Cyprus Lakes

Due to the dry Mediterranean climate, there are only 5 natural lakes that are salty and semi-salty in Cyprus. These are the following :

• Athalassa Lake
• Larnaca Salt Lake
• Limassol Salt Lake
• Oroklini Lake
• Paralimni Lake

All the other water systems have been created by man, such as the result of the construction of dams into rivers or the creation of storage units.

All the lakes in Cyprus can be characterised as dynamic systems. The natural salty and semi-salty lakes dry up quite often by not every year. 

Both types include species that are typical for these conditions. The quality of the water in the man-made reservoirs and the storage units depends on the rainfall and the use. The man-made reservoirs fill up from water which also comes from the rivers.

During the winter they fill up but during the summer when the water is used more the water is relegated. Therefore the amount of water and the size of these lakes changes accordingly. 

As all the reservoirs and the storage areas are made with the aim of supply drinking water and water for irrigation all the lakes will dry up which is what happens all the time.