Mount Oeta

Mount Oeta (/ˈɛtə/; Greek: Οίτη, polytonic Οἴτη, Oiti, also transcribed as Oite) is a mountain in Central Greece. A southeastern offshoot of the Pindus range, it is 2,152 m (7,060 ft) high. Since 1966, the core area of the mountain is a national park, and much of the rest has been declared a special area under Natura 2000.

Mount Oeta is located on the boundaries of the prefectures of Phocis in the south and Phthiotis in the north. Its northern side displays a steep and inaccessible terrain as it descends to the rift valley of the Spercheios river, forming a series of deep gorges—most famous of which is that of the Gorgopotamos river—a few of which boast large waterfalls, including the Kremastos waterfall, considered the highest in Central Greece. To the east, Oeta is defined by the gorge of the Asopos (Ασωπός) river, which forms its boundary with the neighbouring Mount Kallidromo. The pass along the Asopos valley forms the chief passage between the Spercheios valley in the north and the Boeotic Cephissus valley in the south, with its northern exit close to the pass of Thermopylae. The southern slopes of Oeta are very gentle, bordering with the mountains Vardousia to the southwest and Giona to the southeast. On its western slope, Oeta is separated from Mount Goulina by the valley of the river Vistriza (Βίστριζα), ancient Inachos (Ίναχος) and the pass of Liaskovo or Mantetsi (1,200 metres (3,900 ft)). Historically, the name Oeta has been held to include Goulina or Kallidromo or both (cf. Friedrich Stählin, Das hellenische Thessalien, 1924).

Oeta has a complex hydrogeology. Limestone and flysch, coupled with a complex geomorphology, combine to create a large network of sinkholes and caverns, giving rise to many springs, small rivers, and seasonal ponds in the main plateaus, chiefly those of Livadies (Λιβαδιές), Amaliolaka (Αμαλιόλακα) and Katavothra (Καταβόθρα). Three major rivers spring forth from the mountain: Gorgopotamos and Asopos from the east, and Vistriza/Inachos from the west, all of which are tributaries of Spercheios. The streams of the southern slope flow into the river Mornos. The mountain's tallest peak, Pyrgos (Πύργος), has a height of 2,152 metres (7,060 ft), while the second-tallest is that of Greveno (Γρεβενό) at 2,117 metres (6,946 ft).

A total of 22 settlements are located on Mount Oeta:

In 1966, Mount Oeta became the sixth of Greece's national parks in accordance with Royal Decree 218/1966. With an area of 7,000 hectares, of which 3,370 form the core zone and 3,630 the periphery, the park covers approximately one fourth of the mountain's area and is the third largest in Greece. Any human activity that impacts the local environment in whatsoever way is forbidden within the national park's boundaries. The area of the national park has furthermore been declared a Special Area of Conservation as part of the Natura 2000 Network. The Gorgopotamos Gorge has also been declared a SAC, and together with the national park and the Asopos valley forms the broader "Mount Oeta National Park - Asopos Valley" Special Protected Area. Oeta also has two wildlife refuges, where hunting is forbidden: the Skasmeni Frantzi – Dyo Vouna area on the northeastern slopes, and the Oiti–Pavliani area on the southeastern. The national park and protected areas are overseen by the Management Body of Mt Oiti National Park, established as an agency of the Ministry of the Environment in 2002 (Law 3044/2002).

Due to unique geomorphology, Oeta has a rich flora, with 1,149 identified plant species, and an estimated presence of c. 1,250, representing about 20% of all flora of Greece. The mountain hosts two endemic species, Veronica oetaea of the genus Veronica, and Allium lagarophyllum of the genus Allium. Veronica oetaea is found only at the Livadies plateau and considered critically endangered, while Allium lagarophyllum has been documented in the gorges of the Gorgopotamos and Asopos rivers.

The dominant species is fir (Abies cephalonica), with fir forests covering over a third of the mountain, between c. 600 metres (2,000 ft) and 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) of altitude. Black pine (Pinus nigra) is found in an isolated area on the northeast of the mountain. On the southern and western slopes there are oak forests (often mixed with fir), along with other broadleaved plants like Arbutus and Pistacia lentiscus. In the river gorges, planes, willows, and alder trees can be found.

Slightly over 10% of the mountain—a comparatively high proportion—are meadows, which along with the exposed rocky slopes are the areas of highest diversity. The mountain has a rich variety of flower species, such as lilies, croci, orchids, iris, violas, etc. It is therefore known as the "mountain of flowers". Along with the nearby Giona and Vardousia ranges, Oeta is the southernmost limit of presence for plants of northern origin, such as Actaea spicata or Rhynchocorys elephas.