Every corner of Greece can boast a plethora of myths, legends, and traditions from antiquity till the present. One such place is the mythical and beautiful lake where Hercules is believed to have fought and slain the man-eating Stymphalides Birds, with beaks made of bronze and sharp metallic feathers they could launch at their victims.

Hercules did this feat at Lake Stymphalia, his sixth Labour. An incredibly beautiful and mystical place that even today makes you feel that the myth is unfolding right before your eyes. Lake Stymphalia in mountainous Corinth is the place where Hercules carried out his sixth labour for Eurystheus.

These birds were pets of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt; or had been brought up by Ares, the god of war. They migrated to a marsh in Arcadia to escape a pack of wolves. There they bred quickly and swarmed over the countryside, destroying crops, fruit trees, and townspeople.

The lake is located at an altitude of about 600 meters, on a plateau that can explain why this place was chosen for the 6th labour of Hercules to take place. The legend says that the mighty Hercules managed to entice the birds out of the dense vegetation of the lake, thanks to the copper rattlers given to him by the goddess Athena. The demi-god son of Zeus then picked the voracious birds off with his arrows as they would appear.

This swampy lake is located in mountainous Corinth between the mountains Kyllini and Oligyrtos. It has most of its water, like most lakes during the winter while its depth is about 2 metres in spring and only half a meter in autumn. From above, of course, it is something that you can not easily distinguish unless you notice the trees that are inside it. It is home to various fish species the most famous being the Phoxinellus stymfalicious which is endemic. Amazingly, this fish can survive even when the lake dries up in the thick layers of mud.

In addition to fish, migratory birds also find refuge in Lake Stymphalia and for many of them, the lake is a breeding ground.

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