month before the starting date of your trip, and ideally 3 months in advance, if your travel dates include July and August, the peak months for family vacations in Greece.