“Lesvos is famous for its unique landscapes,” said Stratis Zgournios, a scientific collaborator of the Natural History Museum of the Petrified Forest of Sigrio Lesvos, to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency and added: “An unknown part of these beautiful landscapes, which not easily accessible but unique, are its gorges. One of them is located in western Lesvos, between the villages of Vatoussa and Antissa, close to the valley of the Marmantos stream, which ends in the Voulgaris river. In one part of this valley an impressive gorge appears.”
The area of the Voulgaris valley has been carved into the volcanic formations of the Vatousa volcano, which was active about 18 million years ago. Large faults affecting and breaking the volcanic rocks created the conditions for the deep erosion of the volcanic formations. “The gorge was created as a result of large geological faults that cross the volcanic cobblestone rocks that appear in the area,” Zgournios explained.
The water of the Voulgaris River follows the fragmented fault zone and erodes its sides deeply at high speed, creating impressive ravines and steep rocky slopes. The water erodes the volcanic formations and creates impressive rock formations, even forming small waterfalls.
The area of the gorge is a protected area and an ideal place for bird watching. Included in the Natura 2000 network, with a multitude of rare birds finding refuge there.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
