Bramianos Dam

The artificial lake of Bramiana was built in 1986 near village Bramiana to meet the 30.000 of the greenhouses around Ierapetra. It is located 5km northwest of the town, in the road connecting Ierapetra with Kalamafka village. The lake covers an area of 1050 acres and has a capacity of 15 million m3, making it the second largest wetland of southern Greece, after Potami Dam at Amari. The best period to visit is in early spring, when water level is at its peak, while during some summers, one can see the chuch of Prophet Elijah appearing from the bottom of the lake.

The water is supplied mainly from sources in Kefalovrysi by Kalamafka, Krygios River that comes from Selakano Wood and Males area, from the springs of Malavra and from the springs of Korakas Gorge near Meseleri. This artificial lake, in the middle of an arid area, has become an important wetland and a resting point for migratory birds. Today, it attracts the largest populations of waterfowl in Crete. According to the Natural History Museum of Crete, over 218 different bird species have been recorded in the region (till 2010). All these reasons have contributed to the characterization of Bramiana as a protected reserve.