STAVROS (actually two villages, Upper & Lower Stavros)

To get to the village of Stavros you need to follow the coastal road at the eastern end of the Vatera beach. At the end of the beach, the road turns inland and running parallel to Vourkos River which divides the village, leads you to the picturesque village of Stavros, Upper & Lower, tucked away amongst the greenery (app 4 km away).

Quite paradoxically Upper (Ano) Stavros lies lower than Lower (Kato) Stavros which is located at a higher level. The local explanation for this unusual naming practice is that that it relates to the proximity to the coast, rather than the geological positioning. Apart from the distance to the coast the villagers like to point out, that the residents of Lower Stavros hailed from Agiasos and the residents of Upper Stavros from Polichnitos. Of course the significance of this in the present day of moving populations is not as high as it was a century ago.

The main occupation of the locals is agriculture and husbandry, producing olives, olive oil ( with their very own Olive Press ) cheese (fresh cheese and cheese matured in olive oil), pasta made with coarse wheat flour and sour milk ( traxanas), organic vegetables  and mushrooms picked in the forested areas (pefkites ).

Vourkos River is life giving to the village as it waters the small plane located between the coast and the village. In the springtime, a good marshy area at its exit to the Aegean is a veritable paradise for migrant birds (such as Little Egrets), also insects and butterflies.

Along the northern gravel road between Lower ( Kato) Stavros and Ambeliko  several Common Buzzards, Robins in their hundreds, a lot of Common Chaffinch feeding on the olives, several warblers like Whinchat and Stonechat can be seen in the spring. You can safely leave your car and walk towards the small chapels ...  counting birds for sure and enjoying the great mountainous views.