Butterflies Valley in Rhodes Guide: Everything About the Natural Reserve, Walking Paths, Museum, Monastery Visit and Practical Information for Tourists
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When arriving in a new country or city and exploring its attractions, I always try to identify features characteristic of that particular place. The Greek island of Rhodes is specific in that, despite belonging to Europe, human creations and monuments created by Mother Nature peacefully coexist here.
Yes, for the modern tourist, Rhodes is not only the Old Town or the castles of the Knights Hospitaller. It’s also the kiss of two seas in the area of Cape Prasonisi and picturesque mountains.
The subject of my story today is the Valley of the Butterflies. In this article, I’ll tell you how to get here, what you can see, ticket and excursion prices to the Valley, as well as other useful information for those wishing to visit this place.
The Valley of the Butterflies in Rhodes: what kind of place is it and is it worth visiting?
The Valley of the Butterflies is an amazingly beautiful place. There are clean beaches, always sunny weather, and protected natural corners. But words cannot convey the uniqueness of Petaloudes Valley – this exotic name translated from Greek means “valley of butterflies.”
Valley of the Butterflies on Rhodes Island
Between rocks through which clear stream water babbles, between mountain river flows, tourists’ walking paths pass. Wooden walkways are equipped for convenience.
They stretch along the stream bed, organically fitting into the environment. Numerous lakes and rivers provide tourists with humidity and coolness even in the heat. In addition, the air is saturated with vanilla aromas.
Wooden bridges for a more comfortable walk through the Valley
Ticket prices for the Butterfly Valley in Rhodes and opening hours
Admission cost: 3-5 euros depending on the season; children under 10 years old – free.
The park is open for visits from 9:00 to 16:00, in the high season daily from 8:00 to 17:00.
How to Get to the Valley of the Butterflies in Rhodes
This can be done in several ways:
By bus. To do this, you first need to get to the capital. Most settlements on the island have transportation connections with Rhodes City, and buses run every 1-2 hours.
The fare to the final stop ranges from 1 to 9 euros per person, and tickets can be purchased either at a special kiosk at the stop or from the driver – the price will be the same.
From the final station in the capital, buses depart directly to the Valley of the Butterflies. The fare is 6 euros per person. The stop from which buses depart is located near the northern wall of the Old Town.
By rental car. This option is suitable for those who want to visit several attractions at once or are traveling in a large group, since the cost of renting a car in Rhodes is around 50 euros per day.
To drive to the Valley of the Butterflies, follow the signs with the names of settlements through which the route passes.
May be useful: by the way, if you’re interested in renting a car in Rhodes, my website has a large article where I talked about all the nuances of this process. I advise taking 10-15 minutes to familiarize yourself with it.
To find an excellent car rental option in Rhodes and Greece in general, based on the “price/quality” ratio, I recommend using the following three services for comparing offers from various car rental companies: DiscoverCars, EconomyBooking, AutoEurope.
By taxi. This option is the most expensive: its cost varies from 20-30 euros to 100-110 euros depending on where you’re coming from. You can order a taxi at any hotel.
Map of the location of the Valley of the Butterflies on Rhodes Island
What to see and do in the Valley of the Butterflies
The Petaloudes Valley contains the only natural forest of oriental sweetgum (Liquidambar orientalis) in Europe. The aroma of these trees attracts an endemic subspecies of the Jersey tiger moth called Panaxia Quadripunctaria. Simply put – these are large moths.
A huge number of butterflies gather in this small valley, covering almost all visible surfaces like a living blanket.
The captivating annual migration of these butterflies to the valley begins approximately at the end of May, after the rainy season, when the butterflies emerge from their cocoons.
Attracted by the scent of the trees, they fly inland, sometimes traveling dozens of kilometers toward the valley. Having reached the valley, swarms of butterflies cover all surfaces, from lush foliage to stones of all shapes and sizes. They prefer to sleep on the shady sides of trees or at their roots.
But besides butterflies, there are man-made attractions here as well. Below I’ll tell you more about them.
Map of attractions in the Valley of the Butterflies
House-Museum in the Valley of the Butterflies
Buses stop right opposite the main entrance; next to it are a restaurant and a small natural history museum. The house where the museum is located was built in the 1930s when the island was owned by the Italians.
House-museum telling about exotic butterfly species living in the Valley
Visiting the museum is included in the price of the entrance ticket to the park, and besides stands telling about the life cycle of tiger moths, there are other exhibits giving an idea of Rhodes’ flora and fauna.
