The unique Greek forest with an area of 218,000 consists of tall oak and is included in the NATURA 2000 network because of the size, which is estimated from antiquity.
Located in the mountainous border Ilia Arkadia in SW foothills of Mt Erymanthou. Bordered to the east by the River Erymantho, west village Simopoulos and south villages Nemoyta, Lala and Duke. It belongs to the Municipalities and Foloi Lasionas and limits of municipalities Lampeias and Olena 600-630 meters in altitude. It took its name from the legend and King of the Centaurs FOLOI, friend of Hercules.
Across the plateau dominated efthykormi oak (oak), which the people of the region called HATS, which means plenty of dense forest or forest. The Sistine called “balcony of Ilia ‘. From the highest mountains seem like a threshing floor with large radius of ten kilometers, while the lowest as sickle. It is one of the rarest forests, unique in the Balkans. The oaks are tall, others straight as cypress and other thick Polyclonal as “queens of the forest.” Under their shadow grows only fterina and daffodil. The Sistine formerly unified whole. Now consists of so called by locals Antroneiki, which separates the great ravine Koumaneiki and Giarmeneiki.
Here comes the river Peneus and the Ladon Pineiakos canyon formed around Antroni characterized as a site of great historical and ecological value. It is said that here the Hercules cast net to catch the Erymanthian Boar. A walk down the gorge and the forest comes alive myths centaurs.
Close to residential areas and canyons meet chestnut, sycamore, holly, oak, arbutus, heather, broom, walnuts, fruit trees and mountainous Sfaka.
Unfortunately, large tracts of forest were cut and cleared by squatters to become farmland and to exploit the timber.
In the rich fauna in antiquity and by 1950, had wild boar, roe deer, rhesus, kites. Today we find hares, badgers, foxes, jackals, weasels, hedgehogs and turtles.
From birds found partridges, woodcocks, pigeons, kises, cuckoos, trygonia, hoopoe, skylarks, woodpeckers, eagles, beeches, Redbacks, Sparrowhawk and owls. A variety of bugs, especially the lower phylum of insects and reptiles such as snakes, Astrit, dentrogalies, astritoches, shuttles, lizards, gaidouromousteles, and turtles.
The hat is anyndri and dry summer. Keep only the moisture, which is preserved in the soil due to the density of trees that do not allow the sun to pass. Many numbered forest roads cross the hats offered for horse riding and cycling. Trees are planted in the “Lacquer-fog” area of 100 acres 20 years ago to serve for new production plants. The environmental quality of the forest is confirmed by the evaluation as an important area for birds of Greece (SPPE). Is registered with Directive 92/43 of the EU Council for the conservation of natural habitats of wild fauna and native flora.