The previous evening we went to hire a car for this morning. So after breakfast we left the hotel and went to pick our car. Opening our map and reading it for some orientation we started our excursion of the island. Our plan was to drive southwards from the western coast touring the whole island and sometimes getting inlands for certains attractions.

Our first stop would be the Petaloudes or the Butterfly Valley. The western coast had less to do with tourims and it was calm. After we passed the airport we drove inladn from Kato Kalamon and we arrived at the Butterfly Valley. This is a small valley with three entrances thw lower the middle and the not so important upper entrance around Kalopetra church.

We parked at the lower entrance end started walking in the shady and cool place with some water flowing by. It was almost the end of the season and yet there were plenty of butterflies sunbathing on the rocks or hiding under the tree leaves. These are not real butterflies but kind of moths, with lovely colors. Basicly grey and red in color. We walked up to to the midle entrance and there we crossed the road for the upper part where there is much more water forming small pools and tiny waterfalls. After a while the valley comes to an end and you get out from the upper exit where you can see some very small church called Kalopetra.

Then we go down all the way to pick our car, and we drove again upwards and we came to the Psinthos village up on the mountains where we had something to eat.

After that we drove back to the coastal road and at Kalavarda village we headed again inland towards Salakos where nearby it was supposed to have another valley but thar was a deserted place so we sat at a kafenion at Salakos and had some sparkling lemonade. We asked to the waitress what was up on the mountaind and when she said there is a large forest and a nice hotel on the peak we decided to go up there. Actually there was a treccking track from the so called valley up to the hotel but we decided to go up with the car as that plenty of road.

The Hotel was called Elafos and just on the main road in front of the hotel there was a snack bar called Elafaki. The former meaning Deer while the second Baby deer. we sat there and we eat a big cup of yogurt with honey and nuts. There plenty of beas around which were probably the source of the honey ;)

It was late afternoon so we decided to go down to the coast road and find a hotel and swim if it was possible. But the road was getting much more deserted as that part of the island was used for the farming side. We arrived at Kamiros and look for some hotel but they said the only hotel is as Skala Kamiros (the harbour of Kamiros) so we get there and found Lyros Hotel where The owner gave us a room and told we could go for swimming at Kopria Beach a narrof pebbled gulf where the water was excellent.

When we came back int our rooms balcony we found a dead butterfly so we smuggled it with us back to home. Actually catching butterflies and ctakeing them away is prohibited.

In the evening we had a lovely dinner at Lyros hotel.