THE WINDS’ SCULPTURES
At an altitude of no more than 1,200m the visitor can admire the oversized natural sculptures that nature has created on the rocks. Such landforms are almost vertical slopes, domes with rounded or even flat tops, small entrails (tafoni), rock shelters and caves and tower structures.
Geodiversity
These are hard compact conglomerate beds (welded rounded stones) of great thickness, alternating with horizons or lenses of sandy clays (softer rocks). They were created during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene as alluvial fan deposits of riverine origin. Actually, they were created when bigger or smaller rivers were flowing on the surface in the area, transporting coarse grained material (stones of different sizes). These stones, with time were welded and transformed to the hard rock that we see today. Due to the tectonic pressure caused by the subduction of the African plate underneath the Eurasian one, and the opening of the Corinth Gulf rift, these fluvial deposits were uplifted in great altitudes. These rocks, after being uplifted, were eroded by wind and water and characteristic geomorphs were created.
The size and frequency of these geomorphologic features depend on the softness of the rock (cohesion), the interference of softer or harder horizons and the fragmentation of the rock. The water and the wind erode the softer parts between the different beds or horizons and in the cracks creating thus natural sculptures.
Biodiversity
A large number of chasmophytes grow on vertical conglomerate cliffs of the area and many of them are Greek endemic taxa, such as Asperula arcadiensis, Aurinia moreana, Achillea umbellata, Asperula lutea, Teucrium flavum subsp hellenicum etc. Silene conglomeratica, a local stenoendemic taxon of the area is recorded in certain locations of the vertical conglomerate cliffss.
The Geosite is located within the Special Protection Area (SPA) “OROS CHELMOS (AROANIA)-FARANGI VOURAIKOU KAI PERIOCHI KALAVRYTON” (GR2320013). The avifauna of the area is of great interest and includes birds, such as the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), and the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo).
