Butterflies Valley & Kamiros Tour

We start our full day tour with a visit at the Valley of Butterflies. This is an idyllic and unique ecological setting, with narrow rock walkways, lakes decorated with water-lilies, rustic bridges, running waterfalls and resting places. The valley is stocked with pine and storax trees that are loaded with millions of brown-red butterflies (a moth of panaxia quadripunktaria) from mid-June to September.  
The smell of the tree resin spreads all the way to the top of the valley mixed with an aura of freshness. We can either walk up through the valley, or take the local Butterfly train to Kalopetra Monastery and walk back down to where the vehicle waits for us.

Leaving Valley of Butterflies, we head south along the west coast of the island to the area of Kamiros Skala.  The ancient city of Kamiros, which was built on three levels, is situated on the mountainside overlooking the Aegean Sea.  You will be able to walk through the well-preserved remains of the very rich and advanced civilization that existed in medieval times.  

Leaving Kamiros and driving south along the west coast up into the lush mountains of the interior of the island, we reach the picturesque village of Embonas, and have lunch (a la carte-paid on the spot) at a local taverna which serves delicious traditional dishes.  Then we will stop for souma, honey and wine tasting just outside the village.

We continue our tour to Monolithos a medieval castle balancing on the top of rock formations and affording one spectacular views of the Aegean and the surrounding islands.  We shall have a stop here for photos before heading back to the hotel.