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map sterea ellada central greece

Central Greece

Mt. Vardousia

Mt. Vardousia (see map above) lies in Sterea Ellada a.k.a. Central Greece a huge area, stretching from the Ionian Sea in the west, all the way to the Aegean off the east coast of the long island of Evia (Euboea) to the east of Attiki (Attica).

Mt. Vardousia

black  firThe name applies to an largely unfrequented mountainous area to the southwest of Mt. Iti, with quite a few high rocky peaks, which reach 2495 meters (8184 feet) at the highest point, with many peaks more than 2000 meters.

An unknown mountain climbers' paradise, it has some dramatic cliffs, with large sheer faces that are vertical, and has also among the most varied and fascinating floras to be found in the mountains of Greece.

Greek fir covers the lower slopes, with villages dispersed amid the clearings. There are many grecian firinteresting flowers both in the forests and in the grassy pastures above it, but with the most specialized plants on the highest cliffs and screes;there are also patches of arctic-alpine plants high up.

Though undesignated as a bird area, and unprotected, it is a significant bird site, with eagles (golden and short-toed) (above)and lammergeiers;black and white-backed woodpeckers breed in the forest, and there are rock patridges.

The mountain is not totally unknown, as there are mountain huts maintained by organizations, with paths up from the village of Mousounitsa in the Mornos Valley.