Butterfly Valley was something that intrigued us all from the moment we heard about it. We decided to add it to our must see list during the planning phase of our trip.
It is a valley in the interior of the island that Jersey Tiger moths migrate to in July and August each year in search of a humid climate.
It was so much more than what I expected. I always enjoy our visits to the butterfly exhibits at our local safari park and I guess I expected it to be something like that. Walk through, see/ photograph some pretty butterflies, move on. Instead, it was a beautiful nature walk (well, let's be honest... Hike... Everything is a hike around here). The first section was a rather gentle incline through a shady forest where you are surrounded by trees and rocks that are completely full of one type of butterfly (actually a moth). The butterflies rest on these surfaces, occasionally fluttering around you or suddenly bursting into the air in large groups. Throughout the valley there is a small river complete with waterfalls, and wooden bridges built over it. It was a very peaceful and serene way to commune with nature.
We enjoyed the first half so much we decided to continue on to see the second half. This second section was completely different in the fact that it included the climb out of the valley. While the scenery was still beautiful, the day was warming, the tourist crowds were appearing, and the stairs and the incline of the accent increased. After all that climbing and return, we were tired and ready for our Mesimeri.
After a short nap Carrie, Lauri, Gina and I were ready to hit the beach. We decided to go find a beach near Rhodes town. We had seen a number of possibilities on our way to old Rhodes town earlier in the week. The water was warm and the waves were not as choppy as some we had experienced on the west side of the island. We have found that we are enjoying an evening swim at the beach. The late evening sun is just beautiful on the water. The sea is warm and the air temperature is a delight after scorching day time temperatures.
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