In Western Lesvos, between the settlements of Vatoussa and Antissa, the valley of the Voulgaris river is created in a part of which the impressive gorge of Voulgaris appears.
The area of the Voulgaris valley has been opened up in the volcanic formations of the Vatoussa volcano which is connected to the main volcanic activity of Lesvos, about 18 million years ago. The intense tectonics of the area created large faults that affect and fragment the volcanic rocks.
The creation of the gorge is due to large geological faults that cross the volcanic cobblestones that appear in the area. The water of the Voulgaris River follows the fragmented fault zone and erodes deeply at high speed creating an impressive ravine and steep rocky sides. The action of water erodes the volcanic cobblestone formations and creates impressive landforms.
The area of the gorge is a protected area and an ideal place for birdwatching, and is included in the NATURE 2000 network, as many rare birds find refuge there. Furthermore, the importance of the area results from the existence of a significant breeding population of the species: Eagle-hawk (Buteo rufinus), Black stork (Ciconia nigra), Dendrocopos medius, Emberiza cineracea, Golden eagle (Falco biarmicus), Kestrel (Falco naumanni) ), Puffin (Puffinus yelkouan) etc.
