There's a mountain behind the beach at Potami and somewhere up on the high ground near the town of Leka you can find a fresh water spring, which feeds the small river that gives life to the
Potami Waterfalls.
The walk up the valley to the start of the falls isn't exactly hard, but it certainly isn't suitable for anyone with limited mobility and here's a tip: wear clothing and footwear you're happy to get wet.
The pathway soon gives way to a dirt track and you'll have to negotiate tree roots and boulders as you go.
It's a green and leafy walk, the shade giving pleasant relief on a hot day, especially with the sound of the water making its way downstream.
You'll soon find yourself between steep-sided rocky cliffs and I was reminded of the last time I explored a river valley, the magnificent
Almbachklamm in Bavaria; not an obvious comparison.
I was surprised at how small the river was in its lower reaches although bizarrely it becomes wider and deeper as you progress up the valley.
Don't be mislead when you come to the first of the small waterfalls, these are not the attraction!
You need to cross back and forth over the river several times. Wooden bridges are provided, although some of the crossmembers are not secured care must be taken unless you prefer to paddle through the stream.
I was amused by the pile of cut branches, are they there so visitors can make temporary repairs to the bridges?
Keep an eye open too for life in the river. There are plenty of small fish to look at, but also in some of the quieter pools you'll find these:
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| Fresh water crab |
Something else you may notice are visitors who have been to the falls before removing outerwear and stashing bags of kit among the trees for retrieval on their return.
There's no doubting that swimwear and beach-shoes are the outfit of choice since once you reach the steps leading to Taverna Archontissa you'll have to wade up the river.
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| Rickety Steps |
We were told the river water was ice-cold, but in fact I found it pleasingly cool. Also you're told the water is never more than waist deep, but that kind of depends on how tall you are!
Something else to note, the water is opaque and there are some hidden rocks you'll have to negotiate. They are smooth and slippery so watch your step.
I saw one chap miss his footing and take a dunking, I don't think it did his camera much good!
Don't be surprised if you find fish nibbling at any loose skin on your legs, especially if you have any scratches or open cuts.
One of the things to do is take a shower under the first fall. This chap said the water was freezing!
Not everyone agreed. This guy kept asking for the soap.
Sadly this was as far as we could go up the valley. To progress to the next waterfall you have to climb up and over the first one, which I was not prepared to do. There are three more waterfalls above this one and we were told you used to be able to access them by climbing the steps to Taverna Archontissa then taking the footpath down the cliff, but due to a landslip the pathway was now closed.
