Gerolimni lake, lush natural wonder in the Cyclades with running waters

The Cyclades, the consistently popular group of Greek islands with a distinctive international profile, are best-known for their arid landscapes, sharply contrasting whitewashed houses, and the surrounding Aegean Sea’s endless blue.

Andros, the northernmost island of the Cyclades archipelago, is an exception. The island features mountains, running waters, as well as superb nature, accentuated by the large size of the island.

The island’s landscape features spots of exquisite beauty. They are generally hard to get to and, as a result, have remained largely unknown.

Gerolimni lake, tucked away at Andros’ mountain range, is one of the island’s hidden gems. Visitors who have managed to reach this detached spot typically find it to be an unforgettable experience. Making it to this lush natural wonder of the Cyclades, featuring a waterfall, definitely rewards the effort needed.

Ahlas river and Gerolimni lake

The Ahlas river is one of Andros’ three big rivers. It continues to flow even during the hot, rainless summer days. Its source is situated at the slopes of the Kouvaras and Zenio mountains. The river mouth is 8 km further ahead at Ahlas, on the easternmost point of the island, hosting a lovely beach.

Gerolimni lake is fed and shaped by the abundant waters of the Ahlas river, flowing in from the outskirts of Vourkoti, Andros’ most elevated village, at an altitude of 620 metres on the slopes of Mount Petalo. Flowing between rocks in the region, the river reaches two impressive slabs, creating a waterfall, which, in turn, forms a lovely lake amid a lush natural setting. Wild flowers blossom here in spring.

Gerolimni lake’s water level remains high in summer. Keep in mind, the water here is particularly cold. It is colder than the mountain waters found at some of the country’s other river locations popular is summer, such as Zagori in northwestern Greece’s Epirus region. The spot also has a rope hanging from a plank of wood, offering an alternative form of entry into the crystal-clear water. Visitors who decide not to dip into these chilly waters will still benefit from the pleasant coolness offered by the locale, even during hot days in July and August.

On the way to Gerolimni lake, you will encounter the impressive Ahlas bridge, majestically stretched over the surrounding nature. Its arch is approximately 6.5 metres wide with a thickness of 2.5 metres. Though the bridge’s bulky parapet walls strongly resemble those of some very old bridges on Andros, this project is believed to have been developed by builders from elsewhere during medieval times.

According to one rather solid theory, the bridge may have been built around 1400, when Andros was an independent Venetian state, under Pietro Andrea Zen. Little other information exists on the bridge, deemed as a work of architectural perfection.

Its builder obviously possessed great expertise as the construction was designed to withstand forceful winter streams. Extensive maintenance work appears to have been performed on the bridge during the period of Ottoman rule.