However, I personally believe that the museum is more of an addition, since it’s not what makes the Valley a unique place.
There’s another man-made attraction in these places. To see it, you need to return to the main entrance and climb up a bit. If you don’t feel like going uphill, by paying an additional 4 euros you can take a road train there. There, at an altitude of 311 meters above sea level, is an 18th-century monastery.
Kalopetra Monastery
The Panagia Kalopetra Monastery with the Church of the Virgin Mary is located in the northern part of the Valley of the Butterflies. The monastery’s name translated from Greek means “good stone.” It’s quite ascetic, which is generally characteristic of Greek churches.
The monastery building is small with a gable roof; the interior is decorated with a complex carved iconostasis and fairly well-preserved frescoes, one of which is the image of the Dormition of the Mother of God, considered by many pilgrims a “miracle icon” worth seeing.
Next to the monastery is a citrus garden; in the shade of the trees are tables with benches – a perfect place to rest. The monastery is built at the highest point of the valley, so a wonderful panoramic view of the surroundings and sea opens from here.
Kalopetra Monastery in the northern part of the Valley of the Butterflies
More about butterflies in the Valley of Butterflies
When I first saw the tiger moths, I immediately wondered who could have thought to give these delicate creatures such a name.
It turned out that the caterpillars, which subsequently transform into butterflies, are covered with such thick black hairs that something bear-like can indeed be seen in their appearance.
Tiger moth caterpillars have an appearance appropriate to their name
The butterflies themselves attract attention with bright complex patterns on their wings. The main background is most often dark brown, and there are about 11,000 varieties of tiger moths worldwide.
Rhodes is home to tiger moths of the Hera family. When a butterfly is resting, its wings are folded, and thanks to their pattern, I didn’t immediately notice that tree trunks are literally covered with these insects.
Trees and rocks are literally covered with many butterflies
Only when a butterfly decides to take flight does it appear before us in all its beauty. Its lower wings are bright red with characteristic black dots, for which the Hera tiger moth received another name – the speckled harlequin.
The wings of these butterflies have a red color on the inside, but due to their “sedentary” lifestyle, this is practically invisible
The bad news is that these butterflies are nocturnal, so during the day they prefer to restore their strength. Nevertheless, even in daylight they sometimes change location, giving an opportunity to admire their attire.
In addition, if you carefully watch your step, you can quite easily find butterflies whose lives have come to an end and examine them in more detail.
My tips for those who want to visit the Valley of the Butterflies in Rhodes
Don’t expect to see butterflies in massive quantities. Due to the fact that tour groups are allowed during daytime, and moths are nocturnal creatures, you need to pay attention to trees and rocks. In open space, you can see how surfaces are covered with black and white flowers. Surprisingly, these are the legendary Butterfly butterflies.
You can see the transformation into moths from late May. It’s during that period that caterpillars begin to transform into colorful butterflies.
For Rhodes tourists who decide to linger in the Valley of the Butterflies, hotel and camping services are offered. It’s worth noting that renting a tent with the required equipment is easy. But you’re also allowed to stop and rest with your own camping property.
The tourist season for this Rhodes attraction, the Valley of the Butterflies, begins in April. Therefore, on the walking tour you’ll meet groups of hippies and tourists. From November, the flow of guests decreases. In season, you can notice groups of people practicing yoga and music therapy.
Having decided to go on a tour or independently, you should charge smartphones, tablets, and cameras in advance. There is no electricity in the Valley.
A quiet walk under the canopy of greenery is tiring. For such situations, dining areas are offered. Family meals are held under grapevines. The menu contains only fresh, homemade products. Breakfast is significantly different. Tourists are offered Mediterranean delicacies – olives and white cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes. Lunch consists predominantly of vegetarian dishes.
The bus trip from Rhodes exhausts tourists. The scorching sun is tiring. Therefore, on the sandy beach, in the rocks, there is a bar. From this place, you can enjoy the sunset and order cold beer. Lovers of fish dishes should visit a restaurant on the opposite side.
Extreme types of recreation are fashionable. Diving and rock climbing are local tourist entertainments. Not every valley guest will dare to climb to the top of the waterfall for a couple of memorable photos or conquer the peaks of steep cliffs.
If the purpose of your trip to Rhodes is quiet relaxation, without hustle and bustle and city noise, then a trip to the Valley of the Butterflies will be the best decision.