Agia

The village of Agia is located 9 km west of Chania and it’s adjacent to the homonymous artificial lake of freshwater, of 450 acres, which communicates in the south with the valley south of Fasa.

Agia receives water from the underground springs and the river Xekolomeno. It used to be a marsh before the PPC converted it into lake for hydroelectric energy production purposes. The factory is no longer working, but the visitors can see the old facilities.

The lake at Agia hosts a large variety of species of the flora and fauna of Crete. It constitutes a refuge for many migratory birds. The ecological importance of this wetland is reflected through the international treaties that protect it.

The village of Agia has approximately 350 permanent residents. Until 2010 it belonged to Therisos and constituted a community. Today, it belongs to the municipality of Chania, due to the Kallikratis system that the entire country implemented and it is situated in a rural area of Crete, adjacent to the villages of Therisos and Varipetro.