Strofilia - Kotychi

The area between the capes of Araxos and Kyllini, now known as the "National Park of Wetlands Strofilia - Kotychi", is probably the best destination for bird watchers throughout the Peloponnese.

The beauty and variety of the landscape is the first reason why many visitors come to the area. The second reason is its location on the so-called "Western Airway" of migratory birds.

Mesolongi

Acheloos and Evinos, the two large rivers, have created with their alluvium the wetland complex of Messolonghi, one of the largest in the Mediterranean.

The abundance of food (specifically fish), but also the location of the area on the "Western Airway" of migration, create here ideal conditions for the appearance of a significant variety of birds.

The landscape is dominated by the large lagoons of Messolonghi, Aetoliko, Kleisova and Tholi, the deltas of the two rivers that surround them, as well as the scattered limestone hills of Koutsilari, Katsa and Trikarda, as well as the apipera and fields between them. The area is closed to the east by the steep Varasova and to the north by the densely forested Arakynthos.

Compared to the wetland complex of Strofilia - Kotychi on the opposite shore of the Gulf of Patras, here, some elements of the landscape are almost absent (forest, reedbed), while others are on the rise (lagoons, alipades). This explains the distinctive nature of the area's birds, such as the huge numbers of wintering waterfowl.

Each season has a lot to offer the visitor who comes here to see the birds, as about three hundred species have been observed to date. Definitely in the Spring and Autumn many migratory species pass through the area, but a very good suggestion to visit is the winter season.

A hypothetical crossing of the area, from east to west, could take place in early January.