Up in the hills south of the airport is Petaloúdes. This literally translates as ‘butterflies’, and the area is usually known in English as the Valley of the Butterflies, one of the island’s beauty spots. Petaloúdes is actually a seasonal home not to butterflies but Jersey tiger moths, which are attracted by the oriental sweetgum trees which grow densely in this valley.
The whole valley has been set aside as a well-laid-out reserve for visitors, who can walk through the trees, over streams and around ponds and waterfalls, looking out for the winged creatures. The climb to the 18th-century chapel of Kalópetra at the top of the valley takes about one hour.