Author
George Papadellis | SG Head
Koutavos Lagoon is located to the east of the bay of Argostoli, southeast of the city, and begins at the point where the plain of Krania ends. It is the part of the bay of Argostoli that is separated from the rest by the Debossetos or Drapanos 750 meters long bridge (or De Bosset after the name of the builder of its early wooden version during the English occupation), which occludes the mouth of the lagoon, the pedestrian walkway that connects Argostoli with neighboring Drapanos.
Koutavos Lagoon | Photo by: Epapanas, Κούταβος 2412, CC BY-SA 4.0
It has an ellipsoid shape, a surface of 1300 acres, a depth (only for small boats) from 20 centimeters to 3 meters, and a maximum length of 6.5 kilometers. The lagoon probably got its name from the Greek word "kottavos" or the Italian word cutavo, both meaning "basin", and is a wetland with many species of birds and fish.
Koutavos Lagoon Argostoli Kefalonia | Photo by: Lydiamin453, Koutavos, CC BY-SA 4.0
The at least 70 species of birds that have been recorded in the area, including raptors, cormorants, ducks, swans, gulls, several rare and endangered species, and 7 species of bats, find refuge on the islet in the middle of the lagoon. The regular presence of the sea turtle Caretta caretta is also noteworthy.
Cygnuses in Koutavos Lagoon Kefalonia | Photo by: Lydiamin45, Βουβόκυκνος (Cygnus olor), CC BY-SA 4.0
The waters of the polgi of the Valsamas and the polgi of the Trojans end up in Koutavos, after they drain through the sinkholes of Argostoli, eventually feeding the aquifer of the Krania plain.
