Tourlida is the largest (and only inhabited) island in the lagoon. It is named after the Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata), a large wader known as “tourlida” among the locals. There are only a handful of permanent residents here, engaged in fishing or the gathering of salt from the salt pit. The houses in Tourlida are raised on piles as a protection against flooding. They are called “pelades” and were traditionally built with wood, reeds, and waterproof grass. They were used by fishermen as residences or workshops, but urban families from Missolonghi would also spend their summers in a pelada. The fishing boats with the flat bottom and the sharp bow are called priaria; they are found in shallow waters all over western Greece.