Lake Doxa

kordasspiros — Fri, 13 May 2022 12:19:48 +0000

Lake Doxa is an artificial lake at an altitude of 900 meters, which is located in the area of Feneos, Corinth, at the foot of mount Pentelia (Durduvanas) and Aroania (Helmos), the outflows of which form the lake. It is located near the settlements of Ancient Feneos and Panorama and is the result of the construction of the dam that was completed in the late 1990s. There are 3 routes to reach Lake Doxa and they are all very impressive. One is from the national road Corinth – Patras coming out at the exit of Kiato, the second from Derveni, and the third from Xylokastro.
Lake Doxa took its name from the small river of the same name that started in the area and ended near Mount Saita, south of the Feneos plateau. In ancient times it was called Aroanios and is also referred to as Anias.
In the center of the lake dominates the church of Agios Fanourios, also known as the old monastery, which was maintained thereafter the transfer of the Monastery of Agios Georgios, towards the end of the 17th century, to a higher point.
The perimeter of the lake reaches 3.8 km and the alternations in the landscape with the rocks, the wet meadows, and the reeds, make it unique. The area has been declared a NATURA area as it is rich in flora and fauna with rare species.
More specifically, a dense forest of Kefalonian spruce and black pines grows in the lake, which in many places is united with mixed forests of oaks, chestnuts, elms, logs, etc. In some parts of the coast, small meadows are created and large fluffy oaks, plane trees, willows, poplars, and maples rise, while small reeds grow around the lake.
Despite the high altitude, the avifauna of the area is rich and consists of many aquatic and coastal birds, such as gray egrets, white egrets, scuba divers, swans, green-headed ducks, etc. The predators that fly in the surrounding mountains and near the lake consist of golden eagles, hawks, peregrines, owls, etc. On the shores of the lake, we find Kingfishers, Cinderellas, and Yellowbirds. Small birds, such as hedgehogs, shrubs, partridges, nightingales, blackbirds, melodotsirovaks, forest rangers, tree trunks, woodpeckers, ash flycatchers, etc. find shelter in the trees of the area.
The amphibian fauna includes alpine newts, salamanders, toads, green toads, tree frogs, Balkan frogs, and gray frogs. The reptile fauna of the lake is also rich as it consists of Mediterranean turtles, curling turtles, Kefalonian coyotes, blinds, Greek lizards, tranosaurs, and wall lizards, Peloponnese lizards, crowned bears, laurel, sapwoods, nest, oak. The mammals that surround the area are foxes, weasels, ferrets, badgers, wild boars, hares, hedgehogs, moles, and many bats, while recently jackals and roe deer have returned to the surrounding area.
The limestone Pelasgus (Pelasgus stymphalicus) lives in the waters of the lake, while they have been enriched with carp (Cyprinus carpio). The bottom of the lake consists mainly of crayfish of the species Astacus fluviatilis and crabs of the Peloponnese (Potamon Pelops).

Lake Doxa is an ideal destination for day trips and holidays as there are many activities to do, such as horseback riding, cycling, swimming in the lake, etc. You can visit the local taverns to try the local recipes from fresh produce.

The post Lake Doxa appeared first on TravelGreece365.

Skra waterfalls

kordasspiros — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 10:14:16 +0000

Skra waterfalls are located on the northern border of the country and at a distance of only 4 km from the historic village of Skra and 85 km from Thessaloniki. The characteristic emerald waters of the lake in combination with the waterfalls, and the vegetation, create a magical landscape especially when the sunlight falls on it.
The waterfalls are formed by the dozens of streams of Mount Paiko that run together, ending at Lake Skra also known as the “Blue Lake”. It owes its color to the fossilized organisms that are at the bottom, while at the point where the waterfalls are located, the limestone dominates and the stream over the years has sculpted the stone, forming a wonderful landscape.
The area is particularly dense in vegetation consisting of plane trees, alders, beeches, oaks, walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, etc. Ivy, laurel, boxwood, climacteric, bearberry grow among many flowers from which stand out Digitalis Grandiflora, Campanula Versicolor, Aristolochia rotunda, Pulmonaria rubra, Coronilla varia, Geranium robertianum, and rubra C, longifolia, Epipactis helleborine, Limodorum Abortivum, and many more.
Another feature of the area is the bird fauna that includes many species of birds. From the predators stand out the wasps, the hawks, the hawks, the houchouristes, and the owls. The most characteristic birds that feed on microorganisms near the water are the waterfowl, the yellow squirrels, and the ash squirrels, while in the dense vegetation they find the protection, tree trunks, nightingales, red chewing gums, chewing gums, gnats, cockroaches, snails perforated fences, red necks, black hats, etc.
The reptile fauna of the area consists of salamanders, toads, yellow foxes, gray frogs, tree frogs, Balkan frogs, Mediterranean turtles, cognacs, green lizards, gnats, water snakes, shuttles, and vipers. Wolves, jackals, and roe deer live on the hills around the area. Near the Kotza-Dere stream, there are otters, while the fauna is supplemented by foxes, wild boars, badgers, ferrets, weasels, hares, hedgehogs, woodpeckers, and various bats.
There is open parking for the car and you continue on foot for about 300 meters, through a stone path with wide stairs and the beautiful wooden bridge to find the waterfalls of Skra.
The Skra area is also known for one of the most important battles fought during World War I. There is also a World War I Museum that is worth a visit if you are in the area.

The post Skra waterfalls appeared first on TravelGreece365.

lake Archives - TravelGreece365

Lake Doxa

Skra waterfalls