For the contest about amazing nature, my choice was for a stunning place in Greece - lake Vouliagmeni.
My Greek friends helped me to discover this marvelous place for myself. I visited them in Athens, and once, when we were driving to their country house, they took a longer road to show me this unusual lake.
The name of the lake is Vouliagmeni (λίμνη Βουλιαγμένης in Greek) but people often call it just Limnie (λίμνη in Greek means Lake).
This very picturesque lake is located near the small town of Vouliagmeni. Which of them gave the other its name - unfortunately, I do not know. I can just guess that it was the lake.
It took us about an hour to drive there but it was not tiring. I enjoyed looking around, especially when we left Athens and were going along the sea.
We turned left to the parking place and left the car to look down through the wire fence. The view made me gasp, and I asked to drive down, closer to the lake.
The lake is located in Eastern Attica, near the sea, in the southern part of Imitos Mountain. That is why the water surface is higher than the sea level, but not much. Just about half a meter above the sea surface.
The lake area really is very beautiful, and much more impressive in the reality than in the photos taken by me with my telephone camera.
The company which now serves the lake calls it "a hidden treasure of Attica’s nature... in the heart of the Athenian Riviera,... a unique geological phenomenon... included in Greece’s national NATURA 2000 network and as a Site of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the Ministry of Culture" in their booklet.
***But why is it unique? ***
Its water is rich with minerals, such as potassium, sodium, lithium, ammonium, calcium, iron, chlorine and iodine and many others. (Source: the booklet about the lake). People come there to treat ilnesses and just to relax.
The lake is connected with the sea through a tunnel inside one of its underground caves, so it has a mix of fresh and sea water. Mineral and fresh water springs come from the bottom. Maybe, that is why the water temperature is 22 to 29°C.
After that trip, I was by the lake twice enjoying its water and the view. Unfortunately, most of the photos are of ME by the lake, so they cannot be put in this post 🙁.
When I was swimming exploring the sea, I often felt something travelling on my back - they were fish! Funny. I could see those fish by the banks. They were busy doing their job. I googled for their name - Garra rufa, very useful fish which live in the lake.
Unfortunately, you cannot swim in the lake for free now, the admission is quite high, but one of my friends, Nikos, remembers the time when the area was wild, and his family would come there and swim for free... Good times they were!
This is my entry to the Amazing Nature Contest hosted by 
Here is the link for those who want to participate:
@hive-127788/amazing-nature-contest-october-2020-03
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