RIDOMO CANYON

Paysanias in Ancient Greek called this Canyon, as " Chirios Napi", meaning " swines valley ".It starts from the higher tops of Taygetos Mountain(from under the top of Neraidovouna, meaning the mountain of the fairies,at 2031m) crosses the Area of Avia close to the villages of Pigadia, Kentro(Gaitses),Doloi and ends on the coast of Santova in Messinian Bay very close to the small village of Kitries that is a small fishing port.The Ridomo Canyon is a great and very rich geomorfological place!Along the whole Gorge we can meet a big ammout of Geological phenomena that formed the place, like the abrupt and almost vertical slopes, the sharp corrugations of the rocks and the breaches.The cobblestone pavemets at the villages of Pigadia and Altomira are the entrances into the gorge and also it can be accessed from the village of Gaitses or the Koskaraka(Koskarga) with the marvelous old bridge of the road Kalamata-Kampos The lovers of the mountains and the nature will be full satisfied from the beautys of Ridomo.

Lets start our sight-seeing that took place on June of 2005 during the weekend that is followed of the bank holiday of the Holy Spirit that always is on Monday.

by Fotis Papadimitriou

 

1. The access into the gorge took place from the village of Kentro(Gaitses)

2. Going on...

 

3. The Gorge is becoming more and more impressive.

4. Approaching the spring of "Manas" after about 3 hours of walking.At the upper part of the photo, the marvellous "Pigadiotiko Gefyri" (means the small bridge made by the villagers of Pigadia)

5. The "Pigadiotiko Gefyri" .

6.A very narrow zone of sky that we can only see, above us.

7. Going on...

8. The narrowest place of the Gorge.Notice the big stone embeded and the water on the rocks!

9. Natural water running from the springs of taygetos.On the top another small bridge .

10. Water running on the rocks.

11. The view above us...

12. Magnificent...

13. Let the pictures speaking....

14. A Huge Rock embeded.Yes!We walked under this rock!

15. We did it......

16. Beautifull corrugationson the rocks...

17.  From this point you can go towards the village of Ridomo and from there after some hours to the top of Taygetos.But we were already tired and we said to go to the ...upper world ...

18. Panoramic view of the Gorge.

19. View of some of the tops of Taygetos(not the highers) towards the village of Altomira.Notice this small trace of the winter snowfalls in the middle of June.

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