The experience
Boat trips on the lake
An hour or more on still water, among pelicans, herons and water buffalo. The boat takes wheelchairs aboard with no transfer out of the chair.
See the boat trip
Lake Kerkini National Park · Serres, Greece
Lake Kerkini,
open to everyone
A modern 35-seat boat built to take 8 to 10 wheelchairs on board together with their companions — and commentary in Greek Sign Language. The first of its kind on the lake.
- Seats
- 35
- Wheelchairs
- 8–10
- Bird species
- 300+
- Commentary
- Sign language
Welcome to Kerkini
Three services. One host.
Spyros Sfetkos was born in Serres and grew up in Kerkini. He looks after everything you need to get to know the lake at your own pace: the boat trip, your bed and your wheels.
Kerkini’s Harmony House
A place to stay
A quiet, fully equipped apartment in the village, minutes from the shore. Stone, timber and a garden — for sleep interrupted only by birds.
See the apartment
Kerkini Cars
Car rental
Clean, modern cars delivered to your accommodation, to Thessaloniki airport or to Serres. No hidden charges.
See the terms
Accessibility · A first for Lake Kerkini
A boat that leaves nobody on the jetty
For years, a boat trip on Kerkini was an experience for some people and not others — not because anyone wanted it that way, but because no boat had been built for it. Ours changed that.
The 35-seat vessel was designed from scratch around access: a flat deck, a wide boarding opening and clear space for 8 to 10 wheelchairs together with their companions. You stay in your own chair for the whole trip. No transfer, no waiting, no explaining yourself.
Board in your chair
A wide ramp onto a flat deck. You never need to leave your wheelchair, either boarding or on the water.
Greek Sign Language
Arranged when you book, the commentary on the lake and its birds is given in Greek Sign Language.
Safety first
A wheelchair securing system, life jackets in every size, and crew trained to assist passengers with disabilities.
Schools & associations
Private departures for school trips, disability associations and rehabilitation centres, with time that is never rushed.
The wetland
One of Europe’s most important wetlands
Kerkini is not simply a pretty lake. It is a Ramsar wetland of international importance, part of the Natura 2000 network, and the heart of a National Park.
More than 300 bird species have been recorded here, and the lake is the single most important wintering ground for the Dalmatian pelican anywhere in Europe. In the shallows, some 2,000 water buffalo — around 80% of the Greek population — graze much as they did a century ago.
300+
bird species recorded
2000
water buffalo in the area
1932
the year the lake was born
Ramsar
wetland of international importance
Kerkini’s Harmony House
Stay where the noise stops
A self-contained, fully equipped apartment in Kerkini village: stone walls, warm textiles, a proper kitchen and a veranda over the garden. Everything you need to start your day early, with the birds.
- Full kitchen & coffee corner
- Air conditioning & heating
- Private garden & veranda
- Free parking
“I grew up beside this lake. I have watched it change colour a thousand times. It never seemed right that some people could only see it from the shore — so we built a boat that takes them along.”
Spyros Sfetkos — owner, Kerkini
Kerkini Cars
The lake is big. Take your time.
The wetland stretches for tens of kilometres and the best vantage points shift with the season. With your own car you can reach Mandraki, Lithotopos or the mountain villages of Belles whenever you like.
- Delivered to your accommodation
- Thessaloniki airport pickup
- Fully insured
- No hidden charges
Frequently asked
What visitors ask us
Yes. The 35-seat boat was built to allow boarding in the wheelchair itself, with no transfer into another seat. It takes 8 to 10 wheelchairs at a time together with their companions. It is the first boat on Lake Kerkini with these features.
Yes. Commentary during the trip can be given in Greek Sign Language. Ask for it when you book so we can arrange it.
The standard route takes about 60 to 90 minutes. For birdwatching groups and photographers we run longer trips, early in the morning or towards sunset.
Dalmatian and great white pelicans, herons, cormorants and dozens more of the 300+ bird species recorded in the wetland, along with the water buffalo grazing in the shallows. Mount Belles rises behind it all.
Bookings
Tell us when you would like to be on the water
Spyros answers the phone himself. Tell us how many of you there are, whether anyone is travelling with a wheelchair, and whether you need sign language — we will sort out the rest.