Prespa Lakes

Prespa is two lakes at altitude, Great Prespa and the smaller, shallower Lesser Prespa, separated by a narrow strip of land and surrounded by mountains. The shallow lake and its reed beds hold one of the most important pelican breeding colonies anywhere, with Dalmatian and great white pelicans nesting on floating reed platforms, and the wet meadows around the edge are grazed and cut specifically to keep that habitat open. A long footbridge on floats crosses to the islet of Agios Achillios, where a few dozen people live among ruined churches. On the Great lake the village of Psarades is the base for boat trips along cliffs where painted hermitages are set into the rock above the water.

What you actually see

• The pelican colonies - reed-bed nesting sites on Lesser Prespa, watched from marked points.
• The floating footbridge to Agios Achillios - a long low crossing to an inhabited islet with ruined churches.
• Psarades boat trips - along the Great lake cliffs to painted rock hermitages above the water.
• The juniper slopes at Mikrolimni - old junipers and wet meadow edges managed for grazing.

When to go

April to early June is the strongest window: pelicans are on the nests, meadows are flowering and the air is clear. Autumn is quiet with good light and fewer visitors. Summer haze flattens the mountains and heat sits on the basin. Bring binoculars in any season, since the nesting areas are watched from a distance for good reason.

Honest expectations

It is a long drive from anywhere and the roads are slow. Birdwatching here rewards patience and optics; without binoculars the colonies are white smudges. Services are thin, with a handful of guesthouses and tavernas that close out of season. The footbridge is exposed and unpleasant in wind, and boat trips depend on the weather on the Great lake.

Nearby

Florina, the mountain villages of the Prespa basin and the Vitsi and Varnous slopes.