Butterflies Valley

7 km south west of Parikia, you will be surprised to find a vivid green biotope grown with tall cypresses, planes but also wild olive trees and carob trees, all embraced by green cissus branches. Here vegetation is lush and water is plenty.

In the summer the park is home to swarms of numerous butterflies. The butterflies’ wings are brown with yellow white margins while, when flying, their underside is vivid red. Young butterflies travel at night and reach the valley at the beginning of summer. During the day, they remain almost still, they stop feeding themselves, since they have stored enough fat in their body, while August is the mating season.

They shouldn’t be disturbed and made to fly because, in this way, they waste energy which is necessary both for reproduction and their autumn trip. In September, female butterflies leave Paros to lay their eggs in other places, rich in vegetation. Each butterfly lays around 100 eggs which are smaller than a millimeter and then dies.Thus, a new butterfly life circle begins.