TAYGETUS

Known as a mountain, but best described as a narrow range more than 115 kilometres long, it was called "perimēketon" by Homer, an adjective doing justice to the lofty mass towering above the basins of Megalopolis, Eurotas and Messenia. The origins of its pre-Hellenic name are impossible to trace, but a mythological aetiology adequately fills the gap. From the union of Taygete, one of the Pleiads, and Zeus, the eponymous hero of Sparta, Lacedaemon, was born. Legend has it that, scorned by her archetypally unfaithful lover, the Pleiad renounced her immortality and jumped off a cliff, thus paving the way for many fictional and factual characters alike, who would follow her tragic fate in centuries to come. If you decide to spend a few days walking around the majestic landscape, you will realise that many of the geographical features are named after creatures of myth and legendary locals of royal or humble status (Fairy Mountains, Barbara's cave, Vassiliki's forest, to name but a few). The range covers an area of 2,542 square kilometres, crowned by Profitis Ilias (Greek for the Prophet Elias), the highest peak in the Peloponnese (2,407 metres of altitude at the local landmark known as the "Pyramid", due to its almost perfect pyramid shape). It is home to 28 endemic plants, of which 11 species can only be found in Taygetus and one more mountain in Greece. Another 120 species are typical of Greek alpine ecosystems. It should be mentioned that the wider area of Central and South Peloponnese is an impressive ecosystem of 700 species. There are four distinct zones over which the species are spread. Up to 750 metres of altitude, we find the Zone of Mediterranean shrubs; next comes the Mountain Zone (up to 1,650 metres). As we move further up towards the peak, the Subalpine Zone (up to 2,000 metres) prepares visitors for the glacial glory of the last zone, the Alpine. The natural geographical characteristics of the landscape (naturally formed paths, ravines and gorges) merge with manmade structures old bridges, monasteries and forgotten archaeological sites to compose a unique setting for hikers, climbers and visitors who simply want to admire the flora and fauna still thriving in one of the most unspoilt landscapes in Greece. Rare butterflies and lizards, wild bores, beech martens, foxes, badgers, Bonelli's eagles, golden eagles, stone partridges, and woodpeckers find their ideal habitat among wild cedar trees, wild peach trees, maple trees, and kermes oaks, anemones, cyclamens, firs and century-old black pines. The beautiful reserve connects the southern limits of Arcadia with the wilder and somewhat drier area of Mani, which extends to the southernmost tip of the middle arm of the Peloponnese peninsula. A natural barrier stretching from Porto Kagio and Gerolimenas to the centre of the Peloponnese, it separates two blessed regions, the Laconian and the Messenian territories: rivals since ancient times, joined today in a common effort to preserve the natural wealth of the region and protect it from illegal hunting and overbuilding The steep, almost vertical limestone slopes, where the higher part of the mountain is formed by crystalline limestone slabs (and, occasionally, dolomitic lime), as well as the east side, formed of schist and phyllite rock, are deeply slashed by gorges of all sizes; the most significant ones are Langada, Vyros, and Rintomo.