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The Forest of Perachori

The Forest of Perachori is located just above the first houses of the village. It grows on an extremely steep slope and consists of towering old trees, mainly oaks (“aries”), but also pernars and felikia. The aria belongs to the family of oak trees and it can reach up to 25 feet tall and has dense foliage. Therefore, the Forest of Perachori is dense, and except for some clearings, the sun does not reach the ground most of the times during the day.

The tour through the forest is not too tiring. However, it is necessary to take into consideration the steep incline, but also the dry, fallen leaves that make the ground even more slippery. An easy enough route that passes through the forest is found in the lowest, more accessible part. The path starts from the chapel of Agia Paraskevi and comes to another chapel, dedicated to Agios Gerasimos. Below is a detailed description of the route:

Route Perachori-Agia Paraskevi-Forest-Agios Gerasimos-Perachori

The path to the forest of Perachori starts from the uppermost street of the village and climbs up, all the way to the chapel of Agios Gerasimos, that you will find on your left hand side. Here, the path takes 3 directions: we follow the right one, which will lead us to Agia Paraskevi, the chapel on the other side of the forest. The path is clearly visible and if you lift our eyes towards the mountain, you can see the chapel. The whitened edges and the stairs will help you climb the almost vertical slope and then, if you go sideways, you will reach the clearing of the chapel. The small chapel is right in front of you, nestling amongst the trees. What is definitely breathtaking, is the panoramic view of Perachori, Vathi, and the Ionian Sea, as well as the countless islands, like Atokos, Oxia and the coasts of the mainland Greece and Peloponnese.

Continue the climb towards the forest of Perachori, turning a little back. At the same path you took to reach the chapel, just before Agia Paraskevi, you will clearly see a point where the path bifurcates and climbs upwards. Follow it carefully, as from this point on the ground gets really steep. Climb the slope and you will find yourself in the forest. The trees here are not old and look relatively small. But as you move to the left and slightly upwards, you will enter ever more deeply into the forest of old oaks, pernars and felikia. The dense foliage hides the sky and the fallen leaves on the ground form a thick, soft layer to walk on. Wherever you look, all you see is tall, thick trunks and green leaves.

To descent from the forest of Perachori, things get more complicated, as there is no longer a path to follow. Shortly after the large clearing, with the huge uprooted trees, you can begin the descend. You will be able to distinguish a small “door” that gets you out of the forest, just over an old cistern. Look around carefully and find the path that leads right to the chapel of Agios Gerasimos, thus getting you back to the beginning of your journey.

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