If you hike from Methana town into the mountains, almost in the center of the peninsula, the valley of the Stavrolongos volcano is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Greece. Not only the rich nature makes the valley attractive, but also its geological history. There is a discussion among geologists, whether the valley is the remnant of a much larger caldera? From the morphology the valley resembles the small, young lava dome in the middle, very close to the caldera of e.g. Santorini. The valley is surrounded by several lava domes, such as the Mokrisa lava dome. The weathering products of the pyroclastic flows, ashes and rocks create a fertile soil, that is used for wine growing at the valley and its slopes.

How to visualize the volcano during its activity, can be seen in the photos of Dr. Tom Pfeiffer and his Kelut photos from Indonesia. A link to his photos you can see here!