Our story
About us
A family business in Kerkini village — and the decision to make the lake reachable for people who until then could only see it from the shore.
The person behind the boat
Spyros Sfetkos
Born in Serres and raised in Kerkini. For him the village and the lake are not a destination; they are where he learned to swim, to recognise birds by their call, and to tell from the wind whether the boat should go out.
He spent years watching visitors arrive at Kerkini from across Europe — photographers, families, ornithologists — and leave enchanted. But he saw something else too: people who got as far as the jetty and stopped there.
A wheelchair did not fit in the traditional boats. At best someone would offer to lift you — and for many people that is not a solution, it is a humiliation.
“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
The decision
So that nobody has to ask a favour
The 35-seat boat is not a conversion. It was designed from the start with a flat deck, a wide boarding opening and room for 8 to 10 wheelchairs together with their companions.
Then came the second half: commentary in Greek Sign Language, so the guiding reaches deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors too — because accessibility is not only about ramps.
It is the first boat with these features on Lake Kerkini. It is not marketed as “special”: it is simply the boat, and everyone fits on it.
What we do
Three things, one responsibility
We are not an agency. We are a family business covering what a visitor to Kerkini needs — and the same person always answers.
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Kerkini Boat — the trip
The accessible 35-seat boat and guided commentary on the lake, in Greek, English and Greek Sign Language. See more.
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Kerkini’s Harmony House — the stay
A self-contained apartment in Kerkini village, for visitors who want to be near the lake and out at first light. See the apartment.
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Kerkini Cars — getting around
Car rental delivered to your accommodation, to Serres or to Thessaloniki airport. See the terms.
How we work
Four things that do not change
Nobody is left on the jetty
Accessibility is not an extra service we offer. It is the reason this boat exists.
The lake comes first
We do not approach nests, we do not feed birds, and we do not chase the “right” shot at the animals’ expense. Kerkini is a National Park.
A person answers
On the phone you get Spyros, not a call centre. Ask whatever you need, in as much detail as you need.
We tell you straight
If the apartment will not suit you, we will say so. If the day is wrong for a boat trip, we will suggest another. We would rather have a happy visitor than a booking.
Let's talk
Come and say hello
Tell us what interests you — the boat, the apartment, the car, or all three — and we will put it together with you.