Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Street art in Cartagena.
Colombia • 10 days, 9 nights
Colombia Discovery: Coffee, Art & Music
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.
What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?
about 3 hours ago
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
2 days ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
3 days ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Greece Egeo Valley of the Butterflies

Valley of the Butterflies

Swarms of dainty flying insects swarm into the Petaloudes Valley to get busy.

Egeo, Greece

Added By
Rachel James
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Butterflies swarm Petaloudes Valley   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petaloudes
Butterflies swarm Petaloudes Valley   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petaloudes
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/aogg/
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/aogg/
  http://mygreektrip.com/rhodes/rhodes-valle...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/aogg/
  Pericles Rosa / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Every year, thousands of delicate, winged creatures migrate from the thickets and bushes of the Mediterranean, following the waterways to the humid Petaloudes Valley, more commonly known as the Valley of the Butterflies.

Toward the end of May, as the dry season approaches, the butterflies swarm over rocks and trees, resting their fragile atrophic peptic system until mating season begins.

A subspecies of the Jersey Tiger Moth unique to the island of Rhodes, Euplagia quadripunctaria rhodosensis is attracted to the valley by the scent given off by the Oriental Sweetgum trees that thrive in the area. Fluttering lightly, they cover every available surface. Waterfalls, shade and foliage make for the perfect romantic setting, and as soon as the intricate insects have rested, it's time to begin their mating season.

While the valley is open and visitors encouraged, the impact of so much foot traffic is showing clear signs of strain on the population of the very attraction people come to see. Due to the nature of their biology — butterflies have no stomach, and their energy consists of reserves from their larval stage — constant disturbance from visitors clapping or whistling to encourage the bugs to fly off of their resting places, while quite visually pleasing, saps precious energy from the insects that cannot be replenished. If you go to witness this amazing migration, wear suitable shoes for hiking, please step lightly, and do not disturb the tiny residents.

Related Tags

Animals Natural Wonders Islands Butterflies Nature

Know Before You Go

The Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes) is located about 25 km (15.5 miles) from Rhodes City, on the western side of the island, about 5 km (3 miles) southeast of the village of Theologos.

It's open daily from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm and costs 5€ for Adults. For children under 12, it's free.

 

 

Community Contributors

Added By

Rachel

Edited By

Martin, Pericles Rosa, aribrown

  • Martin
  • Pericles Rosa
  • aribrown

Published

June 20, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.7continents1passport.com/things-to-do-in-rhodes/
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petaloudes
  • http://www.greecelogue.com/rhodes-the-valley-of-the-butterflies.html
Valley of the Butterflies
Egeo, 851 06
Greece
36.339603, 28.058782

Nearby Places

Bee Museum of Rhodes

Rhodes, Greece

miles away

Epta Piges (Seven Springs)

Archaggelos, Greece

miles away

Tsambika Monastery

Rodos, Greece

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Greece

Greece

Europe

Places 222
Stories 23

Nearby Places

Bee Museum of Rhodes

Rhodes, Greece

miles away

Epta Piges (Seven Springs)

Archaggelos, Greece

miles away

Tsambika Monastery

Rodos, Greece

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Greece

Greece

Europe

Places 222
Stories 23

Related Stories and Lists

Where The Butterflies Roam

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

    Keahole Point Blowhole

    This unusual lava tube spouts seawater during high surf.

  • Balls Pyramid

    Australia

    Ball's Pyramid

    This dramatic sea spire is home to the world's rarest insect and is part of the lost continent of Zealandia.

  • Horses on Sable Island

    Halifax, Nova Scotia

    Sable Island

    This crescent-shaped sliver of sand is a magical haven for a herd of feral horses.

  • Rainbow’s End Butterfly Farm

    Pawling, New York

    Rainbow's End Butterfly Farm

    This whimsically unique butterfly farm focuses solely on creating habitats for the gentle insects.

  • Christmas Island crab migration

    Christmas Island, Australia

    Crabs of Christmas Island

    The red crab exhibits one of the most spectacular migrations on earth, despite manmade obstacles.

  • Swimming pigs.

    Big Major Cay, Bahamas

    Pig Beach

    In paradise, feral pigs have claimed an island all to themselves.

  • Humacao, Puerto Rico

    Monkey Island

    This small primate research island is teeming with playing, fighting wild monkeys.

  • Johnson Beach, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

    Pensacola, Florida

    Johnson Beach

    A pristine beach on the Gulf of Mexico with deep ties to Pensacola’s Black community.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.