Aroania (), also known as Helmos or Chelmos (Χελμός, from South Slavic , "summit"), is a mountain in

Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek language, Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaḯa'', ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwest ...

Peloponnese The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. At 2,355 m elevation, Aroania is the third highest mountain of the Peloponnese, after

Taygetus The Taygetus, Taugetus, Taygetos or Taÿgetus () is a mountain range on the Peloponnese peninsula in Southern Greece. The highest mountain of the range is Mount Taygetus, also known as "Profitis Ilias", or "Prophet Elias" (Elijah). The name is o ...

and Kyllini, and the highest in Achaea. The largest town near the mountain is Kalavryta. The municipal unit Aroania took its name from the mountain.

Geography

Aroania is situated in southeastern Achaea, near the border with Corinthia. The slightly higher Kyllini mountain is about 15 km to its east, separated from Aroania by the valley of the river Olvios. The mountain Erymanthos is about 30 km to the west, across the valley of the river Vouraikos. The rivers Krios, Krathis and Vouraikos drain the mountain towards the Gulf of Corinth in the north. The river Aroanios drains the mountain towards the southwest, to the Ionian Sea. The mountain is the site of the Aristarchos telescope and of a ski resort. Points of interest on the mountain include the Cave of the Lakes ( Spilaio ton Limnon), the monastery of Mega Spilaio and the mountain town Kalavryta. Mountain villages on the mountain are Planitero and Peristera. There are several protected areas on Aroania. A list of the highest peaks of Mount Aroania: *Psili Koryfi, 2355 m *Neraidorachi, 2341 m *Aetorachi, 2335 m *Kokkinovrachos, 2315 m *Gardii, 2182 m *Avgo, 2138 m *Nisi, 2080 m

Flora and fauna

The parts of Aroania between 800 m and 1,800 m elevation are covered with

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

forests. The higher areas consist of grasslands and barren rock. Aroania is rich in butterfly species, including the Chelmos blue ('' Agrodiaetus iphigenia'') which is found between 1,100 m and 1,800 m.

References

External links

Greek Mountain FloraKalavryta Ski Resort Ski Resort Guide
*in Greek:
Photos from the Kalavryta Ski Centre

Χελμός - Βουραϊκός

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aroania Landforms of Achaea Mountain ranges of Greece Ski areas and resorts in Greece Landforms of Western Greece