Doxa Lake (Corinthia)

Lake Kerkini (Serres)

Lake Plastira (Karditsa)

Vouraikos Springs (Peloponnese)

Inland Greece is hearty: trout from the lakes, mountain cheeses, and the dishes of Thessaly and the Peloponnese. The Riviera adds seafood, while the villages serve pies, legumes and grilled meat. Across Inland Freshwater Sites, the table leans on olive oil, lemon, herbs and the day's catch, with grilled fish, horiatiki salad and slow-cooked stews appearing everywhere. Mezedes — small shared plates — are the social heart of an evening, best washed down with a chilled local white or ouzo. Vegetarians are well served by dishes built on wild greens, pulses and cheese, and bakeries turn out savoury pies through the day.

Plastira Lake Hotel

Kerkini Lake Hotel

Doxa Lake Resort

Kalavryta Hotel

Divani Apollon Palace

Greece’s inland freshwater dive sites are a special chapter for divers who want altitude lakes, submerged forests and even ruins. Lake Plastira in Karditsa is a high-altitude reservoir with a submerged forest and trout, a training and altitude dive. Lake Kerkini in Serres is a shallow wetland, mostly snorkelling with some scuba training and abundant birdlife. Doxa Lake in Corinthia hides the underwater ruins of an old church and village, a haunting altitude dive. The Vouraikos Springs in the Peloponnese are crystal-clear freshwater aquifers for technical cavern diving, and Vouliagmeni Lake on the Athens Riviera (also listed under the Saronic) is a mineral thermal lake. These sites suit divers with the right training and a taste for something different from the sea.

Inland Freshwater Sites

Drive from Athens or Thessaloniki: Lake Plastira and Kerkini are in Thessaly/Macedonia, Doxa is in Corinthia, Vouraikos is in the Peloponnese, and Vouliagmeni is on the Athens Riviera. A rental car is essential; only Vouliagmeni is guided year-round.

Dive Sites in Inland Freshwater Sites

Doxa Lake (Corinthia)

Lake Kerkini (Serres)

Lake Plastira (Karditsa)

Vouraikos Springs (Peloponnese)