Pahia Ammos beach (Afratias)
The beach of Pachia Ammos in the position Afrathias (or Afratias) is formed between the airport of Tymbaki and the seaside settlement Kalamaki. Although it is actually the longest beach in Mesara, it is also the less busy.
Pachia Ammos has coarse sand, but almost along its entire length the seabed is very rocky which, combined with the frequent westerly winds, makes it hard to swim. In some places, small natural pools are formed between the rocks and the coast.
The area of Afratias is completely flat, as it was a large wetland. It was a united complex of swamps at the mouth of the river Geropotamos that extended to the north as far as Kataliki in Kokkinos Pyrgos. Unfortunately due to human intervention and the construction of the airport today the Geropotamos estuary has been fragmented into smaller wetlands. The wider coastline is one of the most important breeding grounds for the loggerhead sea turtle in Greece.
Today in Afrathias, you can find houses and tourist accommodation in the areas of the former wetland. A few meters from the coast there is also a beautiful park with many trees and palm trees, the Wood of Afrathias, housing the church of Saint John. On the beach, there are basic amenities, such as showers and umbrellas.
Asphalt road reaches Afrathias from the road that connects Tymbaki with Kamilari. There is also a coastal dirt track that connects Kalamaki with Afrathias and passes over impressive rock formations.
