Evrotas Delta

This delta is found in the area between the central Mani peninsula and the to one to its east, much visited for its historic site of Monemvasia.

A designated European Natura 2000 site, it is the largest remaining wetland in the southern Peloponnese, which has been much reduced in size and fragmented by the ususual culprit of draining for cultivation and building, but still an important site for migratory birds, for breeding loggerhead turtles, and for many wetland animals and plants. It covers an area of about 7410 acres (3000 hectares) and is comprised of reedbeds, saltmarshes, sand dunes, seasonal and permanent lagoons, ditches, and garrigue.

South of Skala on the Leimonas road there's an excellent information center, with roads heading south from there among the good access roads to the site. A major effort is made to protect the loggerhead turtles, which tend to hide themselves in inaccessible places along the bay. Green turtles are often seen here offshore, along with porpoises and dolphins.

Some 210 species of birds have been recorded here including waders, birds of prey (the Imperial and spotted eagles among them), herons, little bitterns and many others. There are also breeding birds. In spring, there are many flowers on the dunes and beaches, including Leimonas beach dunes and Trinisia beach, and also in the garrigue around the delta, with many orchids, and several kinds of cistus. Mammals include some jackals, badgers, foxes, beech martens, and others; terrapins and water snakes are numerous in the rivers;dragonflies are found throughout the area.