It is an area of special natural beauty, located by the road that connects Parikia with Aliki. The valley is one of the most peculiar habitats of Greece. All this is composed in an idyllic environment with lush vegetation and running waters, where thousands of butterflies gather and create an amazing spectacle during the summer.
What are the butterflies of the Paros Valley?
The scientific name of the butterfly found in Paros is Euplagia quadripunctaria or jersey tiger moth. This is a brown-yellow butterfly with a little black and white and two orange-red hind wings.
The butterflies appear in the valley in June and "disappear" in August. This is because in September the females look for bushy areas where they lay their eggs and then die. The caterpillars are born in October and transform into butterflies in May. In June, the butterflies return to the valley and cling to the trees, waiting to mate in August.
Additionally to the unique butterflies spectacle, quite distinctive is the natural environment of the area that stands for its tall cypresses, laurels, locusts, and plane trees, whose foliage allows only little sun light to reach the ground.
Visiting Paros Butterflies Valley
The area has been included in the Community network of protected areas "Natura 2000". Visitors are welcome, but they need to be careful and quiet in order not to disturb the butterfly population, which saves energy for breeding.