Since Greece is easy to drive, traffic rules and rent cars is cheap, we took a Peugeot 206 for 2 days full-time and explored on our own the island and at first a Tour to the Butterfly Valley in Petaloudes, with light rain.
Petaloudes, Butterfly Valley
You started from below in the valley and kept going up. On this way up, you could see butterflies, lots of crabs, insects and lizards. It was a little bit "dark" and i havn´t the best Cam for this journey, so the pics were not very good...the crabs and lizards could only be seen shortly, because they were very shy.
You have to be careful because of the roots and sometimes slippery places.
The butterflies should actually be everywhere on the trees but that was probably the wrong season. In the valley was a high humidity, everything was fenced, a lot of cameras on the trees and an infinite number of crabs.
Jersey tiger / Crab / False black widow
After the climb we first had to go to the toilet which was very special.
We drove on to Profitis ilias near Salakos and made a stop in the small village of Eleousa. There were houses and shops but no people far and wide.
Eleousa Village
A few meters further on a ruin.
Praying mantis / Juniper skink
It was really great to see Empusa fasciata in free nature. They was everywhere in the bushes!
The weather was rainy, perfect for flora and fauna. Therefore, we continued up the mountain Profitis Ilias, the mountain peak of 798m altitude and looked at nature. Through the dense forest, the protection from rain was very good. Serpentine had to be driven, higher and higher, to a rocky spot with a great view.
Profitis Ilias
Scorpion / Centipede / Star lizard
I found a few more specimens of Aegeobuthus gibbosus and Scolopendra sp...all under stones. Unfortunately, i could not take many pictures because it was raining stronger and I only had a cam.
I was wet and with a bit sick, so we did not spend much time on the cold mountain.
We continued down, the rain was less. We rested on a holding bay and looked at the mountain from below. And u can see the Fog after the rain from the Profitis Ilias.
Holding Bay Salakos / Profitis Ilias
Since it was still early in the day and it was not raining now, we decided to drive to the old ruined city of Kamiros. Once there, it started to rain heavily again. A nice saleswoman from the kiosk gave us some sliced garbage bags to protect us. I know in the pictures the rain is not coming over but the ground was very soft and loamy and i only had my beach sandals with me...very hard to go.
Ancient Kamiros
The evening continued to Filerimos to one of the highest views of Rhodes (267m).
A thunderstorm opened, storm and lightning, not many and good pictures could be made. The view on site was very great!
After this long day we went back to the hotel and we were just tired as well as sick.