landscape Archives - TravelGreece365

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.

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Cave of Melissani

kordasspiros — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 13:31:31 +0000

The cave of Melissani is located in Karavomylos, 2 km northwest of Sami, and is one of the most famous sights of Cephalonia, both for its beauty and for its history. It was discovered by Giannis Petrochilos in 1951 and has two entrances. One is the natural vertical entrance of the cave and was created by the fall of a large part of the roof. The second is the artificial entrance with stairs that allows the visit to the cave.

The lake is located 20 meters below the ground, with a length of about 160 m and the water has a depth of 10 m to 40 meters depending on the prevailing conditions. The tour of the cave of Melissani is done by boat and starts from the uncovered part of the cave, where the light falls into the water and creates beautiful turquoise shades that enchant my visitors. Continuing in the covered part of the cave, visitors can see the 20,000-year-old stalactites with strange shapes that adorn most of it.

The Cave of Melissani is associated with two myths. A legend wants Melissanthi to commit suicide in the lake out of grief because Pan did not respond to her love. Another legend wants the shepherdess Melissanthi, who lost a sheep and as she was trying to find it, she stumbled and fell into the lake. In the center of the lake is an island, where archaeologist S. Marinatos discovered findings that certify the worship of the cave to the god Pan and the Nymphs. That is why you call it the Cave of the Nymphs. These finds are a clay figurine of the god Pan, a clay disk depicting nymphs dancing, a clay plate with a procession of nymphs, and a small tile with a relief female figure. The findings are today in the Archaeological Museum of Argostoli.

In this lagoon cave, we meet another rare phenomenon. The water that penetrates the limestone rocks, erodes them and creates pits through a process called karstification. In 1963 it was found that the lagoon cave communicates with the entire karst network of the island and was even confirmed by control with colored water that flowed from the sinkholes in Argostoli, at the other end of the island.

The cave is open to visitors, May to October from 08.30 in the morning until 19.40 in the afternoon every day.

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Dragonlake of Tymfi

kordasspiros — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 14:19:28 +0000

Dragonlake of Tymfi and Dragonlake of Smolikas is one of the most famous lakes of Epirus and is connected by a beautiful legend. The term Dragonlake refers to the alpine lakes that are formed mainly in the mountains of Epirus. Created during the last glacial period.

Dragonlake of Tymfi is located in an alpine meadow of mountain Tymfi, at an altitude of 2,050m. , its shape is elliptical and its area is estimated at 8 acres. It is a popular destination for climbers and hikers, while it is known for its alpine newts, a protected amphibian that looks like a salamander and the locals call it Little dragons and which is hosted in the waters of the lake. It is a 1-hour walk from the shelter in the col of Astraka and 4 hours walk from Mikro Papigo.

There are various myths and legends about the Dragonlake of Tymfi, with the best known being the one who wants to live there, a dragon who tried to exterminate the dragon that lived in the Dragonlake of Smolikas. From the stones that flew at each other, the banks were formed. The bank of Tymfi is black with scattered white stones while Smolikas is white with scattered black stones. While there is an interpretation of the myth that says that, from the stones thrown by the Dragon of Tymfi were created the white rams and from the trunks thrown by the dragon of Smolikas were created the black sheep.

Another legend says that the Dragonlake of Tymfi had no bottom and that a great treasure was hidden there, but in reality, the depth is 3 to 5 meters depending on the prevailing conditions. There is a theory that during the Turkish occupation a Bey had put a diver from Preveza to dive to measure the depth of the lake and find the treasure. When he came out after an hour he was terrified and said not to try to do the same again.

Today Dragonlake of Tymfi is the ideal destination for those who love nature and have an appetite for walking while attracting photographers for impressive images.

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Gorge of Asopos

kordasspiros — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 14:16:48 +0000

The gorge of Asopos, is a place of unique beauty, as it offers impressive images to visitors and is often a destination for professionals in the field of photography, in order to immortalize the instant beauty offered by the landscape, depending on weather conditions and light. You are located in Fthiotida, about 200 km away from Athens, and is an ideal destination for an escape from the city

The gorge of Asopos is a narrow passage between the mountain slopes of Oiti and Kallidromo and leads the waters of Eastern Oiti to the river Sperchios and through it to the Gulf of Maliakos. Thus, along the gorge, a wetland has been created, of great ecological importance, while the trees such as willows, plane trees, holly trees, and the low vegetation that you can see, fill the landscape with color and make it enchanting

The most famous route followed by hikers starts from the large and imposing railway bridge of Papadia and ends at the bridge of Asopos, where it is located at the end of the gorge. On this route, you are accompanied by the waters of the Asopos river. The Railway Trail was created at the end of the 19th century when the railway line Kato Tithoreas-Lianokladi was built. The railway lines offer images of infinite beauty. In this part, the greatness of nature competes in beauty with human intervention

At Kouvelos, an impressive rock-mountain, which dominates the gorge of Asopos, one can see the archaeological site of the Castle of Oria, where the remains of the ancient city and the wall that probably belong to Ancient Trachina are preserved. On the outskirts of Oiti and Kallidromo was ancient Heraklion, one of the five cities of the kingdom of Achille

The gorge of Asopos is a popular destination all year round but mainly in Autumn and is usually a meeting place for hiking clubs and nature lovers.

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