Perachora

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Statistics
Prefecture:	Corinthia
Municipality:	Loutraki-Perachoras
Population: (1991) - Total - Density - Rank	1,296
Elevation: -lowest: -centre:	Gulf of Corinth 300 m northern part
Postal code:	281 00
Area/distance code:	11-(00)30-26710
Car designation:	`KP`

Perachora, also Perahora or Perakhora (Greek: Περαχώρα) is an inland settlement in the Loutraki-Perachoras municipality of the Corinthia prefecture in the periphery of Peloponnese in Greece. It is located about 7 km NW of the town of Loutraki in a hilly environment surrounded by higher elevation of the Geraneia mountains. Officially it shares the seat of the municipality with Loutraki. Perachora's name is a transformation of the phrase "Peraia Hora" meaning in Greek "the land on the other side" of Isthmus of Corinth, (the modern Corinth Canal). The other side for Perachora is the (geographically opposite) ancient city of Corinth. Perachora has a population of about 1,200 and it is built 300 metres above sea level. The village is built amphitheatrically on the surrounding hills having a panoramic view at the Corinthian Gulf in the SW and the Limni Vouliagmenis, a coastal settlement next to a blue lagoon in the West.

The rocky cape Heraion with its stone lighthouse together with the ancient temple of Hera Limenia the Heraion, is at the western approaches next to the Limni Vouliagmenis lagoon. The ancient city of Oinoi is today a small coastal settlement named Schinos. In the lagoon area the epic movie Lion of Sparta aka The 300 Spartans was filmed in 1962.

The area around the village has typically agricultural Mediterranean scenery with green-silver olive trees being the single most important crop. Extended pinetree forests exist in some of the surrounding mountains, sometimes reaching the coast. Notable local products include virgin olive oil and natural pinetrees resin.