![Voidomatis river](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Voidomatis_river.jpg)
Voidomatis ( el, Βοϊδομάτης) is a river in the
Ioannina regional unit in northwestern
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, and is a tributary of the
Aoös river.
The main current sources are located under the village of
Vikos. Along its path it converges with other water currents originating from the banks of
Tymfi
Tymphe (in Latin and English usage) or Tymfi (in the Greek government's preferred transliteration), Timfi, also Tymphi (, ) is a mountain in the northern Pindus mountain range, northwestern Greece. It is part of the regional unit of Ioannina and ...
or the
Vikos Gorge
The Vikos Gorge or Vikos Canyon ( gr, Φαράγγι του Βίκου) is a gorge in the Pindus Mountains of north-western Greece. It lies on the southern slopes of Mount Tymphe with a length of about 32 km, depth ranging from 120 to 1350 ...
. It ends close to
Konitsa
Konitsa ( el, Κόνιτσα; see also names in other languages) is a town of Ioannina in Epirus, Greece. It is located north of the capital Ioannina and near the Albanian border. Northeast of Konitsa lies a group of villages known as the Zagoro ...
. The river has a total length of 15 kilometers. The name Voidomatis (meaning "the eye of the ox"), derives from the fact that oxen have clear blue eyes, like the waters of this river. Also, there is the Slavic etymology: ''Bode–Mat'' which means "good water".
Voidomatis has been characterized as one of the cleanest rivers in Europe as it does not face any environmental issues. It crosses one of the most beautiful natural locations of Greece and has been part of the
Vikos–Aoös National Park
The Vikos–Aoös National Park ( el, Εθνικός Δρυμός Βίκου–Αώου ''Ethnikós Drymós Víkou–Aóou'') is a national park in the region of Epirus in northwestern Greece. The park, founded in 1973, is one of ten national ...
since 1973. The river is spanned by a number of stone bridges, the most famous being the Kledonas Bridge. The river is known for water sports such as rafting and kayaking.
Geomorphology
The Voidomatis is mostly seasonal, with year-round flow. The average temperature of the water does not exceed 4 °C.
References
Travel Magic. (2009). ΒΟΪΔΟΜΑΤΗΣ ΠΟΤΑΜΟΣ Retrieved July 6, 2013
External links
{{commonscat-inline, Voidomatis river
Pindus
Landforms of Ioannina (regional unit)
Rivers of Greece
Rivers of Epirus (region)
Natura 2000 in Greece