A nature buff’s dream in Evros
In Greek mythology, Eurus, the son of King Haemus and Rhodope, was worshiped by the Thracians for his divine qualities. Today, his modern name, Evros, holds much more negative connotations.
Every young man entering military service trembles at the thought of being posted there and its river has become a notorious crossing and death trap for migrants and refugees. As a result of this tarnished reputation, the Evros River and its beautiful delta, like the northeastern border region of Thrace more generally, go largely overlooked as a nature tourism destination.
‘No matter what time of year you come, there are always all sorts of different birds in the wetland, be they permanent residents or passing through’
These thoughts ran through my head on my recent boat tour of the river as I witnessed the phantasmagoria of a big flock of flamingoes forming a fluttering pink “island” in the shallow waters. Then a low-flying gray heron caught my attention, followed by a white heron spreading its wings and a cormorant making an expert dive to catch a fish. But it was the kingfisher that took my breath away, a tiny bird with plumage so vivid we named the halcyon days after it.
“And just imagine that most of the migratory birds have already left for Africa at this time of year,” says our guide, Christos Paschalakis, who steers the boat with one hand while pointing out interesting sights with the other.
Paschalakis has been conducting these tours of the Evros River Delta National Park for the past three years and has seen an enthusiastic response from the hundreds of visitors the area receives each year. The overall tour lasts around three hours, with more than half of that being in the boat, exploring the delta’s channels.
Paschalakis’ obvious love for the area is contagious – and hardly surprising.
Under the leaden autumnal sky, the reeds and fishermen’s huts seem even more charming. “The ducks are slowly starting to arrive, but the great thing is that no matter what time of year you come, there are always all sorts of different birds in the wetland, be they permanent residents or passing through,” says the founder of the Delta Evros Explorer company. I ask him about the devastating forest fire this summer and how this affected the landscape. “Visitors used to come for the river and the forest. Now we only have the river. Thrace lost one of its two natural pillars,” he answers.
In the meantime, it is up to the local and regional authorities to do their part by making sure the area has the proper infrastructure to support more tourism. Even simple things like a public restroom and a cafe would help, not to mention better roads that don’t flood every time it rains.
