Agios Panteleimonas

Agios Panteleimonas (Greek, modern: Άγιος Παντελέιμωνας, ancient: Άγιος Παντελέιμων), also Lechaina or Lechena Beach (Greek: Παραλία Λεχαινων) is a small settlement in the northwestern part of Lechaina. Its population is about seventy and was 63 in the 2001 census and it was ranked 9th out of tenth as a place. The sects include Kotineika, Koloveika and Veskoukeika. There are two churches, Agios Panteleimonas and Agios Athanasios. Small swamp areas cover a small portion of the east. The community is irrigated, one of them named Melissos. Much of the houses on Lechaina's north side is close to the forest.

Nearest places

*Katarrakti
*Lechaina, southeast
*Veskoukeika ("settlement without office"), southeast
*Myrsini Beach, west

Data

*Location:
**Latitude: 37.95 (37° 57') N
**Longitude: 21.275 (21° 15') E
*Postal code: 270 53
*Elevation: lowest; sea level
highest: 3 m
*Dialing code: +11+30-26230 (030-26230)

History, Geography and Information

The settlement was founded only in the 1930s. Damages to the houses in the area were nearly nonexistent after World War II and the Greek Civil War, many of the older architecture were rebuilt with modern homes, several were abandoned after several inhabitants left. The community a lot of small summer homes and a restaurant, also known to some tourists though tourism is almost not common as there are other beaches nearby, its nearby beaches are Myrsini 3 km to the west and Katarrakti about 3 to 4 km to the northeast. It even has an abandoned soccer field, and two pristine restaurants, one in the central part. Camp Lechaina spelt Lehena before the 1990s was a big campsite for Northern Ilia. Shut down in the late 1990s because another campsite on Myrsini Beach was open for business. It was later reported fire during the late-afternoon of July 2001. Not far from the camp are fertile flat uninhabited plains with farmlands that stretch from outside the municipal boundaries ending up near thalassa 'the sea' with coastline. The size is about ten km². A creek filled with littered things named Andravida flows in the middle. Peneus River used to flow on what is now Andravida creek in ancient times and was a swamp or grasslands region. Some torrential weather or a drought changed the course of the river to the Palaiochori. The swamp/grassland? was drained to make room for farmland after the founding. Today only marshes are left next of Aghios Panteleimonos beach marking the original swampy wetlands, which used to cover 100 m. by 1 km. 8 to 10 km² before drainage somewhere in the late 2nd millennium. The water emptying into the sea is somewhere between 100s of m³ to none during the summer weather. Andravida's output during summer months is nearly 6 to 12 m³ every flow, hundreds to thousands every day. It has a few streets including an earthened narrow 300 m long road with a name. Lechaina had announced a yacht to be located in the northern portion in August 2004. The construction was delayed for several years, the location will be in the eastern portion with a new entry by road, the construction would displace and move the population around the area or outside the area, the yacht will feature tens of boats.

Economy

Its main production are fruits, vegetables, olives and cattle.

Other

Its nearest school is by Papagou (which links with a remote area along with Myrsini - Myrsini Beach Road) and Messologiou Streets (a poor road linking with Myrsini Road) as well as Lechaina - Lechaina Beach Road, before 2002, its nearest school was around the area. Its nearest gymnasium ("secondary school") is north of the centre of Lechaina, its nearest banks and shops are in Lechaina. Agios Panteleimonas/Lechaina Beach has no square.

External links

* [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=4533 GTP - Agios Panteleimonas]
*Map and aerial photos:
**Street map information from: [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=37.95&longitude=21.275&zoom=6 Mapquest] , [http://local.live.com/map.aspx?&lats1=37.95&longs=21.275&alts1=35 LiveLocal] or [http://maps.google.com/maps?||=37.95,21.275 Google] or [http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?lat=37.95&lon=21.275&=2 Yahoo! Maps]
**Satellite
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.95,21.275&spn=0.11,0.18&t=k Google] or [http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?cp=37.95|21.275&5style=h&lvl=15&v=1 Microsoft Virtual Earth] - image now available
*Coordinates: coord|38|57|0|N|21|16|32|E|type:city(63)_region:GR

ee also

*List of places in the Ilia prefecture