Winter
Pelican season. Thousands of birds winter on the lake. Mornings are for the water or for a ride through the snowy woods, evenings for the fire. Winter at Kerkini is not the off season; it is the best one.
Lake Kerkini,with horsesfor neighbours
A guesthouse and horse farm in Koryfoudi since 1999: stone rooms with fireplaces, homemade breakfast served in your room, and rides along the shore, through the woods and up into the oak forests of Mt Krousia.
Follow the tracksIchnilatis in brief
Ichnilatis began in 1999 with one man's love of horses. Today it is a farm of some thirty horses and foals, and a stone-and-timber guesthouse on the shores of Lake Kerkini.
Thodoris Alatzidis grew up listening to his grandparents talk about horses, and his own bond with them began when he was about five. That bond became Ichnilatis: a place where horses are not an attraction but part of everyday life.
You stay in stone rooms under timber ceilings, most with a fireplace and a kitchenette. In the morning a homemade breakfast of local produce is brought to your room. In the courtyard, the wood-fired oven and the barbecue are waiting.
- the year the farm began
- 1999
- horses and foals, roughly
- 30
- bird species recorded on the lake
- 300+
- kilometres from Thessaloniki
- 100
Stone, timber and a fire in the hearth
Five kinds of room, from a double for two to a two-room apartment for the whole family. Open all year.
Superior Studio
Stone walls, a bedroom up in the loft and a wood-burning fireplace in the living room.
Mini Superior Studio
Small and snug: a loft up a wooden ladder, a stone wall and a desk for those who need to work.
Standard Double
A double bed, a stone wall with a lit niche, a kitchenette and your own shower room.
Family Two-Room Apartment
Two rooms, a sofa bed, a kitchenette and a fire for cold nights. Room for the whole family.
The Wagons
Timber double rooms on a raised deck within the estate. Our most unusual place to sleep.
Not sure which suits you? Tell us how many you are and we will suggest one.
All roomsFour ways to know the lake
Riding is the heart of Ichnilatis. Boat trips, archery and bikes complete the picture, all arranged by us.
- Horse riding Three routes on our own horses: along the shore, through the woods and into the oak forests of Mt Krousia. 50 min – 2 h
- Boat trips An hour on the water with a local skipper, among pelicans, cormorants and herons. 1 hour
- Archery Twenty minutes with an instructor, a bow in your hands and Mt Beles behind the target. 20 minutes
- Cycling Rent a bike for two hours: quiet lakeside lanes or climbs into the hills. 2 hours
A lake made in 1932 that became a refuge for 300 kinds of bird
Lake Kerkini was created in 1932 by a dam on the Strymonas river. Today it is a National Park, a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention and, together with Porto Lagos, Europe's most important wintering area for the Dalmatian pelican.
Greece's largest population of water buffalo lives along its shores, and Mt Beles rises behind it on the border with Bulgaria.
A guide to the lake- a dam on the Strymonas creates the lake
- 1932
- bird species observed
- 300+
- the year it became a National Park
- 2006
- water buffalo, Greece's largest herd
- ~4,000
The lake through four seasons
Spring
The colonies in the riparian forest fill with nests, the meadows turn green and the blossom is mirrored in the water. A good time for the long rides into the oak forests of Mt Krousia.
Summer
The days lengthen and the horses wade into the shallows. Go out early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the light lies low across the lake, and end the day with a barbecue in the courtyard.
Autumn
Mist over the water, gold in the woods and quiet trails. Migrating birds pass through the lake, and the evenings call for the fire again.
One horseman, thirty horses, one lake
In 1999 Thodoris set up the farm in Koryfoudi. In 2001 the first guests rode along the shores of Kerkini. Then came the first boat, and after it the stone studios with their fireplaces.
Ichnilatis is still a small, family-run place. We know our horses by name, and we will tell you where to go to see the lake the way we see it.
Read our story
Getting here
Ichnilatis is in Koryfoudi, beside Lake Kerkini. From Thessaloniki, take the national road towards Serres. At kilometre 67, at the Strymoniko junction, take the second exit on the right towards Irakleia.
- Thessaloniki100 km
- Serres50 km
- Athens597 km
Frequently asked questions
Where is Ichnilatis and how far is it from Thessaloniki?
In Koryfoudi, beside Lake Kerkini in the Serres region of northern Greece. It is about 100 km from Thessaloniki (roughly an hour and a half by car), 50 km from Serres and 597 km from Athens.
Do you have your own horses? Can beginners ride?
Yes. Ichnilatis began in 1999 as a horse farm and today keeps about 30 horses and foals. Rides suit every level, complete beginners included, and an experienced local guide always goes with you. There are three routes: 50 minutes, 1 hour 20 minutes and 2 hours.
Are you open in winter?
Yes, all year round. Winter is Dalmatian pelican season at Kerkini, and most of our rooms have a fireplace or wood stove as well as independent heating.
When is the best time to see pelicans?
Lake Kerkini and Porto Lagos together form the most important wintering area in Europe for the Dalmatian pelican, so winter is the classic season. In spring the colonies are nesting. These are wild birds, so every sighting depends on the season and the water level.
What is breakfast like?
Every morning we bring a homemade, traditional breakfast with local produce to your room. If you have dietary needs, tell us when you book.
Is Ichnilatis suitable for families with children?
Yes. Some of our rooms sleep families of up to five, such as the Two-Room Family Apartment with its sofa bed and kitchenette, and a cot is available on request. Tell us the children's ages and we will suggest the right room and riding route.
How do I book?
Call +30 2327 041 000 or e-mail info@ichnilatis.gr. Give us your dates, the number of guests (and children's ages), the room and the activities you would like, and we will reply with availability and a price.
How does arrival work?
Ichnilatis is a small, family-run guesthouse. Please call us shortly before you arrive so that we are there to welcome you and show you to your room.
What else is there to do at Lake Kerkini?
Besides riding, we arrange one-hour boat trips for birdwatching, 20-minute archery sessions with an instructor and bike rental for two-hour rides around the lake. The Kerkini Wetland Information Centre in Kerkini village is worth a visit too.
The lake is waiting. So are the horses.
Tell us your dates and how many you are. We will suggest the right room and the activities that suit the season.