Traditional Settlement of Castle- Gennas Lake (Birth lake)

The Castle is the oldest settlement on the island an is located 12klm. northeast of Limenaria and at 500m altitude. The name was taken from the ruins of the castle there, the wall of which was built in 1403. Since 1905 it started to be deserted, when the inhabitants were transferred to coastal villages. In recent years the houses were repaired by their owners and are used as holiday homes. In the village there is the church of Agios Athanasios which was built in 1804, in 40 days, with the permission of the Sultan. The church operates on the last Saturday of each month and is celebrated on January 18 where there is a feast. It is worth mentioning that the Castle was declared a historical monument by decree of 1880. The road to the castle is earthen and it’s suggested to go with a four-wheel drive or other tall vehicle. A few kilometers north of the Maries and continuing towards the mountain, you can find the only artificial lake on the island with the small waterfall, The lake of Birth, which has evolved into an interesting biotope.